presented by Comr. Chukwuemeka Ejiofor on POSH Ladies Academy (WHATSAPP group) 23/01/2018
Introduction
Choosing
a career is one of the most important decisions you will make in life. It's much more than deciding what you will do
to make a living. The career choice you make determines a huge part of the rest
of your life. After all, you spend large parts of your life working.
And that
decision did not happen today... It involved series of planning right from your
College days through High school...
I will start by sharing a part of my life experience
I grew
up with the mindset that I would be an engineer because everybody calls me by
that title "Engr." whereas I never knew the difference between
Sciences and Arts. And because of that there was no divided attention. So I
tried very hard to know & pass all my subjects (both arts and Sciences).
“Jack of all trades, Master of all…
A time
came in Senior Secondary (SS2) I had to choose where to belong, I chose
Sciences simply because I had grown with the mentality of being an engineer
despite the facts that I did very well in my art courses. Perhaps if I had
chosen Arts/Commercials I would have still done very well.
I loved
Mathematics but you can’t say that was the driving force even though it
contributed somehow; I did very well in virtually all my courses. In fact,
there was a term I failed Mathematics but I picked up immediately.
Kindly note
that in my case I tested all before I finally chose my discipline. And I did not eventually choose Sciences
because I was being addressed as Engr. but because I discovered I am someone
who likes to solve problems and I like trying out new things – there were so
many traits of Engineers I portrayed then. You may ask how I got to find out?
Of course I studied the lives of Engineers, what they do and what I have in
common with them before I realized going towards same direction... I
called this 1st Stage of Career Choice!
This
first stage of choosing a career is very delicate and sensitive before that is
where most of the foundations would be laid. And if the foundation be
destroyed… there will be problem
Then the 2nd is like it... after Colleges,
what next?
After
college was another stage of choosing a career path. Though in this stage, a
lot of factors will affect your decision. Admissions factor, parent’s factor,
Economic and Societal factors.
I
applied to universities to study Petro-Chemical, Chemical and Elect/Elect
engineering but all failed but later got admission to Study Mathematics and
Computer Science in Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO). Even at
that I knew I was still going to become an Engineer because that passion was
still burning. How would that be possible? I made research and compared Mathematics with Engineering and
discovered that Applied Mathematics is Engineering… So what else am I looking
for? To Answer ENGR.? I said to myself. I also discovered I could finish this
course and switch to engineering for Masters’ or Post Graduate degree as the
case may be. But funny enough, I did none of those but rather I discovered a
career where I could also apply Mathematics which is Information Technology. As a matter of fact, in my 200L I was already certified by NIIT in Computer
Hardware/Network Engineer (Comptia A+ & N+). I did not just learn
it, I practiced it till date. And also, I will be rounding up soon with my Master’s
degree program in Information Technology. Thanks to God!
And this
is the career Path I have chosen for myself and I love it with passion. I love
my work and I have been very diligent.
Before I
got to this point of my life, I had some hitches; rough times, discouraging
moments etc but my love & passion for the work gave me an edge. Thank God
for everything. And you can imagine, I did a volunteering job(work without pay)
in a company for a whole year because of my Passion, my interest and love for
my Career which also paid me big time. I have never and will never regret the
decision.
LET ME SHARE A 4 STEP PLANNING PROCESS IN
CHOOSING A CAREER
- Knowing Yourself - Skills, likes/dislikes and values
- Finding Out - Exploring what is out there
- Making Decisions - Comparing options
- Taking Action - Working towards your goals
Career
planning is the continuous process of: thinking about your interests, values,
skills and preferences; exploring the life, work and learning options available
to you; ensuring that your work fits with your personal circumstances;
You can
use the four step planning process whether you are: at school; at college; an
adult returning to education or adding on skills; an adult changing job or
career...
Finally,
What are the Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a Career?
You
should avoid:
- Listening to People Who Tell You That You Should, or Should Not, Do Something:*
Many
people think they should have a say in what career you choose—your parents,
your friends, your significant other. They don't. In most cases your decision
will have little impact on the other people in your life. You, however, will
have to deal with your choice for years to come. Make sure the career you
choose is something you want to spend your day doing.
- Following in Someone Else's Footsteps:
You may be haunted by your parents'
expectations to go into the same occupation they are in. You may know it as the
one that helped put food in your mouth, kept a roof over your head and even
paid your way through school. As hard is it is to do, ignore the pressure you
may feel to please your mum and dad. Remember, and if necessary, remind your
parents, that they made their own choices and now it's your turn. What was
right for them may not be for you. In the long run, there's a good chance
they'd rather see you happy in a career of your own choosing than unhappy in
one you picked to please them.
- Not Doing Your Homework:
Don't
choose a career without taking the time to learn about it.
- Not Talking to Those in the Know:
But please
talk to a few people to avoid individual biases.
- Going for the Money:
Earning a
good amount of money is important, but that isn't actually a great predictor of
job satisfaction. In other words, you can make millions but if you hate what
you're doing, you'll find it hard to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Look for
a balance between making enough money to support yourself and work that
fulfills you.
- Ignoring Who You Are: Your personality type, interests, values and aptitude make you better suited for some occupations than others
- Not Considering Location, Location, Location:
If you
live somewhere that doesn't offer many opportunities in your field and you
aren't willing to relocate, you will have trouble getting a job.
Thank
you for your patience and remain blessed. In everything, give thanks to God... When the world try to give you a reason to frown, give them a million reasons
to smile... #CC_Ejiofor
Contribution from Esther Nwachukwu:
Before you go into any new phase of life,
*ASK QUESTIONS*
And
there are three significant people you should ask:
1. PEOPLE
- the significant people in your life. If possible, go outside your family and
ask people who are good at the new phase (eg. Career)
2. YOU -
Ask yourself questions about the new level you're going into and what you
really want.
3. GOD -
Many people leave out a manufacturer in decisions as regards the product He
made. Go to God in prayers and He will speak to you.
For
example, when I was in Junior Secondary (JS2), God showed me that I was going into the medical
field. This made me more focused and I applied for Medicine first, and then
Physiotherapy (during my second JAMB). And by God's grace now, I'm a
physiotherapist and really doing exploits for Him as well as being fulfilled!
The
opinion of the first personality to ask matters but not as much as the second
and the third.
And when
it seems that what you want are not coming through, keep TRUSTING AND HOLDING
ON!
0 Comments