Tips on Starting Up Your Career
In the Philippines, when a child finished his or her high school studies, they decide the course to take by referring to what is popular to their peers or what course their families or their parents asked them to take. It is seldom done that the interest of the child is being considered.
There are now career counseling programs offered by some private schools. However, for those belonging to average earning families or on the poverty line, they realize what career they take right after they secured their job and start earning. Others has already finished a specific course, for instance computer engineering, but when they started looking for a job or are already working, they realized that they are not happy with the job they have secured because it is not actually their own interest.
As a result, they shifted courses if they are studying in college, while others shifted career but find less success securing a job that they love. Thus, they have to get a second course, which is very costly. In the end, it took longer time to start with a career and be successful on it. Also, not to count the effort invested by the individual just to finish the course. One would then compensate the loss by reasoning that "it is better to be late than never at all."
Now, if you are reading this article, then you can help others by sharing what you've learned from it. This time, you can tell friends and members of your family how to help them develop their careers.
Early in the child's life, one would notice the interest of a child. It may be in singing, playing instruments, playing with construction toys; the kind of toys they play indicates what they would want to be like playing doctors or engineers. When they go through their studies, they get introduction to the different type of careers. You as parents or as adults may also help expose them in the different kind of jobs or work experiences through movies or TV programs that they watch. For example, showing them ER, Glee or even high school musicals would provide them idea of the different profession they can consider. Ask them as well what they want to be whenever there's a chance for you to talk with them. It also helps to provide them reading materials on specific programs or even handouts offered by universities. Do not enroll them immediately on specific courses. They can enroll on two (2) year programs or applied courses. This way, when they shifted courses, some of their units or subjects can still be credited to their new course.
Teach focus to children as early as possible. Shifting from one job to another may provide multitasking skills but takes time to develop specialization. Having focus on developing your career would mean plotting your life plans. To site an example, when I was still studying college, I encountered a very young vice president of a Telecom Company. He gave a talk on Career. I said to myself, one day I will see myself speaking in front of a large crowd the same way that he do. I plotted my career plan; first step is to finish my study, then secure a job related to my finished course, which is Industrial Psychology, then from recruitment, I worked my way up to a recruitment specialist position, got exposed on different areas of expertise covered by Human Resource, become a supervisor, take a step to officer position and then become a manager. Now, I am thinking that if I reach retirement age, I will not totally retire but instead I wish to teach in a university where I can share my expertise to students and guide them as well. To prepare myself for the teaching profession, I need to get some extra units in masteral studies then get a part-time job as an instructor.
Career planning does not stop by securing a job. It is a continuous process that would last to as long as you wish it to be. Reaching 65 years of age does not mean you would stop working. Think that like the learning process, career development is also a continuous process.
