This is a guest post by Joyce Osiegbu.

The purpose of formal education, whether high school, college, or post-graduate, is more than getting a degree. A formal education imparts students with the knowledge required to become competent members of a workforce. However, the knowledge acquired in traditional formal education is not sufficient for today's employment needs and that of the future.

Certain skills are needed to make employees more successful in their chosen careers. As more students become aware of this fact, they are taking tangible steps to acquire and be equipped with the necessary skills (digital and soft skills), needed to be employable. Hence, there is a need to balance the acquisition of such skills with our traditional education.

Let's face it, school is demanding and takes up all our time. With having to juggle classes, assignments, studying, and other academic projects, making time to learn employability skills seems daunting. But it doesn't have to be. With the right steps, you should be right on your way.

Planning

The French writer, Antoine de Saint Exupéry, once said that a goal without a plan is just a wish. The planning process helps you decide the path to take, even before you start. This is where you decide the channel from which to gain your skills, whether online or physical programs, whether by enrolling in a course, reading books, or volunteering in organizations related to your values. There are a lot of resources available on the internet nowadays, with more students taking the online route due to it's convenience. Planning helps you be intentional about setting priorities, time management, etc

Setting priorities

The truth is You can't do it all. Learning to prioritize the more important stuff over the less important ones will save you a lot of stress and make you more responsible for how you spend your time and energy.

Managing your time

As Author Brian Tracy said in his book, Eat that frog, "There will never be enough time to do all the things you want to do". You have school, social life, and family, all vying for your time. It's the little things that you do or don't do that makes the difference in how you manage your time.

Ensure to always meet deadlines with schoolwork or your extracurricular work. Avoid multitasking, rather focus on one task at a particular time. You can also chunk your time to achieve your prioritized task. And never forget that procrastination is your enemy.

Setting goals

Setting goals helps you assess how much of your plan you have achieved and how much more effort you need to put in. You can set weekly goals on the tasks to complete while learning your employability skills and also academic goals to create a balance.

Take time to breathe

In the midst of everything, always make time to take care of yourself. No matter how busy you are, "me" time is never wasted time. Make time in your schedule to go out with friends. Eat good food, exercise regularly, and sleep-your body would thank you. More importantly, try not to fret. Give your best and watch it create positive impact on your career.

*Over 60% of young individuals in Nigeria between age 15 – 23 are unsure of their future and how to advance into the World of Work.

To this end, Gradrange seeks to bridge the gap between the classroom and the rapidly changing labour market by educating young individuals about the culture, opportunities, challenges, and future for employment in various fields.*