When I was a High School teacher, I used to urge my students to talk to their other teachers. My students stared at me blankly. I was in awe of what the teachers brought to the classroom; They had interesting professional lives before becoming teachers. I don’t think any of the students took my advice. When I counseled them about the college experience, I told them the same thing. I also told them to join professional organizations and to network – it was never too early to start networking.
I know many people in these professional organizations would be happy to mentor these students. It’s been my experience that seasoned professionals love to help new students. I don’t know if they took that advice, I find that quite a few young people really struggle when they are in college and when they graduate. After graduation, some go from one entry level job to another. Some eventually find their footing and others don’t. In this life, no matter how nice you are, if you don’t do what is correct, you will find yourself floundering. You may say, I went to college, got good grades and still I am not where I should be. That may be true but today without proper mentoring and connections, you could find yourself floating around a little longer than some of your peers.
My advice to young people is, while in school, have fun and be smart about it. Join organizations in college and professional associations/organizations outside of school, also, find mentors. The mentors can be professors or someone from one of the organizations you joined. If you start with these suggestions, you will find a road that is easier to travel, filled with professional and personal growth. Additionally, you will be exposed to new ideas and grander choices.
Yorumlar