We need to Be Interesting and Be Interested

When I talk to business owners regarding their pain points, the conversation often trails toward the hiring process. “We can’t find good people,” they say before bemoaning all the problems with “this generation.”As someone with an entrepreneurial mindset, this problem is an opportunity. The opportunity lies in what we can teach our students to help them not only stand out but also excel in the hiring process. The art of the conversation, while essential to most career paths, is largely untaught in modern schooling.But it doesn’t have to be this way. As part of the entrepreneurship programming here at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, we dive deeply into teaching students how to network which includes lessons on shaking hands, making eye contact, asking questions, and genuine listening. We even teach them how to use LinkedIn.In the end, the biggest value-add comes from a two-fold lesson: be interesting and be interested. Be interesting enough for people to want to talk to you and be interested in other people enough to ask curious questions.