On July 15th, World Youth Skills Day was commemorated, celebrating the importance of equipping young people with skills for both jobs and entrepreneurship.
World Youth Skills Day underscores the significance of developing skills among youth, including entrepreneurial skills. Today’s celebration also serves to inspire Communication Science students to view entrepreneurship as an attractive and constructive career path.
In connection with World Youth Skills Day, this time an inspirational story comes from three 2021 Communication Science students at Universitas Padjadjaran: Cornelia Indra, Kurnia Ratnapuri, and Zahran. All three are actively pursuing entrepreneurship at a young age. What is their journey like? Let’s delve deeper.
Cornelia Indra and Kurnia Ratnapuri started their venture together, creating balloon-based flower bouquets, focusing on the creative industry and handicrafts. They’ve been in business for the past 2-3 months, targeting primarily senior students but also appealing to the general public celebrating special occasions. Cornelia and Puri share the same potential in starting this career: exploring their creative abilities while learning to launch a business by seizing existing opportunities. They also agree that entrepreneurship involves applying theoretical values encountered during their studies, such as courses in Creative Thinking and Entrepreneurship, Digital Mediated Communication, Visual Communication and Photography, and Digital Public Relations.
In running their business, they often encounter various challenges, from promotional feedback that sometimes falls short of expectations to trial and error in creating products that resonate with the target market. Throughout this process, Cornelia and Puri continuously seek solutions to overcome these challenges.
Lastly, Cornelia and Puri offer tips to fellow students interested in entrepreneurship:
– Identify unique opportunities that align with your strengths.
– Understand your own work style to find complementary partners.
– Don’t be afraid to start.
– Maintain a willingness to learn throughout the business-building process.
– Create thorough plans to minimize risks.
Another entrepreneurial student story comes from Maulana Zahran, often referred to as Alan. Alan shares his journey as a studio designer at Anacrhonism Design Studio, which has been operating for 2 years. The studio offers design services targeting international clients, with potential in the domestic market as well.
Alan’s motivation for venturing into entrepreneurship at a young age stems from his desire to support his parents and explore international markets as a long-term investment with the dollar exchange rate. Despite facing challenges such as being misled by clients and losing significant amounts of money, Alan views these setbacks as valuable lessons to approach his business affairs with greater caution.
As a Communication Science student, Alan has applied knowledge from coursework, such as Visual Communication Design, to enhance his understanding of the design world. He advises fellow students venturing into business to embrace courage, face challenges head-on, and not let capital fears hinder their entrepreneurial dreams. For him, the key lies in intention, self-confidence, and a readiness to take the plunge.
These inspiring stories from Communication Science students embarking on entrepreneurial careers aim to motivate others to explore and develop their own potential. Aligned with the celebration of World Youth Skills Day, let us recognize the importance of entrepreneurial skills as a foundation for facing the future. (Ed)