by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
Staying abreast of the world’s changing environment is vital to staying relevant and competitive at any age.
It was clear to Darrell Pope that he had to make a change. His industry was quickly changing and he could see the you-better-acquire-additional-skills writing on the wall. “I saw the economy changing. My background is basically associated with brick and mortar, and I saw all of the manufacturers moving off-shore. I thought, Boy, I better get with the program or I won’t have a job,” said Pope, now manager at Celestica, an electronics manufacturing company.
Pope said he had regional view of the world and knew that he had to develop a world view and learn how business was done in other cultures. Staying abreast of the world’s changing environment, he knew, was vital to staying relevant and competitive at any age.
Many in today’s job market find themselves pushed aside not only from younger workers but from those who have taken the initiative to expand their education. Pope says he believes people don’t go back to school because of the fear factor and not wanting to let others know just how much they don’t know; but his curriculum at Kaplan kept him motivated and on his toes.
“What I liked [about Kaplan] was that I received a syllabus that said what the deliverables were, and you knew that if you met those deliverables, you’ll do well. That taught me that in any relationship you have to have expectations, and if you meet those expectations, the results should be good.”
When encouraging others to go back to school, Pope says, “Just do it. It’s challenging, but you learn so much about yourself. You learn to become a lifelong learner.”
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Source: Black Enterprise
