Monday, November 11, 2013

Jobs after Graduation - Ignore the fear!

There is no lack of media proclaiming how difficult it is for todays young adults to find work and get a permanent place in the workforce.  Be careful!  These are opinions - don't let them become a part of your belief system.  All the negativity can be detrimental to your job and career search.  There's nothing wrong with 'considering' the information.  But don't always believe what you read.  There's always another point of view.

 In this article, Millennial's Endless Youth, the author talks about how much harder it is now for young adults to find work, citing various reasons.  He quotes a study that says "the economy determines what the possibilities are for young people".  If you believe that, you are in trouble.  Essentially he's saying you can blame the economy for all your problems!  You can sit on your parent's couch and feel good about it.  I wouldn't subscribe to that.
There are a host of other things like the people you know, your attitude, how motivated you are, your capacity to learn, your capacity to do physical work, your geographic location, etc. that also majorly influence your possibilities for work.

In this depressing piece - Student Dept, Dismal Job Prospects Threaten Canada's Economy - the author
discusses how student debt and poor jobs prospects have an impact on the students and the Canadian economy as a whole.  That's a real downer when you factor in the the article in the previous paragraph.  Don't listen to all this fear!  There is so much potential in you to learn and do great things.  You just have to find the right door.

Perhaps part of that 'door' is alluded to in this article - The Real Reason New College Grads Can't Get Hired.  The author suggests that a lack of 'soft skills' is a big part of the problem.  Young Adults "don't know what they don't know."  Of course, this is true for anybody.  But its amazing how fast you can learn and get good at a job when you are motivated - whatever that motivation is.   I know that young people can be amazingly fast learners and have the flexibility to change and meet the challenges presented to them - if they aren't demotivated and demoralized by what they hear, read, see. You can find the right door.  Sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting, patience, and determination, but you can do it.

Where's the Crime in Wasting Time is a better article.  It starts with the same abysmal statistics, but then looks towards good solutions.  I love this line: "Four years is an eon when you are young: something well meaning parents and fear-mongering journalists should consider before pushing rigid career plans on high school students."  Preach it, sista!  The two stories she shares in the article are great - about how she found her career in writing and how her friend ended up being a teacher.  Don't give into the fear you read and hear about.  Finding your career fit takes time.  You may not know what you are going to do in your last year of university.  Take a break.  Take a trip.  Discover yourself and what you like.  Then you will find a career you'll enjoy, be motivated in, and as a result, successful at.