Today I welcome Belinda-Jane back to my blog to speak about a topic that I too, am very passionate about; the ridiculous pressure on 17/18 year olds to make a career decision "for the rest of their lives", during year 12.
Having worked at a university, and been a university student who "changed my mind about my career in my fourth year of study", I now know that it truly is a minority of people who choose the degree and a career that they pursue, right out of school (on average people change careers 7 times throughout their lifetime!)
I'm up to career change number 3 and I'm 25 AND I couldn't be happier with the experiences I've had since school!
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Take it away Beej.
We’re coming to that time again when year 12 students have
to make choices on what they are going to do after school. Some lucky students
have their lives seemingly mapped out, because their passion for a particular
topic or career has driven all of their choices and they are beyond ready to
jet off down that path. Others have been tossing up idea after idea, week after
week, and are really feeling the pressure to decide; afraid they are going to
fail if they don’t make the right choice.
Excuse my French (that I studied in year 8) but what a load
of crap. Year 12 students are not even adults, so why should they be feeling
the pressure to decide where their life is going to go? Why is going to
University shoved down their throats, when Tafe or an apprenticeship is a
better option for some individuals? Why can’t we tell them how there is more
than one way to find your career path? Well, I’m about to.
I was good at writing at school; in fact, I got a perfect
score for English in year 12. According to my teachers, I was destined to do
writing at University. Because I hadn’t made a choice on my career goals and
felt pressured to do so, I just went with what they said, answered the end of
year school magazine profile with ‘When I grow up, I want to be the editor of
Cosmo’, and accepted my university offer to do a double degree in Journalism
and International Studies.
I cried every day of my first week.
I felt like I was going to vomit when I told my parents that
I wanted to quit. I should have known that they only wanted what was best for
me, and had no objections to me deferring for a year if that was what I really
believed was best for me.
That year I went to work for a Private Investigation
company. I learnt the ropes, worked my way up from where I started, and
discovered what the real world was actually like. I still admired my friends
working hard in Uni, those who were loving their courses
and were definite about what they wanted – I was happy for them and their
excitement!
I took on some study myself, and working full time I still
managed to complete a Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing – it was exactly
what I wanted to do. It was more creative than political, it challenged my
thinking and my skills, and I learnt about the many types of writing (for the
Web, for PR, script writing etc) – things I never would have learnt in my uni
course, but were truly what I wanted to learn about.
When I moved to the Eyre Peninsula, I was given another
opportunity to grow, stepping into a Grain Marketing company and learning about
the industry, making use of my writing skills in our marketing and
communications and getting specialised training in that area, as well as taking
on another course that I am near completing – an Agribusiness Management
Diploma, which is going to be perfect for my life on the farm.
Today, I work at the Cummins District Community Bank Branch
(https://www.facebook.com/CumminsDistrictCommunityBankBranch?fref=ts) 3 days a
week which appeals to my sense of fulfilment. Growing the bank means growing
the community I live in, with over $2.38 million put back into the community
through grants, donations, sponsorship and scholarships in just over 10 years,
all thanks to our customers.
The other 2 days a week I have the privilege of working from
home, contracting as a Marketing and Communications Manager for Jade Norwood
Photography. (www.jadenorwood.com) . I
am able to put together everything I have learnt in my short years, further
develop my skills and do what I enjoy – be creative and grow with the business!
2013 is my 7th year out of school. I have had a
number of jobs and gone above and beyond in each. I don’t have a University
degree but I have 1 diploma and another just a few months away. I am a Justice
of the Peace and an active member of my community. I have had an article
printed in the Sunday Mail, and a poem printed in a collection of Australian
Poems. I have proven myself to my different employers who have given me a
chance. I have brought a grown man to tears as he said his goodbyes when he
left the workplace, as he told me how proud he was of the woman I had become in
2 short years. I have had employers express their thanks for having worked with
me, and their wish that there were more people like me out there.
I am not defined by what is written on a piece of paper,
whether it is a certificate or a resume. I am defined by my drive, my
willingness to trust my gut feeling and follow my heart, my ability to grow and
adapt, my kindness, my integrity, my passion.
I am all of these things because I did what was right for
me, not what someone else did, or what I felt I had to do. I didn’t map out this path in year 12 and I
couldn’t have envisioned the opportunities I have had, yet each choice I have
made has led me here, everything has ‘come together’ and I am truly happy,
fulfilled and thankful. I couldn’t tell you whether I will still be in the same
job in 3 years from now, or if I will be elsewhere; all I know is that if I
follow my heart, the decision I make will always be the right one.
So year 12’s, don’t think that your choices now define the
rest of your life – your opportunities are endless and aren’t restricted to
your early 20s. Have as many jobs as you want, study different subjects, try something
different, travel the world. Do something bold, do what excites you; just do
what makes you happy and you will always have made the right choice.
Belinda-Jane x
Thanks Beej, I honestly couldn't agree with this more!
Life is full of surprises, and not knowing where your life is going to take you is all part of the fun!!!
Look after yourself and those around you (particularly if you have a year 12 student in your family/friendship group),
Kirsty
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