It's funny - I look at myself as a product of privilege and good fortune because I had the opportunity to get educated in the United States, but when I think of what my "career" looks like, I have no clue what's going on.
I find that a lot of my friends might feel the same way. In my opinion, a career represents a body of work that you have either previously done, are currently doing or plan on doing in the future, that is your function in society. When I was applying to university in 2004, a career meant our IB grades and coursework, our intended university study focus, and the schools we were applying for (all 200575639302247304 of them for us folks who needed financial aid).
But after university, a career meant (again) your grades and important works from your degree, any relevant intern/externship experience, and your intended work options.
Here's where I get a little confused. If career comes down to work options, and we keep what I like to call the former definition of career, then these work options would have to reflect your study interests. This is, of course, assuming that your work options require you to have focused your education around that type of work.
Now, how many of you reading this (echoes about the walls of the Internet, and comes right back to me) feel like what you studied in school or any experience from your jobs could be used for purposes other than to serve one particular field?
I think there's much more room for lateral thinking in the 21st century. I also think that now more than ever, we need to consider knowledge as interrelated, connected and collaborative. We need to define a career today as a multi-dimensional work ethic that involves humanistic values, not necessarily pinned down as scholarly definitions.
It's difficult for me to imagine the future as involving focused careers as we define them today. I believe a "focused career" will involve a variety of disciplines meshed together to create new areas of results-oriented, and socially beneficial work.
So the next time you're surfing job openings (because there's so many jobs available these days, right?), and you don't feel like you're up for the requirements of the position, try selling what you already can do in relation to the position. Who knows - the people hiring you may not see an immediate need for other, non-related skills and interests, but those interests may be vital for the long-term.
Carpe diem.
I find that a lot of my friends might feel the same way. In my opinion, a career represents a body of work that you have either previously done, are currently doing or plan on doing in the future, that is your function in society. When I was applying to university in 2004, a career meant our IB grades and coursework, our intended university study focus, and the schools we were applying for (all 200575639302247304 of them for us folks who needed financial aid).
But after university, a career meant (again) your grades and important works from your degree, any relevant intern/externship experience, and your intended work options.
Here's where I get a little confused. If career comes down to work options, and we keep what I like to call the former definition of career, then these work options would have to reflect your study interests. This is, of course, assuming that your work options require you to have focused your education around that type of work.
Now, how many of you reading this (echoes about the walls of the Internet, and comes right back to me) feel like what you studied in school or any experience from your jobs could be used for purposes other than to serve one particular field?
I think there's much more room for lateral thinking in the 21st century. I also think that now more than ever, we need to consider knowledge as interrelated, connected and collaborative. We need to define a career today as a multi-dimensional work ethic that involves humanistic values, not necessarily pinned down as scholarly definitions.
It's difficult for me to imagine the future as involving focused careers as we define them today. I believe a "focused career" will involve a variety of disciplines meshed together to create new areas of results-oriented, and socially beneficial work.
So the next time you're surfing job openings (because there's so many jobs available these days, right?), and you don't feel like you're up for the requirements of the position, try selling what you already can do in relation to the position. Who knows - the people hiring you may not see an immediate need for other, non-related skills and interests, but those interests may be vital for the long-term.
Carpe diem.
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