Students have so much to be thankful for at the moment. Despite the pandemic, regardless of dire predictions of a recession, the workforce future is looking positive!
Your long term career future is set before you, awash with possibilities, endless pathways leading you into occupations that may not even yet exist.
How do you tap into that? How do you begin to develop your unique career pathway?
Here are my 5 simple tips to get you started.
Be Curious! - You will never know what career pathway opportunities there are if you do not ask questions and explore. Albert Einstien was given a compass at the age of 5 and to him, this was one of the great wonders of his life. How could an invisible force lead the pointers of the compass to move? In many ways, it shaped his quest for knowledge and forged his career.
Be Brave! - Much of what holds us back is our own fear. Often that is fear of failure. The basketball fans among you may have been watching The Last Dance on Netflix. Michael Jordan famously said "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life.” Often we think we cannot achieve something, which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Despite what he said about failure Michael Jordan is one of the most famous basketball players the world has ever known. He came from a position of determination to succeed because he was brave enough to keep going even when his first attempt at making his high school basketball team was unsuccessful.
Arm yourself! - In a way, career planning is almost like managing a business, or even planning for an event. You do not succeed if you don’t have the resources to plan and then manage your needs. High school, in a subtle way, is helping to build your skills for future employment. You learn to work in teams, manage your time, work to a schedule, develop leadership skills. But what else can you do to fulfil your dreams? If you have an occupation in mind, what can you do to build skills in this area?
Say yes more times than you say no! - This advice is specifically for those seeking employment in the early stages of their career. The benefits of saying yes can be life-affirming. It opens up all sorts of possibilities, it provides new challenges, it gives others the opportunity to work with you and see your potential, it takes you out of your comfort zone and makes you braver.
Access your allies! Most people do not live in a bubble! You have a wealth of support available. Who do you know who has your best interests at heart? Who can you find to mentor you about career opportunities? Who in your circle might give you some work experience in a field you are interested in? These people are your assets and if consulted are probably only too willing to assist you for nothing more than your gratitude.
Enjoy the journey!
Alison Whiteley — Careers Counsellor