CHOOSING THE RIGHT CAREER - PROF

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CAREER

INTRODUCTION

Quite often in life, there comes a time when we have to take a decision that would, in the long run, determine our future. Choosing a career is one of such times. It is common among youths to say, “I want to become an Engineer, I want to become a Medical Doctor, I want to become a Lawyer”. These statements are made with little or no knowledge of what it takes to pursue such professions. In most cases, many go into such career with ignorance. Therefore, to avoid “Had I known” in the end, there is need for you to be well informed before choosing a career.

However, understanding yourself helps you to know both your strengths and weaknesses. This is the first stage in the choice of career. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint. The beginning and conclusion of every event, the success or failure of every endeavour is mirrored in the understanding of yourself or the ability to appraise yourself. As a student, the power to choose future career lies within you. Effective self-assessment helps you to monitor your progress and improve in weak areas. Not all students who are outwardly studious are careful enough to adequately plan their time, set achievable goals and follow up on life goals. Knowing yourself adequately equips you for good time management, proper goal setting and reaching the milestones set for yourself in life as you will always be prepared for any challenges that may confront you in life.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CAREER

Actually, in every boy or girl is a natural in-built potential, which God has given from birth to help the child become a successful person in life. What is a potential? It is a natural quality that has not yet come forth but may emerge and develop. Some young people are good at figures, calculations, figuring out how things work, maintaining equipment, etc. Such may end up being Accountants, Engineers, Scientists or Mathematicians. Some have the natural skill and love to take care of others’ health – such may become Nurses, Medical doctors or Health Workers. Some others have natural talents for reading and writing, communication or public speaking; such may become Lawyers, Journalists, Public Analysts, Authors of Literature, etc.

Your potential, skill, talent, natural ability or something you love doing is sometimes an indication of a career you might wish to pursue. Since you possess the very key to your success, your duty is to discover that potential(s), develop the potential(s) and demonstrate the potential(s) so that you can succeed in life. Remember, you are yourself and you can be what you want to be in life. Don’t compare yourself with anybody. Discover yourself, be yourself and develop yourself.  

Holland a career coach, tried to categorize into six (6) the various qualities that makes a person more suitable for a particular job than anther. He also gave their different trait as well as hobbies and interest. This could in turn be merged with possible courses that could be chosen.

 

REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE WRONG CAREER

It is a fact that many youths do not seek for correct information before choosing their career. Many youths choose their career based on:

À                 Over-estimation of one’s academic ability which leads to inability to cope with the answer.

À                 Lack of adequate knowledge of the core subjects for the career.

À                 An interesting presentation of a career talk.

À                 Current public perception of the career.

À                 Misinformation about the career from a misinformed person.

À                 Selecting career because your friends have chosen it.

À                 Selecting a career because your parents have decided it for you.

À                 Selecting a career because one of your siblings is practicing it.

À                 Selecting just any career at the time of filling admission form.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Conclusively, your potential, skill, talent, natural ability or something you love doing is sometimes an indication of a career you might wish to pursue. Since you possess the very key to your success, your duty is to discover that potential(s), develop the potential(s) and demonstrate the potential(s) so that you can succeed in life.

Remember, you are yourself and you can be what you want to be in life. Don’t compare yourself with anybody. Discover yourself, be yourself and develop yourself. 

However, ask yourself these salient questions:

ü    What career can I choose in relation to these talents?

ü    What course of study can I undertake to practice this career?

ü    What are the basic academic requirements to study this course?

ü    Which institutions offer this course in the country and which of them do I have best chance of admission?

ü    What are the physical demands and the financial requirements to complete the course?

ü    What are the likely prospects of the courses in the country when I graduate?

ü    How does my career choice fit into God’s plan for me in life?

Note: “Proper Preparation prevents poor Performance” is a common saying that underscores the importance of adequate preparation before one can obtain excellence.

Reference

One-Day Pre-varsity Forum: Stairway to Higher Learning. Pp. 3-10 Organized by Network of Higher Institution Teachers (NHIT).