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The purpose of education is to train the next generation of worker bees. That’s what we’ve been taught. You go to school to prepare for a career. Actually, most of that is exactly right.
But I don’t think that works the way we think it does anymore.
We can’t just go from Point A to Point B and call it a day. As Sir Ken Robinson put it, the paradigm is changing, and we need to keep up.
It means realigning our thinking with how the world works now instead of how it worked over a century ago. And for all our college-bound youth, it means changing how you pursue your dreams.
We’re not cogs in a machine
A big piece of advice I always wanted to give my high school self was: “Figure out what you want to be. Don’t wait. Research what you like and pick a career early.”
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But that’s wrong! How could I possibly define the rest of my life at 16? A rare few do know what they want early, but no one should ever be expected to know. It doesn’t matter if you’re 16, 25, 42, or 70. We should not be making set-in-stone decisions for our future selves because it’s impossible to know what our future hopes and needs will be.
Be well-rounded and flexible
What we should be doing instead is building adaptability. Follow your interests, but keep an eye on how everything relates. Train yourself to look for transferrable skills.
Adaptability is arguably the most important skill that an adult in today’s world can have. Opportunities come and go at the speed of sound. You lose your job. You get a new one. The market changes. Or: you just get bored.
You need to be allowed to change your mind. Humans weren’t born to do one thing for their whole lives. We were born to explore and experience and learn.
This ain’t no line dance
Careers are not ladders. Careers are networks of possibilities, interests, strengths, and experiences.
Don’t pigeon-hole yourself. Don’t start a career just so your future self can inherit it.
Pursue what interests you now and challenge yourself to learn new skills every day. Work on things that excite you. Dip your toe in things that frighten you. Showcase what you’re good at. Build yourself up as a well-rounded, passionate person. Take care of your current self, because that’s all you can really know.
Your Turn:
Has your education or career turned out the way you expected so far? How is it the same? How is it different? Answer in the comments!
