Invest in Yourself
Where do I begin?
It’s really not the end of the world if you do not have it all figured out yet, just start somewhere.
Find something you love
Times have changed and young people are not settling for jobs just to make ends meet like older generations did, instead they are looking for something that will be fulfilling and make them happy. I think one of the most dreaded things we hear a lot today from young people is to be tied to a desk from 8 to 5 in a dead-end job with no freedom.
The notion of working day in and day out until you’re a certain age and then retiring and then only starting to live your life is dying fast. Younger generations have realized that you might not even reach that age and end up never really living your life fully and do all the things you had planned.
Living now, 'in the moment' has its good side as well as a downside. The wonderful thing about lots of young people entering into jobs or careers that they like or even love doing is that they become passionate and driven people. They end up making big changes in industries and the world. There is a vast amount of new opportunities that the new digital age has brought with it and these young people become entrepreneurs creating new jobs for themselves.
The downside to this is that many parents end up with a ‘failure to launch’ situation. Having kids that’s well into their late 20’s still living at home and trying to figure their lives out and the path that they want to take. Deciding on your future career is never an easy decision to make. Young people need a lot of guidance, that is why a Preparation year is a great idea.
You need to start somewhere
Studies have found that millennials will change jobs an average of four times in their first decade out of college. Many assume millennials are just chasing money when they job-hop, rather than waiting patiently for their slice of the pie as their seniors did. However, that’s not true of all job-hoppers.
Many employees who seek other jobs early on are willing to take pay cuts for the right job, especially if there is a mismatch or lack of positive work culture. Other factors for switching jobs quickly include having too much work to do, resulting in an uneven work-life balance. Environmental and social consciousness drives millennials, caring about their fellow man. When a company’s mission matches their values, millennials are in — more likely for a longer haul than their last gig.
It’s really not the end of the world if you do not have it all figured out yet, just start somewhere.
Finding happiness
Take time to invest in yourself, not only for your career choice but for your emotional wellbeing. Working through problems and emotional baggage will improve your quality of life tremendously. I say this because at the end of the day it’s not your job that will make you happy but the relationships you have formed that will, working through your issues will positively impact that. Everyone needs to learn emotional life skills, especially young people. It’s a shame that we give so little attention to our emotional wellbeing, as this is what will make the greatest impact on our happiness.
It’s never easy to face our true selves, to take off the masks or to go back into our past and deal with difficult things, but it’s always worth it. You will never regret dealing with something and putting it behind you. This frees you from the things dragging you down and holding you back and opens up doors to wonderful new things. What better time to do this than while you’re still young, before finding a marriage partner or making other big life decisions. A prep year offers you this opportunity.
Just Africa Life Skills Preparation Year
Article by
Madelein Wolfaardt
