Here's what I told them.
👉 Education is important. It gives you social acceptance, a stamp of credibility, and confidence. It sets the baseline, provided it is delivered right.
Education alone will not carry you very far.
👉 What really counts is your knowledge, creativity, attitude towards life, ability to build, and ownership mindset (to own the outcome). The world respects doers, not just degree-holders.
I then shared a few principles that I believe will shape their professional journey:
1. Part-Time Jobs – Start Working Early
Don't wait for graduation to get a "real job." Take up internships, gigs, even part-time roles. Not for the money, but for the lessons. Early work experience teaches you to show up, value creation, and how world works.
It's also a good way to discover what excites you—and what drains you—before you commit your life to it.
2. 10,000 Hours – The Power of Deep Practice
Skills compound when you invest deeply in it - whether it's coding, designing, writing, or selling.
Choose one subject that excites you and dive deep into it. Master it. This gives you the power to differentiate and contribute.
3. IQ + EQ + SQ – A Complete Toolkit - Master them.
IQ (intelligence) helps you solve problems.
EQ (emotional intelligence) helps you manage yourself and your relationships.
SQ (social intelligence) helps you influence, connect, and lead. On their own, each is limited. Together, they make you unstoppable.
4. Outcome > Tasks – Shift Your Lens
Don't get trapped in the "busy" game. The workplace doesn't reward effort; it rewards outcome and impact.
Ask yourself daily: What value did I create? What problem did I solve? The people who measure outcomes, not hours, will always move ahead faster.
5. Entrepreneurship Mindset – Don't Just Wait for instructions - Own it up. Build.
You don't need to launch a startup tomorrow. But think like an entrepreneur: spot problems, experiment with solutions, and dare to be unique. Entrepreneurship is a mindset. It helps you progress in your life - be it as an entrepreneur or as an executive in a business, or even if you get into a profession.
6. Ability to communicate and articulate (with context) with high level of clarity.
7. Ability to align people around you through authentic leadership at the moments that matter.
When you connect these threads—early work experience, deep practice, emotional and social maturity, outcome-driven thinking, and entrepreneurial curiosity—you begin to see a clear picture.
🎓 So yes, education matters (a little). But it's only the ticket to enter the arena. What will truly define your success is how you practice, build, and create outcomes that matter.
I ended my talk with a question I'll now pose to you: Looking back, what shaped you more—your formal education, or the skills and experiences you built along the way?