INSPIRATION
The largest obstacle facing most children when it comes to career selection is inexperience.
They have limited exposure outside of their own community and little experience in looking past what is in their immediate line of sight.
Our goal is to look "beyond the horizon" to find a world of possibilities for their future. We do so by introducing them to a myriad of career options and teaching them to open their minds beyond just what is visible.
We will also provide insights into navigating through high school so as to best position themselves for their post-secondary journey.
"You don't know what you don't know."
We encounter very few life-altering events in our lifetime, and only but a few of those are under our control. The decision of which career path to follow is usually the first. This choice will determine how and where we spend the majority of our time for the next several decades, where we are likely to live, the lifestyle we adapt, who we frequently interact with and often it will greatly influence our circle of friends.
This decision can be overwhelming to some teenagers, confusing to others and simply inconsequential for the many students not yet ready to consider their long-term future. This latter point is particularly true of the millennial generation accustomed to instant gratification. The result is often a decision made out of apathy or resignation to the path of least resistance.
The cost of a post-secondary education ranges between $50,000 and $150,000 for a four-year program, a significant expenditure for any family. Yet it has been shown that the average family will spend more time deciding which car to buy than they will evaluating a child’s career plan. But unlike an unsuitable car, a graduate will not be able to put their degree up for sale on Kijiji.
The process of finding the right career should not begin three months before post-secondary applications are due, nor should it be deferred until a future date after enrolment into a general post-secondary program. These strategies tend to lead to a path of least resistance approach - selecting the best option available, not the best option - PERIOD!
There is nothing wrong with having multiple acceptable alternatives which can be decided upon at a later date, so long as each of the options has been carefully considered and selected in advance.
By beginning the career selection process early in their high school years, students will give themselves ample time to explore, investigate and perhaps even experience numerous careers of interest. They will have the opportunity to plan their high school courses accordingly, build their resume and gain experience that will enable them to succeed down the road.
The first step on the road to success is to understand what options are available - expose the student to the 30,000+ job descriptions in the Canadian marketplace - overcome the "I don't know" response mechanism by helping them to know what they don't know.