Friday, May 02, 2008

Career Guidance

It seems like only two years ago that I sat with friends and discussed what to do about career guidance for teenagers. The plan was this:
  • two years of career awareness (what is a career, what in one's life prepares one for a career etc)
  • two years of career guidance (these are the skills one needs to pick up as one starts working on career fundamentals, this is how to write a proper targeted CV, this is how one prepares for an interview etc)
  • two years of career counselling (sessions with a dedicated specialist career counsellor, discussions on picking an appropriate university, planning a trajectory towards one's ideals and aspirations being fulfilled etc)
I must say I was rather surprised to receive no feedback at all when I first submitted this plan.

About three months later, I received a couple of salutory (as in shots fired across one's bow are salutory) pieces of advice. The first came from the Grey Men, who were very happy with The Plan and wanted to appropriate it. The second came from some people who didn't want it, wouldn't use it, and warned me against trying to do things other than what I was told to do. I held off the Grey Men, worried about some people, and in the end decided to put my thoughts down on paper. In the light of subsequent events, I was glad to have documented everything. It was an enlightening experience, one for the books really.

It took more than a year for the chickens to come home to roost. I documented that as well. In fact, by that time, some of the cows had come home, and the foxes had their foxholes too. It was a fantastic time, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I don't know if this enjoyment was universal. In fact, I am quite sure it was not.

So why am I writing about this now? Well, it is time for the books. A new chapter has begun. And as I wander around the Hill, I observe that the pagan tribes have very useful and powerful ideas and practices in this area. Maybe all these explain their success against the Roman legions.

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3 Comments:

Blogger vhm said...

Sir, I have been looking this education all years long. I hope the program you thought of help us have a better sense of our purpose in school. We should know what things we are to find out and train ourselves to prepare for the things we want in life. This must be a process actively and independently carried out by learners, who are inspired by the programs. Most importantly, can we explore what we really want of our life and the type of life bound by the career we want?

Saturday, May 03, 2008 10:09:00 pm  
Blogger le radical galoisien said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

Sunday, May 04, 2008 7:42:00 am  
Blogger le radical galoisien said...

career (n.)
c.1534, "a running course" (especially of the sun, etc., across the sky), from M.Fr. carriere "road, racecourse," from O.Prov. carriera, from V.L. *(via) cararia "carriage (road), track for wheeled vehicles," from L. carrus "chariot" (see car).

"This must be a process actively and independently carried out by learners, who are inspired by the programs. "

But of course, I suppose those who come from backgrounds that have disadvantaged them and all their lives have been told by society to restrain their ambition, deserve to stay in their rut, right?

I am reminded of several passages in Romans, when Paul is addressing those Jews who grovel about all the attention that is being placed on the Gentiles ....

Sunday, May 04, 2008 7:46:00 am  

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