Choosing A Career

A few days ago, I listened to a talk on a local radio station. The presenters underlined the fact that a school leaver should not only consider a career in line with his/her own interest, but also pursue

knowledge and skills relevant to market needs.

Wise words indeed.

Where do our aptitude come from? Is it in our genes?  Why is it that young children sometimes talk about becoming a nurse or a doctor or an aircraft pilot - and follow a career therein?

A piece of history that had always intrigued me, is how artisans were empowered with knowledge and also the ability to teach others, so that the entire community could participate in this project. What I am referring to here, is the ancient Israelites who were commissioned to build a tabernacle. 

We read in ancient writings how "the Spirit of God' have these people artisan skills. (You can do an online search for Exodus 35:3-0-35, should you not own a Bible.) This story leads me to believe that our gifts and talents come from spiritual empowerment more than anything else. It is important to note that these skills were not given to exalt the recipient, but to build a community in establishing a

focal point.

When a community works together at a common goal, there generally is peace amongst them as they mostly are of the same mind. Trouble usually comes when someone with an inflated ego wants things done differently, which is why communities had split in the past.

Any project that had started well, most likely also will end well, provided there is no arbitrary deviation from the planning. One can be in Grade 7 and already plan a career, starting by considering the correct major subjects for high school, college or university. If a foundation is laid well, building upon it is so much more stable and secure.

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

A bit of advice from my side is to ask our loving Heavenly father for career advice, so that you can guarantee success through doing what you were born to do. Sin is really to fail in achieving your destined goals in life and I am talking from personal experience here. Various factors may influence your situation, but stay true to His guided course, as real success does not come from other avenues.

Success can be defined as the continual and perpetual achievement of the goal in being who your were called to be. A clumsy statement yet very true. I was very impressed when I recently met a young lady who had planned her career in advance and had set specific objectives.

My own career was derailed at age thirteen when I was forced into a direction and subsequent situations saw me end up in a dead end in various ways. Do not let this happen to you as I can assure you that getting out of a hole van be hard even forty years later. While I honestly can apportion blame elsewhere, to a large extent, I can blame myself for not having made a big enough stand when I needed to. Then I spoke out of my turn one evening at a staff meeting, not while I was inebriated, yet the two drinks did affect my judgement and I sunk myself by saying something with less tact than required. Learn from my mistakes as I had paid dearly for them. No need to waste your money on

repeating my mistakes!

Do not do something stupid while you are young. You cannot be a breadwinner, student and young parent all at the same time. Life is no walk in the park and proper planning is required, followed up by good ethics, enthusiasm and passion for your career.

Let your God-given talents be developed so that you can be come a good builder of the global community, be it in a small village in Africa or on the top billing side of life.