Observation during a CAREER & EDUCATION fair
On a recent work trip to Penang, while attending an education fair, we conversed with different parents and their teenaged children.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ:
๐) ๐๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: 8/10 teenagers expressed “not sure” as an answer regarding their expectation from the future.
A common question asked during most interviews “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” or “Tell us about your strengths” is enough to gauge where they are currently in their life, and how undecided they are of their next step regarding higher education, or a choice of occupation. Most of them feel that taking up anything that is currently “๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐”, is the way to move ahead. Others felt sticking to “safe” career options such as medical doctor or engineer was the way to be.
Vague answers as such often led to exasperated parents, making them push their children into any “๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก-๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐จ๐๐” courses, in the hope that the future of their children will be taken care of.
๐) ๐ ๐๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: They seemed stressed and there was some percentage of disinterest in pursuing higher education because they felt “๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฎ”.
๐) ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐: There is a widespread idea that becoming an influencer or a social media star requires minimal work and provides maximum financial return. Misconceptions and the urge to make quick money is rampant among today’s teenagers. This also includes their idea of living a certain lifestyle in the future, which also often inspired by the content they watch on social media.
