careers day
Today I had a novel experience. I was asked to give a talk about my job and my career path to a group of year 10 students (about 14/15 years old) as part of a careers day. In my own mind, it hasn’t been that long since I was that age.
Anyway, it was really interesting to see the types of questions that these young men and women asked. From the beginning, the young men in particular peppered me with questions - all seemingly designed to reveal how to go about earning the most amount of money in the shortest period of time.
It was only as the conversation went on and we started talking about what qualities and skills which would make someone suited to this job that the young women began to engage in the conversation.
I know this is a vast generalisation, but it was really interesting to see the attitude that these young people had to the prospect of their future careers. They were more concerned by how much they might earn than what hours they would be expected to work. They were more concerned at hearing descriptions of the “cool” areas of the job than realising how much time would be spent on “non-cool” areas.
I was vaguely depressed afterwards at the thought that we as a society have taught people as young as this to evaluate their careers on the basis of earning. It was only as an afterthought that someone asked why I chose to do what I do, and why I continue doing it.
Surely we have a better message for young people than the one that some of these teens had received. Surely they should be aware that a career should be more than just financially rewarding, that we don’t assess what we do on the basis of our pay-packet, that there are negatives in jobs which relate to things other than our earning capacity.
June 24th, 2003 at 8:59 am
It is opportunities like this that allow us to introduce the subversive concept that there is more to a fulfilling and satisfting life than money.
You might not have been deliberately subversive Dan but I suspect you can’t help yourself. Next time you can plan for deliberate subversion of the capitalist mantra.
June 24th, 2003 at 10:01 am
Subversion as motivation for a careers day speaker. Hmm.
June 24th, 2003 at 11:17 am
What I find disturbing is the general belief that status in society and self-esteem are determined by one’s employment. “My name is…and I’m a…” sort of thing.
shalom,
Jan
June 24th, 2003 at 12:14 pm
As you probably know, but just to be clear, I was referring to the fact that many would regard it as subversive to imply that money does not equal fulfilment and satisfaction.
An belief that I imagine you embrace and could not help but project.
June 24th, 2003 at 12:54 pm
Thank you for the clarification, Chris. Actually, I spent my time listing all the drawbacks of my chosen career and discouraging people from trying it if they weren’t sure.
I guess I reflected back on my own time at that age when I was being encouraged to take a certain path of study or to investigate a particular career. In my context, the thing to aim for was acheivement and intellectual success, not necessarily money. But still, I cannot recall once talking to careers counsellors or being encouraged to consider whether my future would have worth, would make a difference, would be a calling or even something that would make me proud of myself.
June 25th, 2003 at 4:14 am
The teens have made some interesting assumptions.Let’s hope you get to do some more career days and blow the norms right out of the water. Jan is right. We define worth by employment. How dumb is that? Blog on!