Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

AYP Ball 2017: 5 top tips for young professionals

Post Thumbnail

The first ever ball hosted by Aberdeen Young Professionals (AYP), the local talent network for young professionals working in and around the city, is approaching fast.

Ahead of the black-tie event – which will be hosted at Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen on Friday, March 24, 2017 – AYP member Rob Cowman imparts his wisdom to the next generation of young business and energy professionals in his top five tips.

With more than 15 years’ experience in oil and gas and a varied selection of patents to his name, Mr Cowman, engineering director at EG-OC has shown his diversity and ingenuity within the industry.

He said:

1. Learn from your mistakes: and other people’s. If something goes right or wrong in business – work out why. We normally celebrate success and dwell on failure but we have to learn from both. It’s about peeling back the layers and understanding every result – good or bad. You never stop learning. I still make mistakes, I just try not to make them twice!

2. Take risks: but understand the situation first. It goes without saying that when you start out in business or at a new job it can be daunting. For me, it’s about learning as I go and more importantly, learning to take calculated risks. Understand the situation and all the moving parts – but when you make that decision, fully commit and see it through.

3. Collaborate with your peers: I wouldn’t be where I am today without my peers. I knew Richard Knox, my business partner at EG-OC, from university. Stay in touch with your university class – they are great connections and you never know where someone will end up. They might be the exact decision-maker you need to speak to in the next five to ten years. Groups like Aberdeen Young Professionals give you the opportunity to make those connections and broaden your network.

4. Have fun: It’s important to enjoy your job, if you don’t, look for something new. The cleverest thing you can do is to stop wasting your time and your employer’s time in a role that doesn’t stimulate you, or that you’re not suited to. Work should be inspiring and challenging – something you want to wake up for in the morning.It’s not always ideal but make sure the majority of it is..

5. Never turn down a promotion: this is a tip from my dad. He always told me, never turn down a promotion. No matter what the upheaval is even if you have to move across the world. The reason you are being promoted is because someone sees your abilities, grasp that.

My final piece of advice would be to remember that the journey may feel painful and difficult but you need to put that into perspective. Stay grounded. The sacrifices you make now will seem very small when you look back at the end result.

The AYP Ball promises an evening of entertainment, networking and celebrations. Guests will enjoy a two-course dinner from locally-sourced suppliers, along with an inspirational speech from a high-profile business leader and live entertainment.

The night will also include the first-ever “Mentor Awards” to honour exceptional mentors and mentees on the AYP scheme, which launched earlier this year to connect senior business leaders with young talent in the area.

Ross Jolly, founder of AYP, says: “We’re thrilled to be launching this dedicated platform for young professionals to get together, have fun and celebrate their achievements.”

AYP was established in 2009 to create a platform for young professionals to meet useful contacts in a relaxed and sociable environment. The group holds regular events that offer a unique opportunity to discuss industry issues with senior figures and network with other like-minded individuals.

To join AYP or find out more about the ball and how to buy tickets, visit www.aypgroup.co.uk.

If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please contact dcampbell@dcthomson.co.uk.