My advice for Job-hunters

More often than not, the advice we hear regarding job-hunting and choosing a career is “to follow your heart”. As Steve Jobs mentioned, “Work is going to occupy a large part of your life and the only way to be satisfied is to love what you do.” We can all agree that this is the right thing to do, and I will discuss more of this later. However, it is not enough to know this. Lots of preparation I believe, is key.

There is something terribly wrong with the timing of all these career talks and career counselling that students get: it’s too late. One might have excellent grades, savvy interview skills and the capacity to create the perfect resume, but without the skills or knowledge for their dream jobs, it's hard to land the jobs that they truly want.

To explain further, let’s go back to a time when they were still high school students. Some of them didn’t have the advantage of having good role models or mentors to guide them with their career path. So they pick a famous course like Nursing and focus on the money, or they pick a versatile course like Psychology and see what happens after graduating, because they are still “confused”. By the time they are in their graduating year in college, if that is the only time they have exposure to these excellent career seminars and career counselling, many would have wasted 4 years of studying a course which is far from their heart’s desire, and many of them would have gained the skills and knowledge that sadly they will not even use because they would realize too late that they want to do something else. Instead of being a skilled graduate equipped to handle their dream job, a bunch of these graduates would be under qualified with the lack of experience and skills for the job that they truly want. I’m speaking not only from my observations of others, but from my own personal experience as well.

Self-awareness is very important. One should know what one wants. My wish is for career counselling seminars to be mandatory for high school seniors, who are still going to pick their course in college. It is the best time to guide them to their own respective paths so that no time and money in college is wasted. The right course will be studied, and they will gain relevant skills and knowledge towards their career aspirations. There will be a career match, and most probably, they will land a job that they will love. Also, the right attitude of discipline and focus on building his/her knowledge and skills is very important. That for me is the best way to get the perfect job.

For those who weren’t fortunate enough to have this formula in their lives, my advice is to take time to cultivate this self-awareness. Be honest about what skills you enjoy doing, what industries you are excited about, and what activities fuels you, instead of drains you. Once you gain insight, you can try to push your luck in getting that job. If you’re not lucky, don’t lose hope. Build up your skills by internship, learning from a mentor or doing related tasks during your free-time. And don’t forget, there’s google and youtube to learn more about just about anything. We only have one lifetime. Make it count, and go for your perfect job that bring meaning to your days, and inspires great works to be done. Not only will you be happy and fulfilled, money will also follow. As stated in the bible “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”