Maiden WIWIK Alumni Connect Held

What I Wish I Knew (WIWIK), an annual advisory forum conference on Friday held the maiden edition of its Alumni Connect conference with the aim of tracking the progress of its past participants.

The What I Wish I Knew (WIWIK) conference which started in 2015, has over the years guided, inspired and equipped many young Ghanaians with knowledge for the world of work by connecting them with influential industry players.

Delivering the keynote address on capacity building, Host of the Citi Breakfast Show Bernard Avle, emphasized on the participants' need to cultivate a culture of discipline while devoting their attention to developing their skills.

“Successful people are highly driven and uncompromisingly focused. Your focus will determine your future. Develop discipline. You need to take some key decisions now that will influence your future,” he said.

Also addressing participants at the conference, Divisional Director for Retail Banking at Fidelity Bank, Nana Esi Idun-Arkhurst, advised the youth to focus on developing their careers instead of seeking large financial remuneration. This she believes will ultimately drive value addition in their careers.

“Often you find that young people tend to be distracted with perks and all the stuff they could get earlier so people tend to 'job hop' for the next extra GHS500 or GHS1000. That may look good to start off with, but with time you might realize that it's not sustainable,” she said.

Speaking to Citi News on the sidelines of the conference, CEO of Jobberman Ghana, Geoffrey France, further encouraged university students to gain essential work experience while in school by taking advantage of internship opportunities from various companies in the country. This he believes will boost their employability when they hit the job market after school.

“Build those little blocks for yourself in terms of experience through an internship. It could be free or it could be something you take a token for, but you will still be learning. You might not get paid for 3 months but it is an experience you have acquired.”

The conference also presented participants with the opportunity to pose questions and get answers from the industry players.