Ah, Teenage. The most promising period of life, when your dreams soar high, untainted by the touch of reality, when you truly believe that the world is oyster, and even if it isn’t, you will still be able to change it with sheer determination and force of will. The era of unfettered hope, grand ambitions, and an overwhelming desire to pursue your passion, to burn in a blaze of glory.
It is the period of life which should be handled with great care, for often the habits you pick up in those years will stay with you for all your life. The transition from teenage to adulthood is the most important metamorphosis of your life, and it is up to you to decide whether you burst forth like a bright butterfly, soaring on wings of passion, or you shrivel up and falter in your cocoon, all ability and talent brought to naught.
To help you in your quest of making good career choices, here are a few select tips and titbits. May they help you fly!
Research
Remember lads, Google is your friend. And if you don’t like it, there’s Yahoo, Bing, and a host of other search engines which will easily get you information about the field and career of your choice. In fact, be prepared for an information overload, it is that easy to gain access to it these days. However, getting the data you need, the information pertinent to your case, that is the real challenge. So be sure you go through a lot of websites, articles and opinion pieces. Do not trust any outlet blindly, instead go through a number of them, cross-reference them with each other, and form a nuanced idea of the field you are interested in.
This should provide you with a lot of material and help you in making an informed decision about whether you actually want to pursue it, or if you should be looking at alternatives.
Internships/Apprenticeships
The best way to find out if a particular job or field is for you is to gain some direct experience, of course. Not only that, getting an internship or an apprenticeship with a company or Master adds to your experience, widens your scope and knowledge about the field, and most importantly, will hold you in good stead when you set out to actually find a full-time job. Beyond that, these internships are also good places for you to get in touch with like-minded fellows, peers in the industry. It is a golden chance for you to build you network and make some good contacts in the industry. They can be invaluable for you later on.
Ask Professionals in the Field
A smart way to find out more about the career and field you hope to get into is by getting in touch with professionals already working in it. They can best guide you by informing you about the challenges you will have to face, the unexpected hurdles and pitfalls, the opportunities for growth, the potential of the field itself, current trends in the market, and a whole lot more. If they are suitably impressed by you, then they could be your ace in the hole when you go about with your job-hunt!
