Real World Knowledge

Author : Reid Levy
Applicable knowledge is gained from experience, not textbooks. If you're still in college, try to take courses that apply to your current/future business interests. Real entrepreneurs care about the importance of the information they are absorbing, not their grade in the class. Besides, entrepreneurs are already ahead of their classmates because they have one trait that most people lack, AMBITION. You don't have to be a genius to avoid the Rat Race. You just need to have the willingness to take risks, be prepared to fail, and learn from your mistakes. The point that I am trying to make is that you should push yourself to absorb as much knowledge as possible in the areas of life that interest you. As the old saying goes, "do what you enjoy doing and the money will follow."For instance, I'm passionate about Web 2.0 Internet startups. Every day, I read at least 20-30 blogs about the latest and greatest tech companies in Silicon Valley that are cranking out a unique range of Internet services and applications. After a couple months of reading these blogs, I decided that I wanted to connect more with this community in hopes of possibly landing a job at an Internet startup after college. Through my daily readings, I came up with a creative way to meet the major players in the community and form friendships with them too. At the time, I felt the interviews never truly applied to me because they never answered some of the basic questions I had. "What do you think it takes to be a successful entrepreneur? How did you get to where you are today? What advice would you give to young people interested in getting into this field? How do you raise funding for a new company?" These questions convinced me that I needed to create a blog for young entrepreneurs like myself that were looking for the same answers I was. A few months back, I would never have imagined I'd be conducting phone interviews with the CEOs/founders of these unique startups. Through these podcasts, I have made several contacts that have proven to be invaluable mentors. Whenever I have a question about venture capital or a business idea, I have a group of experienced entrepreneurs I can turn to.This post was not meant to boast about my passion for the Web 2.0 sphere but to demonstrate how it is essential that you differentiate yourself from the rest of your fellow classmates. The majority of students are brainwashed into thinking they must join school clubs and maintain a high GPA to land a great job after college. Although you might have held a leadership role in a school club, real-world experience will land you that dream job. A 4-year college degree just simply means you are "trainable." For instance, IBM hired me over two other candidates that had more technical experience than me. Why did my boss choose me over the candidates who had much higher GPAs? I was wondering the same thing too so I asked her. My experience starting up a successful company and the initiative I took at my previous jobs had made the decision to hire me a no-brainer. This clearly validates my point. So go start your own business, surround yourself with successful people, write up a list of books you want to read for the year and then ACTUALLY read them! There are tons of ways you can stand out from the herd of unemployed drones. Take up another language, learn a new skill or trade, or take up a new hobby. Whatever you do, just make certain you keep moving ahead.Reid Levy is a young entrepreneur looking for various creative opportunities to generate wealth. He is a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder with a Bachelor's degree in Business Information Systems seeking a Master's degree in Telecommunications. Reid Levy works at a large IT company and owns three Internet startups. Reid Levy's blog primarily discusses the Web 2.0 community, startup companies, trends, his personal business ventures, and his experiences in the business world.
Keyword : real,world,knowledge,entrepreneur,college,student,entrepreneurialism