To be successful in business, a university degree is not necessarily required! School is not for everyone, and entering the business world right away may be a better option.
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\nGet a job. Build your skills. Gain hands-on experience. Rather than taking the traditional route of going to university, it is education from another perspective.
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\nGetting a job at a young age will provide you with experience to call upon in the future. It offers guidance on how to approach and adapt to any situation. You will learn what it is like to be in the pressure cooker environment of the business world.
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\nGoing to university is beneficial, as well. You gain valuable education and skills. However, by the time you are approaching 30 years of age, you have not had any serious experience with business decision making or understanding of risks and rewards. Also, you probably don\u2019t know how to handle an office environment or how to interact with co-workers at all levels.
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\nWhat\u2019s the best path for you to take? There is no right or wrong answer. Chose whatever best suits you!
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\nEducation is key - whether you gain it at a university or a workplace. Don\u2019t just stick with what you know. Challenge and better yourself. Be well-rounded: both personally and professionally.
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\nAbout Sam:
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\nSam is a successful entrepreneur and the youngest externally appointed CEO in the United Kingdom.
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\nHe runs a taxi company in London called Climate Cars, which uses hybrids and electric cars to drive people around.
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\nSam decided not to go to university because that would have lobbied him with major debt. Instead, he chose to get a job and learn a skill. He picked up new skills with every job and role he took on. As a result, that helped him to land the job he has today.
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\nChallenged Issue:
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\nIn this podcast, we challenge the issue of whether a university education equals entrepreneurial success. You can succeed in business without a university degree.
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\nSam\u2019s Actionable Tips:
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\n\t* Keep learning: Try to better yourself. There are so many resources available to continue your education and learn new skills. Keep your mind active!
\n\t* Meet everyone that you possibly can. Interact with people. You can discover new things and make new connections.
\n\t* Believe in yourself. Don\u2019t have a fear of failure. Believe that you can do things. Keep trying until you succeed.\xa0
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\nTop Quotes:
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\n\t* \u201cIt was a conscious decision not to go to university.\u201d
\n\t* \u201cI\u2019ve apparently transformed myself into a fairly rounded business person.\u201d
\n\t* \u201cBy not going to university and diving straight into the world of work, I think I gained experience at a much younger age than most would otherwise have done.\u201d
\n\t* \u201cA lot of university students come out there with the skills but not necessarily the commercial attributes that they need to be able to dive into that (business) environment.\u201d
\n\t* \u201cOne of the main things that graduates tend to struggle with is being comfortable around senior management.\u201d
\n\t* \u201cWe\u2019ve never lived in a more connected world. It\u2019s a great time to be alive, and everything is at your fingertips online on the Internet.\u201d
\n\t* \u201cEveryone you meet is an opportunity.\u201d
\n\t* \u201cIf you close the door on yourself, you will never go through it.\u201d
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\nGuest Links:
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\n\t* Climate Cars (https://www.climatecars.com/)
\n\t* LinkedIn (http://uk.linkedin.com/in/samuelcropper)
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\nResources:
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\n\t* TED (http://www.ted.com/)
\n\t* Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/)
\n\t* Coursera (https://www.coursera.