This was first published in the Sydney Morning Herald in July, 2020.
Imagine you are back in Year 12, when people are talking about where they are going to go “next year”.
The confusion of course choices, the stress of Year 12 exams looming and the pressures of parents seem ever-increasing. Now imagine trying to navigate all of that in the midst of a pandemic, with closed borders, constant news updates and the stress and anxiety of financial instability within your family.
This is what our Year 12 students are going through. It is a hard year no matter how much we tell them “it is all a journey”.
From working with Year 12 students, here are five things that may help ease this rocky time.
- Engage with your career advisor – Being one myself, I know I am completely biased, but this can really help you. If I read a relevant piece of information or hear of some new course or find out a new fact, it can really help the next student who walks through my door. You want someone who is looking out for you.
- Engage with institutions – As a basic rule of thumb, if you are interested in universities, colleges or TAFE campuses in your area, contact them and engage with them on social media. Find out about the many “future student” events, whether virtually or in person. I find the students who do this are a lot less overwhelmed as they are already moving and talking in that space. They have already been to a Q&A session, an open evening or even studied in their library. This all helps to get a feel for a place.
- Talk to adults who enjoy their jobs. The data suggests that families (parents!) influence career choices by up to 70 per cent. The messages that students hear at home have real influence. If a student lives with a fulfilled and happy psychologist mum, that sends a powerful message about that occupation. Equally the same with a stressed-out unhappy accountant dad.
- Try to remember there are multiple paths. This is probably the hardest point for students to understand. There is always choice. And sometimes you have to walk up a path to realise that path is not for you. Students come from a school environment where they know the syllabus, timetable, structure of school and it is a safe linear path. The road ahead for them is not. And this takes time to get used and can be unsettling. The sooner this is embraced, the easier it will become.
- Work on your personality (soft skills). I see so much effort, thought and worry that goes into Year 12 studies. Once the ATAR significance fades into the background (quickly), what won’t fade is what you learnt during those last school years. Did you learn good manners? Did you become a good team player, team leader or considerate team-mate? Did you learn to engage with people and be respectful and courteous? These things, often overlooked, will be important as you embark on your career.
Claire Pech is careers advisor at an Independent School in Sydney, NSW.