I have just finished reading "Hurricane Hazel: A Life with a Purpose"- the life of Hazel McCallion. She just turned 93, retired at 92 (wait a minute - not yet she has just been hired on as a special advisor at the University of Toronto @ 94 years of age). There is a new lingo out there redefining this age group, it is not retiring it is reassigning! Needless to say, she had spent the past 36 years as Mayor of Mississauga, a very successful career . There were many nuggets of career advise throughout this memoir, I would like to focus on one of them. Why is it a good thing for children to do their homework throughout their Middle and Senior Years? If children do their homework it prepares them better for engaging in conversation the next day, it prepares them for upcoming tests and quizzes, and it gives to them a sense of accomplishment and success. In her book, Hazel emphasized the importance of doing her homework and how advantageous it was throughout her career. Why? It allowed her to be prepared for questions in which she was able to provide answers to, make wise decisions by providing data to back up any discussion that took place and many of those decisions lead to success in moving forward rather than going backwards. Hazel was able to go to meetings with answers to questions that she had thought about prior to the meetings. By doing her homework she was able to justify why she thought in a certain direction (Hurricane Hazel, Copyright @2014, By Hazel McCallion and Robert Bethlehem, Published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, First Edition, page 119-120) As students move from high school to post-secondary school or start a career right away, as decisions come their way, whether career wise or personal, big or small, homework will always be an important part of their life.
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Recently I came across a quote “Godly pleasure isn’t found in doing what you enjoy but in enjoying what you do.” As I reflect on my work experience, there have been many moments of success that can be measured by the number of different skills sets and competencies I have been able to put into my world of work toolbox. Students need to start early in attaining skills and competencies to succeed in the world of work. Some of these skills can be learned at school, home and volunteering in the community, and they will then spill into a career where students enjoy what they are doing. Skills and education go hand in hand. Education is needed to attain the knowledge required to pursue a career and skills are needed to do the hands on training. Both are essential for success. As Career Counsellor my goal is to provide up-to-date information regarding post-secondary news and careers to parents and students. Given the multitude of career choices and opportunities for specialization, I recognize the importance in offering students and parents support in this process. It is my intent to continue to provide tools to the students to help them research, investigate and utilize the internet more effectively as they begin to make important decisions about their future goals.
It is June 2017, but an article that I had read in September 2015 seems to be very applicable today. This article written by Barbara Bowes speaks about how the workplace has changed and how technology has changed how we work. The article also focused on the skills needed to succeed in this fast-paced world of work. What kinds of skills are required? There are two types of skills needed to succeed in the work force: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are the skills needed to do the job (i.e. computer programming, accounting, nursing, web design, etc.); soft skills are the interactive personable skills (i.e. leadership, communicating, working as a team, problem-solving, etc.).
So how do we prepare young people leaving high school to either work or enter the post-secondary world? Young people need both hard and soft skills. They need to involve themselves in work experiences via extracurricular activities, coaching a sports team, mentoring younger students, going on a Mission trip, running for student council, youth group activities, volunteering or getting a job in a fast-food restaurant where they learn the “skills of life.” These are all positive ways to help young people be more prepared for life after high school. The end goal is that they are equipped to serve in the local and global community with their giftedness and passion. Bowes, Barbara, “Strategize to keep pace with the Changing World”, Winnipeg Free Press, Sat. Sept 28, 2015.
Welcome to my career counselling site! I hope that for those of you who are interested in career exploration, job seeking information or continuing on in post-secondary studies, that my site will be of help to you. This is in its beginning stages with the hopes to address seekers across Canada.
My goal is to assist you in finding answers to questions that you have regarding your future plans, whether you are a high school student, or someone who is looking at a career change. This is a one-stop spot for finding information that is of interest to you. Over the past number of years I have worked with students to help them transition from high school to various post-secondary schools across Canada and south of the border. A job that I take very seriously and love to do! |
AuthorCindy Bogusky Archives
December 2023
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