Students should be proactive and intentional about their career preparation to enhance their employability and set the stage for a successful career after graduation.
While growing up, our parents, teachers, neighbours and most adults asked us this fundamental question: What do you want to be when you grow up?
This reminds me of our neighbour who told me whenever we met: “I want you to be a magistrate.”
Although I didn’t think of it as a cool career, I couldn’t help mulling over how I would become one. Fast forward, I did not become a magistrate.
Going back to the question, high school is always a great time to start thinking about the future. It is here that one starts working towards making it happen. Students are told to get the best education so that they are well-positioned to take advantage of further educational opportunities.
You have transitioned to college and chosen the course to take you to your dream career. Have you set specific goals? Are you working towards completing them? Preparing for a career while in college involves a strategic and proactive approach to maximise your time and resources. It is a combination of academic excellence, skill development, a growth mind-set, networking, and gaining practical experience. Let’s look at important steps to take towards achieving career success.
Firstly, to take time to think about what you’d like to do: dream and imagine ideal careers within your course. There are many opportunities and different types of jobs and careers that can be applied in various industries – both traditional and emerging career paths. Examine your likes and dislikes, and take a few career-assessment tests. There are many free online career assessment tests that can guide you on your aptitude and alignment towards different careers.
Secondly, it’s critical for every student to ask themselves these questions: Do I have a growth mind-set? How do I achieve a growth mind-set? According to Carol Dweck, professor of psychology at Stanford University, a growth mind-set is when students embrace effort as a means to improve academic learning and job performance, viewing challenges and failures as opportunities to improve knowledge and skills for future career and college success.
“In a growth mind-set, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work-brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love for learning and resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,” she added.
For a student to attain a growth mind-set, they should practise goal setting and completion of tasks based on their personal strengths and interests. It is also important to communicate and consider all ideas from peers, adults, and superiors with respect and confidence, sharing information and feedback willingly and accurately. One should also learn to contribute new ideas, seek clarification and understanding, and acquire active listening skills.
However, for students to achieve a growth mind-set, they need endless support from their institutions and leaders. Schools should incorporate a transparent value system and set of practices that support students’ commitment to their educational and career goals. They should provide a safe learning environment that supports students who experience social, personal, or emotional distress like interpersonal conflict; depression; or isolation. This also includes the establishment of a common framework and vocabulary for addressing students’ social-emotional development and academic mind-sets, and the establishment of outcomes, measures, and benchmarks for the schools to pursue.
For this to be successful, schools should provide professional development for teachers and staff to build career and cultural competence as one important aspect of closing achievement gaps. It’s, therefore, important for every institution to evaluate itself for this eventuality.
Career planning and work readiness is not as simplistic as many people think. It’s not a journey of a lone student, but a complex web of support systems of parents, teachers, government, institutions, employers, industry, community, among other players.
Educational institutions, career development programmes, and individuals themselves play crucial roles in developing and maintaining career planning skills. Continuous learning, a growth mind-set and staying updated on industry trends are also important for long-term career success. Employers often seek candidates with not only technical skills for a job, but also soft skills and adaptability needed to thrive in a dynamic work environment. To students, the key is to be proactive and intentional about your career preparation. This way, you can enhance your employability and set the stage for a successful career after graduation.
The writer is the board chair of (CDAK) and a career development practitioner ([email protected] / www.careerguidancecollege.com).
