Is now the best time to graduate? It is, according to Paul Kenny. Liam King reports…
According to a Dubai based entrepreneur, now may be the best time for graduates to emerge from college. Award winning CEO Paul Kenny has contrasted the current expectations of graduates favourably to those in his own college years with regard to their expectations and work ethic.
The lack of a “golden spoon mentality” in modern graduates may distinguish them from many of those in prior years when it comes to finding employment. Mr Kenny has mentioned that current graduates may ‘expect the worst’ but that they would work harder as a result.
Current graduates may fare better in finding employment as they have no expectation of a €50,000 salary directly out of college, and may be more inclined “to work harder to get better”.
The former NUI Galway student has also spoken about the importance of getting a degree, regardless of its subject matter, because “it’s not going to define what your future is,” as well as warning against allowing the Leaving Certificate to be taken more seriously than it needs to be, as “the Leaving Cert is not the end of the world.”
He also referenced the need to get away from the idea that the education system alone defines success or lack thereof. And regarding job opportunities, he noted that Ireland was currently an ‘exciting’ place to be, and that the present is a good time for Irish entrepreneurs. Mr Kenny himself is the CEO of Cobone, a company which has recently been acquired by an international firm for a possible $40 million.
Mr Kenny’s comments come close in the wake of a statement by PayPal chief Louise Phelan which also touched on the perceived sense of entitlement held by some graduates coming out of college.
However, in response, USI President John Logue has pointed to surveys carried out by gradireland.com indicating that 70% of employers thought that graduates had realistic expectations, and that the majority had lowered their expectations as a result of the current economic conditions in Ireland. Median starting salaries for graduates have fallen from 2008 highs to between €24,000-25,999 in 2012.
Lead image via gulf news.
