Hi dear students,
This is Alejandro Villegas' background. He has kindly accepted to have a chat with us to share some of his experiences and knowledge about how to become an entrepreneur. According to the dictionary, entrepreneur means "a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money” or “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.” But I want you to understand that being an entrepreneur is not only about busines or money, it has to do with attitude, decision, responsibility, creativity, intelligence and willing to do great things. That's why I have invited Alejandro to speak with us!
Who is Alejandro?
Regarding my background, I am a mechanical engineer graduated with honors from the University of Queensland, Australia. I started my degree en Colombia, but interrupted it to go to Australia. Regardless, I consider myself an engineer from the UNAL.
During my days as student, I worked as draughtsman in a small company of machinery, and later as a tutor at the University of Queensland. I also had to work packing clothes in trucks during night shifts and sometimes cleaning offices and glass windows at the beginning, when my language skills were not strong enough to enroll at uni. Surprisely, I was able to pay my tuition fees with those part-time jobs!
Once graduated in 2014, I moved to Dubai, as the lure of working in the aerospace and automotive industry with cutting edge technology and top notch technical personnel was greater than the financial benefits of working in the mining industry in Australia.
In Dubai I realised that the dreams that I had back in Colombia of having my own company of research and development of materials could be indeed achieved. Somehow I grew up with the wrong idea that coming from a Latin American country would be a barrier, but as most of the barriers, they are only in our minds.
Homework assignment:
Please, write in comments the questions you have for Alejandro
Please, write in comments the questions you have for Alejandro
Luis Sanchez
ResponderEliminarHow many hours do you work a day?
What are your hobbies?
What makes you happy?
What motivates you?
What book has inspired you the most?
If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Where you see yourself and your business in 10 years? 20 years?
If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?
esus David Romero Benitez
ResponderEliminar- ¿What would have happened if your family did not agree with your decission of study outside Colombia?
- ¿Which was the principal motivation to become a professional?
1. What does it mean for you the term entrepreneur?
ResponderEliminar2. What are the main values that identify it ?
3. What is your life plan for the next 5 years?
4. What is success for you ?
5. What were your strategies to be a successful entrepreneur ?
6. What external factors have helped you succeed ?
7. What is needed to succeed in your business ?
8. What were the obstacles you had to overcome?
9. What is the profile that is necessary to succeed as an entrepreneur?
10. What advice would you give someone who pretends to be a successful entrepreneur
Mariana Henao Grajales
ResponderEliminar1. What was you most biggest motivation for decide that you wanted your own company?
2. What was the biggest difficulty you had in this process?
3. In the time that you have your own company until today, What has been the main difficulty?, maybe understand workers, money or stay in market
4. What is the main benefit that you rescue from this process?
5. How many workers there are in your company?
6. Why did you decide to have your own company in Colombia and didn't in Australia?
7. Do you have a company recognized in the market and If it is, why is it?
8. How long has the company founded?
whatever
ResponderEliminarJazmín Juliana Zuleta Ramírez
ResponderEliminar1.What was your principal motivation to be a professional?
2.What attitudes did you have to change to reach your aims?
3.What is necessary to begin a project?
4.What challenges did you have to deal to reach your goals?
5.What is you new project about?
6.Do you have an idol?
7.What qualities do you think an entrepreneur have?
8.Do you want to study other career?
9.Do we need more academic preparation to have more opportunities abroad?
With Alejandro We were speaking in class of his life in Australia and Dubai, He says that in Australia there are many oportunities for the Colombian people but if the persons speak English or if the persons go to Australia to will learn speak English.
ResponderEliminarOther things were that He works with composite materials in his business, those materials are will to use in cars or aeronautical companies, in the cars how Lamborghini and Porshe.
Good luck Alejandro with your plans.
Daniel Cardona Giraldo
Thank you for your good wishes Daniel.
EliminarI am glad to see that the main message I wanted to send has been captured: Learning English will bring many opportunities
The questions that it would formulate are:
ResponderEliminar1. Which was the process of entrepreneur?
2. What experiences has it left to him?
3. Which are his goals to future?
4. what progress would it do in his company?
5: what recommendations would it do to other persons?
6. which is the social contribution of this entrepreneur?
In this section Alejandro it tells us as it has come up to what it is today his idea of business, like the academic ambience to contributed to his development and the barriers that it has had to face
G'day Kelly,
EliminarI will answer the question that perhaps didn't answer during the live chat.
Which was the process of entrepreneur?
It is hard to draw the process itself, as it has gone some through major changes in the last years. A much generalised, broader picture would be something like this:
Take an idea that you consider original and in which you blindly believe. Think carefully how that idea could improve the world around you; from this, you could draw some goals. Make a general plan to achieve those goals, including milestones and the assets needed (people, funds, time, knowledge, experience, etc.). Go for it! The process will get bigger and bigger with each passing day and the obstacles will start to appear. You will have to be resilient and change with the process.
Alejandro is a colombian entrepeneur who studied mechanical enginnering in the National University of Colombia , and finished his carrier in australia, in the University of Queensland. Alejandro told us about how english has been important for his life, and how helpful is for the personal life and also the professional life. He talked about how australian people is and how was his life there. He give some advice for develop ideas that could create a company, he also talked about barriers that could have a company on its beginings.
ResponderEliminarKewin Evers Yagarí.
Alejandro tell us that it is a great experience. Also, the English is the biggest obstacle to access to
ResponderEliminaran opportunity abroad. We only need to speak this language and very much doors will are open to
us, whit same conditions that the local people.
He said that Dubai is incredible city. The buildings, the cars, etc… all of it.
Manuel Marin G.
1. What was the most undesirable experience in your major?
ResponderEliminar2. About your learnings, what is the most important knowledge that you acquired?
3. Where did you learn it?
4. Who did teach it to you?
5. What's the best thing that you have seen in Dubai?
6. What is your work in this moment?
7. Initially, did you have the plan to travel to Dubai?
8. In your life project, do you have the intention to come back to Colombia?
9. What is the hardest thing of live in Dubai?
10. Have you climbed to the Burj Khalifa?
Manuel Marin G.
1. Lack of sleep! I had to pull all-nighters way too often due to my work commitments and by the end of my bachelor I started to pay the toll of staying awake more that I should have.
Eliminar2. That is a tricky one. Let’s narrow it down to skills rather than knowledge.
I consider that being rigorous in each task I perform is my best skill. It makes me go in depth, find different solutions, evaluate all of them, consider both the big picture of the problems and their subtleties.
3. I started to develop that skill at uni. Definitely the course Mechanical Drawing I at the UNAL started all.
4.Hard to pinpoint. It is more a constant development from experiences and work.
5. Supercars, lots of them!!!
6. Right in this moment I am programming the machining of carbon fibre parts that will be used in some of the Airbus A380 and A350 that will leave the French factory in the next 5 years.
7. Not at all. I was actually out of uni without an engineering job at the time, when my friend sent me an email asking me if I was interested in taking a new position in Dubai, in a company that manufactures composite structures. Initially I was quite reluctant to leave Australia, but when he mentioned that there would be work for the leading companies of sport cars involved, I just jumped in the first plane the following week and here I am, in the middle of the desert.
8. Not for professional purposes. I would love to go back to spend time with my friends and family that are still over there, but if I could choose a place to work as an engineering, I would have to change my choice every 2 years. I love the fact that I can be an engineer in any part of the planet.
9. Heat in summer and the lack of green vegetation. I never through I would miss grass so much. After a few months here I went to Australia on vacation and couldn’t believe how happy I was to see the sunlight through the branches of the trees while I was running along natural lakes. Laying on the grass reading a book and drinking a beer…you can’t do that here in Dubai.
Vanesa Bedoya Chaverra:
ResponderEliminar- How old are you?
- What are your hobbies?
- What are your motivations?
- What are your habilities/skills?
- What’s your Company about?
- What are your objectives?
- How are you going to reach them?
- Have you ever though about being this successful?
- Have you ever though about giving up?
- What is the key for success?
In the videochat with Alejandro, he spoke us about him, his Company and some other things of his life, as how was the experience living at Sidney, the people, the Jobs he had before becoming an entrepeneur. We talked about success, how to get it, attitudes, habilities, he gave us some tricks, advices and keys to be successful. We learned a lot about the importance of english not only for academic things, but for opening doors and giving opportunities to the people who can use it very well. He told us to spend time with people, because it helps so much with comunication skills. We also talked about motivational books, his hobbies, thoughs of giving up and how to stay motivated to don’t to it, the time, the cities where he lived and worked, people, his Company, the money that is necessary to start a Project, etc. One thing that surprised me from this chat was that he said that we need no money to be an entrepeneur, we just need a good idea and comunication skills to convince investors of believing in our Project, and that he said that Colombians have the same opportunities tan the rest of the people, we just need to speak english well, that’s the only limitation or difficulty that we could find abroad, contrary to what we think of the stereotypes that are in other countries about Colombia, we think they only know the dark part of our country, where are included factors as the drugs and violence, but, fortunately, that’s not like that anymore.
Good summary of the chat Vanesa! 4.8
EliminarGreat summary Vanesa.
EliminarBeing influential will get you any kind of resources for your own projects.
Business are done by influencing and persuading people, in the same way scholarships are won and ideas are spread.
Your English is great! Keep up the good work, you're killing it!
Jaime Andrés Úsuga Restrepo
ResponderEliminarif you become a succesful person, what do You think You are going to do after the succes?
what kind of habits should I avoid?
how did you get to work in Australia and Dubai?
have you learned from failure?, how?
if you were our age, which the avareage is around 18, 19 ... and you would have all the knowledge the you already have, what were you doing besides studying?
are you doing what you ever thought you will be doing?
Alejandro, is a mechanical engineer from Colombia who's got an idea for creating a business, we had the chance to have a conversation with him so we could ask him questions. he started the mayor at Unalmed, but he moved to Australia.
he gave us some advises especially about the languaje, he talked to us about his life out there, the people, the behaviors, etc; He is working with aerospace, I had the change to learn a little bit more about my opotunities as a mechanical engineer to work in that area which is one of my goals.
by now he has not a lot of money for his idea but he is trying to get sponsors so they can invest the money and he puts the idea.
Hey Jaime.
EliminarIf you decide to go down the path of aerospace, chances are you will have a bright future. The industry is going strong at the moment, and even though manufacturing slowed down around the world, aerospace is an industry that keeps moving.
English, French and German are the most dominant languages in the industry. Try to master at least two of them and you will have better chances to get a good position.
Also, dedicate some time to either CATIA or NX software, they are the norm in aerospace and automotive.
Pay attention to material science (composites and light alloys) as well.
1. What was the most undesirable experience in your major?
ResponderEliminar2. About your learnings, what is the most important knowledge that you acquired?
3. Where did you learn it?
4. Who did teach it to you?
5. What's the best thing that you have seen in Dubai?
6. What is your work in this moment?
7. Initially, did you have the plan to travel to Dubai?
8. In your life project, do you have the intention to come back to Colombia?
9. What is the hardest thing of live in Dubai?
10. Have you climbed to the Burj Khalifa?
Manuel Marin
Alejandro tell us that it is a great experience. Also, the English is the biggest obstacle to access to an opportunity above. We only need to speak this language and very much doors will are open to us, whit same conditions that the local people.
ResponderEliminarHe said that Dubai is incredible city. The buildings, the cars, etc… all of it.
Manuel Marin G.
It is a poor recount Manuel :( 2.0
EliminarBryan Alejandro Zapata Areiza
ResponderEliminarQuestions:
*How you became an entrepreneur?
*If it wasn't mechanical engineering, which career you'd like to finish?
*How did you start your company?
*Did you did it for the money?
*How was to enter in a new and different culture?
*Do you feel happy with your business?
*If you could, what would you change in this process?
*As a child, you think you'd be so successfull?
*What's the best and the worst feeling about being an entrepreneur?
Report:
From the chat, I can remember Alejandro was a mechanical engineer, he was in Australia for vacations, and there was like midnight... Also, he told us about how competitive is the market around the world, and being an entrepreneur is difficult, for example, he had to study at day, and work at night. He told us that everyone has the same opportunities abroad if we can speak and understand other language.
Finally, he suggest us to practice english at least one or two hours a day, for example read, watch movies or tv series, listen to music in english, even turn the language of our devices to english. And don't be ashamed if we don't understand or we sound weird the first times we speak to someone who has the english as native language.
Personally, I think this activity was a good experience and we have gained enormously from it.
jorge castillo
ResponderEliminarAlejndo told us some tips or advices to be a successful student and maybe an exelent entrepeneur.
he told us that the most important skill that we must have to be successful is the english, because the lenguage is the bigest dificult for us. he also said that the perfect age to begin to think in some ideas to create a company is around 18 and 20 years old.
Mariana
ResponderEliminarAlejandro is mechanical Engineer, He works and lives in Dubai but in this moment He was in Australia in vacations. He started to study in Universidad Nacional but he moved to Australia to finish the career. He wants to create his own company, because He doesn't want to work for anybody, also suggested us study English at least two hours per day, listening music or watch tv.
Of the Chat in English with Alejandro remember that he is a mechanical engineer, was in Australia on vacation. His hobbies are practicing fitness and sports. He likes to practice the foreign language by reading books written in English and talking with people. he says, that preparation required to compete in the market. the competition is very tough. He says that English is very important to get an opportunity abroad. one of his dreams is to create his own company in Colombia , but says it will take several years.
ResponderEliminarAlejandro told us that his principal motivation to become a professional was that he likes the cars and machines. He gave us some advice to become a entrepeneur , he says that we have to improve and study english very hard, because this is a important aspect to travel around the world and the English is the biggest obstacle to access to an opportunity.Besides he says that people that live in Australia is very relax, always treat to found the answer for a problem. Finally he says that he thinks return to Colombia.
ResponderEliminarJazmín Juliana Zuleta Ramírez
ResponderEliminarI remember that Alejandro told us about his experience abroad. He studied mechanical engineering but he had to work to pay his career in Australia. When he lived in Australia, his main problem was the language so he had to work hard on that. He advised us about the importance of have good English skills to study abroad.
Also, he said that we have the same opportunities that people of other countries, because we have a good level of education. He thought that we have to be brave and take risks to achieve our aims.
Finally, he recommended us to practice English all the time and try to travel a lot.
ResponderEliminarAlejandro is a Colombian who in these moments is living in australia and dubai, is a mechanical engineer, it is his major hobbies to play sports, he says that the people in australia are very relaxed and that they treat well the persons of other countries, also he says to us that the Englishman is a very important language and that he practises it reading written books in English, one of his major dreams is to create his company in colombia.
- How old are you?
ResponderEliminar- Where you life?
- What are your motivations?
- What are your habilities/skills?
- What’s your Company about?
- What are the objetives of your company?
- How say the people when you said i am colombian person?
- what your key to be suscessfull?
- Have you ever though about giving up?
- What is the best advice for be success?
Alejandro is a vey nice person, he was study in the Nacional university of Colombia and now its a mechanical engennier, her father lives in australia and he has the opportunity to travel to Australia and finish his studies there.
today he its a enterpreneus, and work for a company in Dubai. In the moment that we speak with him he was in Australia for vacations.
luis sanchez
ResponderEliminarAlexander was born in Colombia and study at the National University, was a student of Deisa and was agree to have a chat via Skype with us , , Although study national he finished His studies in mechanical engineering in Australia because he have family there .actually he is working on dubai , His current goal is to return to Colombia and create your own business , he splain us how people are is Australia and Dubai Also recommended two books " on looking " of Alexandra Horowitz and "the woman her brain" of Barbara arrowsmith .
Daniel Hernandez Gomez
ResponderEliminar1. Why do you decided to go to another country?
2. What is your best quality?
3. how describe your life in 10 years?
4. What advice would you give to young people who wants to be an entrepeneur?
5. What is the best cuality of an entrepeneur?
6. What is the profile that is necessary to succes as an entrepeneur?
7. Why the english is important if you want yo be an entrepeneur?.
In the class we talked with alejandro villegas, alejandro is a mechanical engineer, he started his degree in the national university in colombia, but he travel to australia and there he continued and finished his studies, he was graduated with honors from the university of queensland, he is an entrepeneur and work in a company of aerospace in dubai, he talked about his life and his projects,his dream is go create his own company, finally he gave us some recomendations of how we can be an entrepeneurs.
Susana Cardona Gallego
ResponderEliminar1) For the future,What is your life plan ?
2) Have you some advice that would you give to young people who wants to be an entrepeneur?
3) What do you think giving up?
4) What could be for you the best advice for be success?
5) What recommendations would it do to other persons?
6) Are you regret about some mistake?
7) What would you change if you had the chance to start your career over again?