'Are you a Diwali rocket or a Nasa rocket?' Gulf News Edufair Dubai reveals secret to career success

Dubai: The Gulf News Edufair Dubai turned the spotlight on student success strategies, as top educators and industry mentors revealed the often-overlooked elements that shape future-ready graduates.

Speaking on the topic, ‘Make your campus years count: Build your career from day one’, Dr Kanchi Das, Founder/Director of Mentormind and DP/CP Coordinator at Dubai International Academy, cautioned students against last-minute career planning and stressed the importance of online learning and skill-building through content knowledge.

“Without that, when you ask any university professor for research or opportunities or even an internship, many of them look at you as dead weight.”

Personal branding

Talking about the importance of personal branding, Dr Das pointed out that strong student profiles must be built from as early as Grade 8.

“It's as simple as registering for a competition in school, and not being shy about it. It’s going out and having the courage. I am not asking you to be aggressive, but being assertive about your skills.” 

AI versus HI

Echoing this, Humera Khan, CEO and Managing Director of Pinnacle Innovation and Education, urged students to begin with self-awareness.

“Ask yourself: who are you, and what can you bring to the table?” she asked. “Rather than running behind artificial intelligence, why don't we tap into our human intelligence?”
Khan highlighted the critical importance of internships and real-world experience. 

Networking, mentorship

Both experts underscored the power of networking and mentorship.

Using a metaphor of a garden, Dr Das advised students to “remove weeds,” plant new skills, and constantly evolve.

Khan reinforced the need for mentorship starting at home through parents, and extending to professors and industry leaders.

They stressed that the secret to success lies not in shortcuts but in starting early, staying intentional, and showing up with purpose.

Dr Das underlined: “You need to know yourself.”

Meanwhile, Khan added: “Be internally motivated.”

“Are you a Diwali rocket or a NASA rocket?” she asked.