By Holly Johnson, Griffith University marketing student
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A MOVE?
This year’s empowering Netflix series Girlboss tells the story of a young woman’s journey towards her multimillion dollar business success. The comedy series is inspired by Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso’s autobiography, and begins with a 23 year old Sophia living broke in San Francisco when she unexpectedly finds her niche in the online fashion business world.
So what does this have to do with Australia?— and what does it have to do with YOU?
Brisbane entrepreneurs Yiota and Thessy Kouzoukas are two remarkable graduatesfrom one of Australia’s leading business educators, Griffith Business School. These two young women have created their online store and clothing brand, Sabo Skirt, which has gained a following of 1.6 million on Instagram.
“The Sabo Skirt brand has resulted in two runway shows at New York Fashion Week, gaining them international acclaim from celebrities like Bella and Gigi Hadid, Ariana Grande and Kylie Jenner,” — Griffith University.
Yiota and Thessy Kouzoukas may be Brisbane’s very own #GIRLBOSS duo, and an inspiration to young students or graduates seeking success in a modern workforce.
So what does the next #GIRLBOSS look like?
1. She’s “tech savvy”.
Demand for digital skills in graduate positions increased by 212% in Australia between the years 2012 and 2015. As the digital age progresses, employers may be looking for applicants who know their way around social media, coding and computer programs such as Adobe. If you’re interested in learning a few digital skills, I’ve found this video on designing with Adobe to get you started. As for coding, I’ve found this FREEwebsite which will guide you through the process — all you have to do is sign up.
When it comes to social media, there may be a lot to learn in terms of analytics and online business management. Learning new skills with programs such as sproutsocial and Google Analytics may increase your opportunities for employment in the future.
2. She’s creative.
When I think of creativity, I also think of innovation. Throughout the Girlboss series, Sophia uses orignial ideas to restructure a business plan and they work to her advantage. A study of 4.2 million job advertisements by the Foundation for Young Australians found the demand for creativity to have increased by 65% in just three years. So if you’re looking to cultivate your creativity, make a move and watch this short video about “thinking outside the box”. If you’d like to learn more about creativity for innovation, read this interesting article about creative problem solving.
3. She’s a leader, but she’s also a team player.
Recent research shows that 80.1% of employers are searching for candidates with leadership skills and 78.9% are looking for candidates with an ability to work in a team. These are both important attributes you may bring to the workplace, so start practising them and use them to your advantage. Click here if you’d like to learn four ways of developing leadership skills and click here to read a short article about developing teamwork skills. Do yourself a favour and click both, then continue with your own research and start putting your new skills into practice.
4. She has a way with words.
Have you ever wanted to be the most charismatic person in a room? Research shows that 68.9% of employers are searching for candidates with verbal communication skills. Good communication skills may be important for negotiations, workplace relationships and public speaking. Have a look at these top 10 communication skills for workplace success and start practising.
There are also a number of FREE online resources for training in communication skills which you can use to your advantage, so get started.
5. She puts herself out there.
Engaging in activities outside the usual scope of your degree may be a great way to demonstrate motivation and maturity to potential employers. Having access to a variety of extracurricular activities and internship opportunities is great when attending university — they’ve made it easier for you! If you’re not drawn to any programs from your own university, here’s a great website with a variety of internships to check out.
“When your goal is to gain experience, perspective, and knowledge, failure is no longer a possibility”. — Sophia Amoruso, #GIRLBOSS.
Although the examples used in this post involve young women, these characteristics may be a guide for anyone seeking success in a modern workforce. Whether you’re looking to become more employable or you want to venture on your own as an entrepreneur, these five characteristics may help kickstart your career after graduation. Basically, “life is short. Don’t be lazy,” (Sophia Amoruso, #GIRLBOSS).