Christopher Tighe’s Post

🎓 Degree < Skills 🔧 Gone are the days when a college degree was the sole path to success. Leading organizations like Google, Delta Airlines, and Accenture are removing degree requirements from job postings to access a broader talent pool. It's about identifying the best-fit talent from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented groups. This shift addresses today's competitive labor market and anticipates future workforce demands. Companies such as Target and Amazon are pioneering in-house universities and customized credential programs, while global giants like Siemens and IBM expand apprenticeship opportunities. source: https://lnkd.in/eeqRvhmy

📣 This Friday, selections for the 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼'𝘀 Executive Shadow Program will be announced! Last session I had the privilege of participating in the program, an initiative that connects Cisco executives and employees for an 8 week long shadowing experience. Through it, I was able to engage closely with a seasoned leaders, gain invaluable insights into the strategic decision-making processes, and engage with a whole team of amazing data analysts on a different side of the business than I sit. Here are my top takeaways on how to be a successful shadow, including some key strategies to maximize the experience: 𝟭. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐚 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲: Treat your shadowing opportunity as a critical component of your professional development. Clear your schedule as much as possible to fully immerse yourself in the experience. 𝟮. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬: Set clear, actionable objectives for what you want to achieve through shadowing. Whether it’s understanding a particular aspect of the business or developing a specific skill, having goals will focus your learning. 𝟯. 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Work with your executive to align your shadowing activities with both your personal career aspirations and the company’s strategic objectives. This ensures that your time spent is beneficial for all parties involved. 𝟰. 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲: Don’t just observe; get involved. Engage in discussions, offer ideas, and contribute to the dialogue. Your active participation not only enriches your learning experience but also demonstrates your initiative and enthusiasm for leadership. 𝟱. 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Take time to reflect on your observations. This will help you connect the dots between different leadership styles and their outcomes. What advice would you add to this list? Let me know down in the comments below!

One of the things I have learnt from my time at BT Group so far is that you can wait for opportunities to come to you or you can go and create them yourself. I prefer the latter. Yesterday I had the pleasure of sitting down with the BT Business CEO Bas Burger to ask him a variety of questions. We discussed a host of things from how to make the most of my rotations and experiences within BT. What it is like being a CEO and how AI is likely to impact businesses in the future.

My grin must be permanent by now! Being named Star Performer felt totally out of this world for an intern like me, but there I was, name shining in front of everyone. The last few weeks were tough. College, work, ugh! Doubts crept in, whispering, "Are you good enough?" But the team was awesome, always helping and cheering me on. Every answered question, finished task, and even my ideas felt like mini-wins. So, the award? It was amazing! Like a high-five that said, "Hey, intern, you rock!" It makes me want to learn more, do more, be even better. This certificate isn't just paper, it's proof I'm growing, proof hard work matters. Big thanks to the coolest team ever, especially Shruti Sonkhia. This whole thing made me love my work even more and showed me I can achieve anything. Here's to more star-worthy moments!

Glad to share that OpenText names as top employers of young people 2024. We have young talaneted diversified and collaborative teams . #topemployer2024 #bestplacetowork #ESOPs #educationalassistance #fitness #health #bestinsurance #wellcare #employeeengagement #lifeworkbalance #opentextstock #freetransport #healthymeals #deliciousfood #EnCase #cybersecurity #securityanalytics #greatplacetowork #gratitude #patents

🔥 𝐂𝐄𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 👇 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 | 𝐂𝐄𝐈 (𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 – 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 & 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 – 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬 – 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭) 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 - 𝐀𝐋𝐋 #𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 & #𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝 & 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝) 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲? • 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://bit.ly/3Sh0rnM (or scan the QR code on the poster) 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞: Virtual, Work-From-Home (Flexible Timings) Get trained by Top Corporate Leaders in CEI Internship. Chance to learn latest Industry Trends from Industry Experts. 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐊𝐒 👉 One on one mentorship opportunity from industry leaders, top recruiters, CEOs, domain experts who are all part of the CEI team. 👉 Certificate of Participation, Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Distinction, Certificate of Excellence 👉 Personalised CEI Letter of Recommendation for Top-Performing Students (Your Pathway to an Assured Career) 👉 Free Access to Online IBM Skill-Building Courses 👉 Performance-Based Stipend 👉 Top performers get a chance to be promoted to Team-Leads in next phase. 👉 Life-Transforming Masterclasses by Renowned Industry Leaders & CEOs 👉 Saturday JIPHUB Sessions: Industry-Oriented Career Guidance + Job & Internship Opportunities 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 16 June - 28 July 2024 (Flexible)

🔥 𝐂𝐄𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 👇 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 | 𝐂𝐄𝐈 (𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 – 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 & 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 – 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬 – 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭) 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 - 𝐀𝐋𝐋 #𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 & #𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝 & 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝) 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲? * 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://bit.ly/3Sh0rnM (or scan the QR code on the poster) 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞: Virtual, Work-From-Home (Flexible Timings) Get trained by Top Corporate Leaders in CEI Internship. Chance to learn latest Industry Trends from Industry Experts. 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐊𝐒 👉 One on one mentorship opportunity from industry leaders, top recruiters, CEOs, domain experts who are all part of the CEI team. 👉 Certificate of Participation, Certificate of Completion, Certificate of Distinction, Certificate of Excellence 👉 Personalised CEI Letter of Recommendation for Top-Performing Students (Your Pathway to an Assured Career) 👉 Free Access to Online IBM Skill-Building Courses 👉 Performance-Based Stipend 👉 Top performers get a chance to be promoted to Team-Leads in next phase. 👉 Life-Transforming Masterclasses by Renowned Industry Leaders & CEOs 👉 Saturday JIPHUB Sessions: Industry-Oriented Career Guidance + Job & Internship Opportunities 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 28 July - 8 September 2024 (Flexible)

Huge honour to have a fireside conversation with Neil Davis - Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NonStop) GM EMEA and Latin America. My key insights and takeaways: ·       Neil sees his job is to free up his team's time so they can do what is important - on helping customers and customers, customers. ·       Being honest and real with people matters, to create a thriving culture. ·       When recruiting and building teams, getting the balance between a level of expertise and maturity within a team, combined with benefiting from using an intern system. ·       Giving new hires exposure to broad customer base is a pragmatic solution that has given a strong return on investment. ·       Navigation around large complex businesses is a vital skill and a combination of being curious and having informal/liquid networks. Companies are constantly reorganizing, people changing roles, so to get things done we have to be able to tap into our internal networks, not just the hard structure. ·       Neil content with the decisions he has made to manage his career and life. That content outlook is rare in my experience.

Day Three Complete with Bright Network! 🚀 This morning, we had keynotes and building mental resilience in challenging times talk with Sara Jones who works as a mobile operations director for the BT Group. Sara told us about her windy road to be becoming a director with BT Group, Sara Jones explained her journey through graduate schemes and different jobs with failure and learning along the way. 🛣 Key notes to take away: - Change is adaptable. ☘ - Have a hunger to learn when moving into a career. 💻 - Take those jumps, get out your comfort zone and challenge those challenges. 💡 - Challenges and failure does not define you, its about how you deal with them and how you adapt. 🖋 - Take time to reflect on the past and be proud of yourself, furthermore, look at what you can improve. 🤞 - Hard work pays off. 🏋♂️ - Failure is good, the most successful people have dealt with failure. It’s all about how you adapt, change and respond to the failure. 💬 - Stay open minded. 👏 - Work hard. ✍ - Be kind. 🤗 Throughout the rest of the morning and afternoon it was our time to focus on our work samples for British Airways Better World Project. This project consists of creating a pitch for a new partnership that aligns to British Airways sustainability strategy. Tomorrow we hand our work samples into Bright Network and then receive our Certificates, I can't believe how lucky I have been to be able to experience this internship and work with so many amazing companies.

2023 was a rollercoaster with unexpected twists 🎢 Bringing many opportunities and challenges which provided vital lessons and learnings to take forward to 2024 ⏭️ Most of all I learnt that it is important to be prepared to pivot when necessary in order to get to where you want to be, 2023 was the year I... 📍 Relocated from London to Manchester 📍 Transitioned from Full-Time Consultant to Full-Time Student 📍 Changed Job Role from Consulting to Digital Marketing Not just pivoting but to also create opportunities which would allow me to gain experience in areas I was interested in... 🎯 Completed 13 Month Internship at IBM as the First Adobe Partnership Intern 🎯 Completing my biggest consulting project as Project Manager (7/8Months) 🎯 Completing my time as DE&I Community Lead and finding the best successors 🎯 Invited to complete my first Podcast appearance by Stanbrook Consulting 🎯 Featured in National/Local Publications including The Telegraph & Computing Opportunities such as these fuelled my confidence and motivation to maximise my opportunities and allowed me to build my personal brand and achieve success in different areas as... 🏆 Manchester Evening News Business Awards Rising Star 2023 🏆 Computing Digital Technology Leader Awards Young Digital Professional 2023 🏆 Computing Young Tech Professionals Rising Star Top 30 2023 🏆 Powerlist Magazine Top 150 Future Leaders 2023/2024 🏆 The Black British Business Awards Professional Services Finalist 2023 It was an honour to be shortlisted/winner for multiple awards sponsored by companies such as Google, Latham & Watkins, J.P. Morgan, EY, Goldman Sachs & others 💫 I look forward to bringing forward my learnings & experiences from 2023 into 2024 to create more opportunities and achieve success 🌟 This year would not have been possible without my family, friends & the network of people I have met along the way who continue to believe in me, encourage me and challenge me to be the best version of myself even when things are tough 🙌🏾 #2023 #consulting #marketing #motivation #journey