Positioning Yourself For An Outstanding Career As a Student

Choosing a right career is very important. Naturally, we know that studying a course in the university does not guarantee you the same line of employment after graduation. There are graduates of Engineering who work in medical labs, banks, accounting departments, procurement departments etc , while some work in places of zero interest especially teaching. This cut across all fields of study.

Our Educational system has been designed in such a way that only graduates of higher institutions are relevant in our society.

This is exactly why about 1.7 million candidates and above will continue to jostle to enter higher institutions for 500 thousand admission spaces every year.(According to 2016-2017 jamb statistics). Our parents should endeavor to evaluate their children, know their potentials and set them on the right track for the future that awaits them.

The following groups are responsible for career development.

– Parents
Primarily, the children are supposed to be equipped with the right knowledge from the home, the parents should always relate with their children, checkmate them on their studies, know their abilities and weaknesses.

Parents should not choose career path for their children but they should counsel them on the relevant courses according to their potentials. for instance I know of a family who want their child to study medicine so that he can actually take over from the father, this is not right, Why are you killing our potentials?

-School
The school also affects our students positively or negatively depending on which path they chose. Schools should be able to organize capacity building & career programs for the students, like I did attend one while in senior secondary school, this should be done every term in our secondary schools. They should also check the students in their studies. The best teacher is always a friend not only to the brains in the class but also a friend to the weak ones, they don’t neglect the weak ones but encourage them.

-Students
This is the last determinant of a reputable career. The students should always think well before choosing any career, identify your personal skills (what are you best in doing), Assess your skills, identify your goals, check your capacity, explore on the courses and ask, check your hobbies( this can turn into a career e.g sports, research , journalism etc
The best thing is not to regret studying a course, If you find yourself in a course you don’t like, try and pick interest and develop yourself to suit the course, if it is difficult to do then drop it. If you don’t build yourself others will hire you to build theirs.
Let us always be determined, hardworking and resilience in our studies. ” Free the child’s potential and you will transform him into the world” ( Maria Montessori)
I still believe that the youths remain the leaders of tomorrow and that tomorrow has come.

This  article originally titled: “Building a Reputable Career” was written By Obidara Toheeb Olumide

He is an Academic motivator, educational analyst and a Student of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering.