Thursday’s lecture series started off with a bang at the University of Tampa. Guest speaker Hoan Do reached out to students to discuss succeeding in the real world.
Meeting Do leaves one almost taken aback; he is amazingly friendly upon introducing himself. An eavesdropper reportedly overheard his friendly banter with a young, female student: “Hey, is everything okay? You look like you’re having one of those days, I’m Hoan.”
Do made it clear that he wasn’t there to lecture, but rather, that he wanted to be able to have a conversation about the students’ worries and concerns. Once informed of their worries and concerns, Do advise the lecture group on what he found helpful, during his college experience.
He addressed what most students are afraid of these days: job security, loan debt, being happy and staying afloat in a volatile economy. College is supposed to be the best four years of a young-adult’s life, but it is important for students to utilize their time wisely, while enrolled.
Do walked the stage, making sure to make eye contact with the audience. He told stories of when he snuck into upper-classmen lectures, and how he took advantage of amazing and worthwhile internships, landing himself with the companies and the positions he kept on his horizons, once having graduated college.
With all the hard work Do put into his interning, once he graduated, he truly was above the curve, not just by obtaining his degree, but with much needed experience under his belt. The best way to find and land the job you want is through experience.
Tips:
- Acknowledge things as they are.
- Don’t make it worse than it is.
- See things the way you want it to be and do something about it.
Changing the Radio Station
You know how you can be in the car rocking out to you favorite Drake song, head bobbing, that full-of-attitude look on your face, and then your song ends and you feel energized? That is until some whack Spice Girls song comes on, and you not-so-silently thing to yourself, “Wow! This song just sucked all that energy I was just feeling right out of me!”
What do you do? You change the radio station, looking for something that was as uplifting as the Drake song you just heard.
Often times, your mind is your own personal radio station, and the songs that are playing can be whack (think of those kinds of songs as negative thinking). At this point, you need to change the radio station and remind yourself of the many things you have already accomplished, and the many things that you are already good at. With this kind of thinking in place, your mind can now filter out any other whack songs that might come along.
Do is a big advocate of saying positive things aloud, which in turn helps one to build focus and strengthen their confidence. Do offered, “Sometimes you need to hear things aloud.”
Pull Out Your GPS
In college everything is laid out for you. You know how many classes you need to take and in what area. The real world is nothing like this. Get yourself a GPS (Life Plan)
- Set Goals (What’s the promise that you’re going to make to yourself?)
- Have a Purpose (Why are you trying to obtain these goals?)
- Strategies (You need a plan A, B, C, D…etc)
Networking vs. Connecting
There is an old saying that goes, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” This is false. When you network with people it’s like having a bunch of friends on Facebook, but how many of those people would really go out of their way to help you?
When you connect with people, you are taking the time to get to know them, building a relationship, helping when you can, without a motive. Relationships and having experience are the keys to success.
Finally, you want to handle your PMS (Physical, Mental, and Spiritual well being). We tend to be like soda cans, we all get shaken up from time to time. Managing your PMS will keep you from exploding.
Over all, people really enjoyed what Do had to offer during his lecture. Senior Chelsea Hall said, “Do did an amazing job! He really connected with us.”
Do ended the night by putting himself completely out there, wearing a cheerleading outfit and break dancing. Tyler James said, “I liked when he danced. I can’t believe he actually wore a skirt!”
Life is a Beautiful Struggle!! 