tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/career-advice-16479/articlesCareer advice – The Conversation2023-12-29T05:50:38Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2173832023-12-29T05:50:38Z2023-12-29T05:50:38ZTime to choose a career? A psychologist offers tips on the journey after high school<p>Pivotal decisions loom large for high school graduates and those with responsibility over them. The trajectory has been a fairly straightforward line until now – learning and more learning. Having completed high school, will the journey now lead directly to university? If so, what field of study? Will it be the technical training route? Or will it be perhaps a direct leap into a “dream” job?</p>
<p>Suddenly there are many options to choose from. It’s important to determine what’s advisable and what’s not. Some may benefit from parental guidance, others may not. Some guardians may be ill-equipped to offer proper guidance. Knowing when and from whom to ask for help can make a big difference. </p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://www.up.ac.za/research-matters/news/researchers/view-2999584-professor-kobus-maree">researcher and educational psychologist</a> with a particular interest in career counselling and helping people find their life’s purpose. I have previously worked with thousands of students who need to make subject choices, learners who need to make career choices with a view to tertiary studies and other students who are uncertain whether they are pursuing an appropriate field of study.</p>
<p>The focus of this article is to provide a compass for families navigating the labyrinth of decisions for their high school graduates. It becomes especially pertinent as the new year dawns and important choices loom ahead. I highlight four key guidelines.</p>
<h2>1. Coping with disappointing grades</h2>
<p>The final high school exam is water under the bridge. Not all will have attained their desired success, that’s for sure. But there are still ample reasons to remain optimistic about the future. First, let’s discard the term “fail” from our vocabulary. Your current marks may limit your acceptance into your preferred field of study, but they don’t dictate your overall success in life. They don’t limit your career prospects.</p>
<p>It is essential to step back emotionally and to approach the experience logically. Everyone encounters both successes and setbacks and this is entirely normal. If your results fall below expectations, view this as a manageable challenge. It’s an opportunity for personal growth and development, and for exhibiting resilience in rapidly changing and uncertain times. </p>
<p>In the face of disappointment, sadness, anxiety, or even depression following your exam results, dwelling on what might have been serves no purpose and offers little benefit. Instead, consider for example the fact that your parents, guardians or caretakers cherish you as precious and love you unconditionally. Foster open communication with them. Share your feelings with them through conversation or text, and actively listen when they express their thoughts. They are crucial pillars of your support structure. </p>
<p>It is crucial not to fixate on a preferred university, college or training institution. While research indicates that individuals with degrees often find employment more easily and earn higher salaries, university is not the only path to success. Non-university study holds its own value, and each study discipline and tertiary training institution should be evaluated on its merits.</p>
<p>Consider specialised diplomas and certificates, such as those in information technology (for instance, cyber security), or technical qualifications (for instance, renewable energy wind turbine service). These qualifications can be personally enriching and offer diverse career opportunities, often making students highly employable.</p>
<p>Don’t hesitate to seek career counselling from a qualified psychologist (career counsellor).</p>
<h2>2. What to do if grades fall below expectations</h2>
<p>You may have secured decent grades – but not good enough to secure admission to your preferred course of study. There are several avenues to explore. Some examination boards entertain requests for a reevaluation of exam papers, supplementary exams, or even repeating classes or specific subjects. These options call for diligence and dedication.</p>
<p>I always encourage determined learners to translate their aspirations into actions. For example, you could explore the option of pursuing your favoured field of study at training levels or institutions other than university. Consulting with a career counsellor in this regard is essential. Seek advice from individuals who have successfully navigated similar situations – and from those who were unable to do so.</p>
<p>Consider the inspiring story of a student aspiring to study medicine, but failing to achieve desired grades and lacking exposure to mathematics or physical sciences in high school. After completing high school, the student enrolled in mathematics and physical sciences at a post-school training institution, subsequently pursuing a general degree at a university. Achieving excellent results, the student gained admission to study medicine and is now a final-year medical student. This illustrates that diverse routes can lead to a successful career. </p>
<p>The significance of high school subject symbols diminishes over time. You are encouraged to reflect on your short-, medium- and long-term goals and understand the purpose of your studies. It should not primarily be about pleasing family or outperforming others. Instead, focus on becoming the best version of yourself. Competition with others serves no meaningful purpose.</p>
<h2>3. Discovering a sense of meaning and purpose</h2>
<p>It is imperative to ensure that students cultivate a profound sense of meaning, hope and purpose in their lives. This is to say that you get a clear understanding of life’s purpose, why you are pursuing your studies, and what serves as your “north star”.</p>
<p>While choosing a field of study that supports financial stability is crucial, you should also consult a professional, such as a career psychologist, to uncover and enact your central life theme(s). This helps you identify what you genuinely wish to achieve in life (for instance, helping others that have been bullied), beyond the numerical goals you aim to attain. Furthermore, you need to be instilled with the belief that you possess the capacity to reach these goals and bring your dreams to fruition.</p>
<h2>4. Identify your key life themes</h2>
<p>Once you have identified your key themes, you gain the ability to articulate your career-life purpose, addressing existential questions such as “Why do I live?” “Where am I headed?” “Why am I on this planet?” and “Is life worth living?” </p>
<p>For example, one female high school graduate <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/QuotesPorn/comments/txvoai/be_grateful_for_your_difficulties_and_challenges/?rdt=52060">said to me</a>: </p>
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<p>I lost my father due to cancer, and I love helping people with cancer. More than that, I want to help others who do not have access to medical help.</p>
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<p>This evolves into a vision statement, revealing the social significance of her work.</p>
<p>Another shared her story, stating, </p>
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<p>I fell pregnant before completing high school and was compelled to give my child up for adoption. I subsequently studied social work. Today, I use my profound understanding of the challenges faced by young girls who become pregnant while still in school to help them navigate their pain and trauma.</p>
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<p>A common thread weaving through these real-life stories is the transformative power of turning personal pain, hurt or “suffering” into triumph and social contributions. In essence, it is about converting passive suffering into active mastery. The eminent Swiss psychologist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Jung">Carl Jung</a> once <a href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/787711">said</a>:</p>
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<p>Be grateful for your difficulties and challenges, for they hold blessings. In fact … (Humans) need difficulties; they are necessary for health, personal growth, individuation, and self-actualisation.</p>
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<p>By assisting others who have overcome challenges similar to their own, individuals actively confront the pain they themselves have experienced.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217383/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kobus Maree does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The student’s goal should not primarily be about pleasing family or outperforming others but on becoming the best version of oneself.Kobus Maree, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of PretoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2111892023-08-27T20:04:22Z2023-08-27T20:04:22Z‘So many things to consider’: how to help school leavers decide what to do next<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544691/original/file-20230825-21-akqju3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C36%2C6107%2C3403&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As we pass the half way mark in term 3, many students in Year 12 will be thinking more and more about their future. </p>
<p>Universities and TAFEs are having <a href="https://www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/open-days">open days</a> and no doubt, teachers, friends and family will be asking, “what are you going to do next year?”</p>
<p>As educators, parents and carers, we know these are difficult questions. But if anything, they are becoming more difficult for young people in an unpredictable and <a href="https://www.monash.edu/education/cypep/research/life-disrupted-young-people-education-and-employment-before-and-after-covid-19">competitive job market</a> </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.monash.edu/education/cypep/research/young-women-choosing-careers-who-decides">research</a> shows young people are uncertain and worried about next steps after school. So we have also developed a <a href="https://myfuture.edu.au/docs/default-source/insights/Managing-career-anxiety-the-power-of-career-conversations.pdf">questionnaire</a> to help parents and teachers talk to school leavers and understand their thoughts and feelings about careers and life after school.</p>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>We recently analysed <a href="https://myfuture.edu.au/docs/default-source/insights/Managing-career-anxiety-the-power-of-career-conversations.pdf">survey data</a> collected in 2018 from nearly 2,800 Victorian school students in Years 10 to 12. This asked about their career aspirations, decision-making processes and intentions following school.</p>
<p>More than one third (33.8%) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” they “did not know what careers best suited them”. Another 40.5% often felt they “had no career direction”. </p>
<p>Just under half (41.5%) worried their studies would not lead to a “real” career, with 34.3% worried they would not be employable when they had completed their studies. Meanwhile 29% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” they often felt down or worried about selecting a career. This increased to 59.3% of respondents when “not sure” responses were included. </p>
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<h2>‘Overwhelming’</h2>
<p>To further understand these findings, we asked four young people who had recently finished school to explain their decision making around this time. </p>
<p>Riana*, who studied at university before working with a non-government organisation, said thinking about the next step beyond Year 12 “felt overwhelming”. She spoke of indecision about her career choice. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, Candice said she was aware of needing to make a pragmatic decision but also stay true to her interests.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] there were so many things to consider. I would like to pick a major I like but at the same time I need to consider whether it is easy to find a job after I graduate or will it lead to a well-paid job.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Andrew said he made a clear goal of getting into two, specific different degrees (and a certain ATAR) to combat his feelings of overwhelm. </p>
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<p>I knew I needed to have a goal before beginning Year 12. Otherwise it would be too difficult to maintain momentum and motivation.</p>
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<p>Andrew also told us he sought advice from parents, teachers, university open days and student recruitment officers at universities. Riana also spoke of the importance of getting advice, of exploring options and being “curious different career pathways”.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-about-my-future-is-really-scary-school-leavers-are-not-getting-the-careers-support-they-need-190553">'Thinking about my future is really scary' – school leavers are not getting the careers support they need</a>
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<h2>Reaching for the familiar</h2>
<p>But even when goals are in place, students grapple with uncertainty. This leads many students to reach for what is familiar.</p>
<p>After completing Year 12, Yasmin, lacked “a clear vision for my future career” and chose teaching “simply because it was a familiar job to me”.</p>
<p>Yasmin’s experience is echoed in <a href="https://www.oecd.org/berlin/publikationen/Dream-Jobs.pdf">OECD research</a>, which shows teenagers tend to confine their choices to ten occupational fields (law, engineering, psychology, medicine, teaching, veterinary science, physiotherapy, nursing, business management, architecture). This is despite the emergence of new fields in the digital economy, as well as growth in areas such as health services.</p>
<p>Yasmin now said she would have benefited from “having a deeper understanding of what choosing a major and a career path truly means to me”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-research-shows-how-students-can-miss-out-on-their-preferred-uni-degree-but-theres-a-simple-fix-207415">Our research shows how students can miss out on their preferred uni degree – but there's a simple fix</a>
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<h2>How to have a supportive conversation</h2>
<p>Having supportive, thorough career conversations is important for young people. This helps them express their true feelings and make sense of all the information and choices. </p>
<p>When young people have these conversations with parents, teachers and career advisers, they have <a href="https://www.oecd.org/publications/career-conversations-15b83760-en.htm">lower levels</a> of career uncertainty and anxiety.</p>
<p>So we have developed the <a href="https://myfuture.edu.au/docs/default-source/insights/Managing-career-anxiety-the-power-of-career-conversations.pdf">short questionnaire</a> below to stimulate careers conversations and help teenagers become more aware of their feelings around next steps.</p>
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<p>This can be the starting point of a conversation covering young people’s awareness of their own interests and strengths, career goals and preferences, knowledge of the requirements of different pathways, as well as their ideas about transitioning from education to work.</p>
<p>These conversations can be challenging. They might exacerbate personal issues, such as existing mental health conditions, that need to be considered.</p>
<p>If you work together with your child or student to create goals and plans, this will allow them to feel as if the conversations are both purposeful and productive.</p>
<p>The aim is for conversations to be safe and positive for young people, where their responses are respected, and they feel heard in the discussions. </p>
<p><em>*Names have been changed.</em></p>
<p><em>If you are a child, teenager or young adult who needs help and support, you can call <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211189/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucas Walsh currently receives funding from The Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Australian Research Council. He does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joanne Gleeson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many young people feel unsure and overwhelmed about life after school. A new questionnaire can help parents, teachers and carers talk to students about their career choices.Lucas Walsh, Professor and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Monash UniversityJoanne Gleeson, Research Fellow in Education, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1837082022-06-29T12:06:07Z2022-06-29T12:06:07Z5 drawbacks to following your passion<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471188/original/file-20220627-12-niphao.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C22%2C7315%2C4858&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Employees are more likely to put in long hours when they're passionate about their work.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/job-interview-first-impressions-royalty-free-image/498941586?adppopup=true">sturti / Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>After earning bachelor’s degrees in engineering and sociology, I was determined to do what I love. I headed straight to graduate school to investigate the social problems that frightened and fascinated me. </p>
<p>For almost a decade, I told everyone I encountered – students, cousins, baristas at the coffee shop I frequented – that they should do the same. “Follow your passion,” I counseled. “You can figure out the employment stuff later.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t until I began to research this <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520303232/the-trouble-with-passion">widely accepted career advice</a> that I understood how problematic – and rooted in privilege – it really was. </p>
<h2>The passion principle</h2>
<p>As a sociologist who <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=UnCxN24AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">examines workforce culture and inequalities</a>, I interviewed college students and professional workers to learn what it really meant to pursue their dreams, which I will refer to here as the passion principle. I was stunned by what I found out about this principle in the research for my book “<a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520303232/the-trouble-with-passion">The Trouble with Passion</a>.”</p>
<p>I examined surveys that show the American public has held the passion principle in high regard as a <a href="https://www.erinacech.com/the-trouble-with-passion">career decision-making priority</a> since the 1980s. And its popularity <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231211068660">is even stronger</a> among those facing pandemic-related job instability.</p>
<p>My interviews revealed that proponents of the passion principle found it compelling because they believed that following one’s passion can provide workers with both the motivation necessary to work hard and a place to find fulfillment. </p>
<p>Yet, what I found is that following one’s passion does not necessarily lead to fulfillment, but is one of the most powerful cultural forces perpetuating overwork. I also found that promoting the pursuit of one’s passion helps perpetuate social inequalities due to the fact that not everyone has the same economic resources to allow them to pursue their passion with ease. What follows are five major pitfalls of the passion principle that I discovered through my research. </p>
<h2>1. Reinforces social inequality</h2>
<p>While the passion principle is broadly popular, not everyone has the necessary resources to turn their passion into a stable, good-paying job.</p>
<p>Passion-seekers from wealthy families are better able to wait until a job in their passion comes along without worrying about <a href="https://educationdata.org/student-loan-default-rate">student loans</a> in the meantime. They are also better situated to take <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-shows-why-its-time-to-finally-end-unpaid-college-internships-152797">unpaid internships</a> to get their foot in the door while their parents pay their rent or let them live at home.</p>
<p>And they often have access to parents’ social networks to help them find jobs. Surveys revealed that working-class and first-generation college graduates, regardless of their career field, are more likely than their wealthier peers to end up in low-paying unskilled jobs when they pursue their passion.</p>
<p>Colleges and universities, workplaces and career counselors who promote the “follow your passion” path for everyone, without leveling the playing field, help <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520303232/the-trouble-with-passion">perpetuate socioeconomic inequalities</a> among career aspirants.</p>
<p>Thus, those who promote the “follow your passion” path for everyone might be ignoring the fact that not everyone is equally able to find success while following that advice.</p>
<h2>2. A threat to well-being</h2>
<p>My research revealed that passion proponents see the pursuit of one’s passion as a good way to decide on a career, not only because having work in one’s passion might lead to a good job, but because it is believed to lead to a good life. To achieve this, passion-seekers invest much of their own sense of identity in their work.</p>
<p>Yet, the labor force is not structured around the goal of nurturing our authentic sense of self. Indeed, studies of laid-off workers have illustrated that those who were passionate about their work felt as though they <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo16668097.html">lost a part of their identity</a> when they lost their jobs, along with their source of income.</p>
<p>When we rely on our jobs to give us a sense of purpose, we place our identities at the mercy of the global economy.</p>
<h2>3. Promotes exploitation</h2>
<p>It’s not just well-off passion-seekers who benefit from the passion principle. Employers of passionate workers do, too. I conducted an experiment to see <a href="https://www.erinacech.com/the-trouble-with-passion">how potential employers would respond</a> to job applicants who expressed different reasons for being interested in a job.</p>
<p>Not only do potential employers prefer passionate applicants over applicants who wanted the job for other reasons, but employers knowingly exploited this passion: Potential employers showed greater interest in passionate applicants in part because employers believed the applicants would work hard at their jobs without expecting an increase in pay.</p>
<h2>4. Reinforces the culture of overwork</h2>
<p>In conversations with college students and college-educated workers, I found that a substantial number were willing to sacrifice a good salary, job stability and leisure time to work in a job they love. Nearly half – or 46% – of college-educated workers I surveyed ranked interest or passion for the work as their first priority in a future job. This compared to only 21% who prioritized salary and 15% who prioritized work-family balance. Among those I interviewed, there were those who said they would willingly “eat ramen noodles every night” and “work 90 hours a week” if it meant they could follow their passion.</p>
<p>Although many professionals seek work in their area of passion precisely because they want to avoid the drudgery of working long hours doing tasks they aren’t personally committed to, passion-seeking ironically perpetuates the cultural expectations of overwork. Most passion-seekers I spoke to were willing to work long hours as long as it was work about which they were passionate. </p>
<h2>5. Dismisses labor market inequality</h2>
<p>I find that the passion principle isn’t just a guide that its followers use to make decisions about their own lives. For many, it also serves as an explanation for workforce inequality. For example, compared to those who don’t adhere to the passion principle, proponents were more likely to say women aren’t represented well in engineering because they followed their passion elsewhere, rather than acknowledging the deep <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0003122411420815">structural and cultural roots</a> of this underrepresentation. In other words, passion principle proponents tend to explain away patterns of labor market inequality as the benign result of individual passion-seeking.</p>
<h2>Avoiding pitfalls</h2>
<p>To avoid these pitfalls, people may want to base their career decisions on more than whether those decisions represent their passion. What do you need from your work in addition to a paycheck? Predictable hours? Enjoyable colleagues? Benefits? A respectful boss?</p>
<p>For those who are already employed in jobs you are passionate about, I encourage you to <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520303232/the-trouble-with-passion">diversify your portfolio of the ways in which you make meaning</a> – to nurture hobbies, activities, community service and identities that exist wholly outside of work. How can you make time to invest in these other ways to find purpose and satisfaction?</p>
<p>Another factor to consider is whether you are being fairly compensated for the extra passion-fueled efforts you contribute to your job. If you work for a company, does your manager know that you spent weekends reading books on team leadership or mentoring the newest member of your team after hours? We contribute to our own exploitation if we do uncompensated work for our job out of our passion for it.</p>
<p>My research for “<a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520303232/the-trouble-with-passion">The Trouble with Passion</a>” raises sobering questions about standard approaches to mentoring and career advising. Every year, millions of high school and college graduates gear up to enter the labor force full time, and millions more reevaluate their jobs. It is vital that the friends, parents, teachers and career coaches who counsel them begin to question if advising them to pursue their passion is something that could end up doing more harm than good.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183708/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erin A. Cech receives funding from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research and the National Science Foundation</span></em></p>A sociologist took a critical look at the cherished career advice to ‘follow your passion.’ What she found is that this advice often brings unintended consequences.Erin A. Cech, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1507952020-12-02T14:25:46Z2020-12-02T14:25:46ZHow “cradle-to-career” schools provide all-round support and tackle inequality<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372536/original/file-20201202-17-1wjrfz5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6720%2C4466&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/front-view-diverse-group-elementary-school-1651768768">wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>During the COVID-19 lockdowns, stories have been shared of schools delivering <a href="https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/18904369.season-giving-penketh-high-school-fundraises-help-vulnerable-families/">food parcels</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/mar/28/i-am-deeply-scared-for-so-many-children-diary-of-a-headteacher-in-lockdown">phoning struggling families</a> and providing on-site care for the children of key workers. We have seen many schools go much further than their statutory role of educating and safeguarding their pupils, sometimes acting as the most important support institution for whole neighbourhoods.</p>
<p>This broader school role is the thinking behind “cradle-to-career” schools. Their core approach involves providing a pipeline of support from birth to early adulthood, combined with activities which target different aspects of young people’s lives. This could include free antenatal classes and social groups for parents, youth groups, mentoring and career advice.</p>
<p>Cradle-to-career school designs are the latest in a <a href="https://cpag.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/policypost/ExtendedSchools_April2018.pdf">long line</a> of attempts to coordinate schools with other local services, in order to tackle the causes of social and educational inequality. I carried out research in one cradle-to-career school in <a href="https://www.reachacademyfeltham.com">west London</a> during my PhD fieldwork. There are other examples across the UK and in North America.</p>
<p>Schools cannot address inequality on their own, but neighbourhoods often lack local, coordinated support systems. Cradle-to-career school designs are a bold attempt to go beyond a school’s typical role. They join up local services to improve prospects for young people and their communities. </p>
<h2>A new vision for schools</h2>
<p>Poor educational outcomes can have a <a href="https://societyhealth.vcu.edu/work/the-projects/why-education-matters-to-health-exploring-the-causes.html">lifelong impact</a>. People with less education tend to have worse health, lower income and limited job opportunities. But while schools are held responsible for academic success, many young people face <a href="https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/13661/pdf/developing_childrens_zones1.pdf">social and economic challenges</a> <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03054985.2020.1824901">beyond the school gates</a> which affect their ability to learn. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.local.gov.uk/marmot-review-report-fair-society-healthy-lives">Research</a> suggests that causes of inequality – such as poverty, social exclusion or social isolation – are tightly interconnected. This makes it extremely difficult for one specific policy area or organisation to deal with them effectively. </p>
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<img alt="Group of pregnant women in class" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372549/original/file-20201202-22-1wnqh8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372549/original/file-20201202-22-1wnqh8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372549/original/file-20201202-22-1wnqh8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372549/original/file-20201202-22-1wnqh8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372549/original/file-20201202-22-1wnqh8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372549/original/file-20201202-22-1wnqh8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372549/original/file-20201202-22-1wnqh8x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Cradle-to-career programmes may include support for parents.</span>
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<p>Cradle-to-career school designs can be tailored to local contexts, matching the complexity of neighbourhood challenges. The services they provide, such as early years education and parental employment support, aim to improve a range of outcomes relating to health, education, housing, and material wellbeing. </p>
<p>Rather than work alone, schools form partnerships with local providers across different policy areas, including early years education, social care and health. New provision is developed where necessary. This allows for a joined-up approach to local challenges.</p>
<h2>Community links</h2>
<p>Cradle-to-career initiatives are also deeply connected to their local communities. They allow close relationships to form between schools and their neighbourhoods, leading to coordinated and flexible responses to local challenges. These can go far beyond the capacity of a national-level initiative when it comes to engaging with local issues. </p>
<p>Some longstanding examples have become influential in recent years. <a href="https://hcz.org">Harlem Children’s Zone</a> in New York was arguably the first – and is certainly the best known. It inspired the US Department of Education’s <a href="https://www.promiseneighborhoodsinstitute.org">Promise Neighbourhood initiative</a>, which aims to improve outcomes for young people by providing funding for cradle-to-career programmes in under-resourced communities. <a href="https://www.strivetogether.org">Strive</a> is the other major US cradle-to-career programme, operating in 30 states. </p>
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<p>In the UK, emerging cradle-to-career initiatives include <a href="https://righttosucceed.org.uk/working-collectively/cradle-to-career/">Right to Succeed</a>, <a href="https://www.communitymca.co.uk/family-zone">The North Manchester Family Zone</a> and <a href="https://www.reachacademyfeltham.com/reachchildrenshub">Reach Children’s Hub</a>. </p>
<p>To avoid adding to schools’ already heavy workload, these organisations have created separate roles to focus on developing the schools’ broader support. Their governance models and funding structures vary, but underpinning every design is the view that children experiencing complex difficulties have the best chance of success if they receive well coordinated support from birth to adulthood. </p>
<p>If cradle-to-career designs prove successful, though, there is a risk that local community partnerships are seen as the solution to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48354692">poverty</a> and inequality. In reality, they can only ever be part of a wider, strategic response. On their own, they could become a form of social first aid, helping to ease the worse harms of inequality while the root causes remain unaltered.</p>
<p>Whatever their wider political consequences, cradle-to-career designs help to show that schools can be more than standalone educational institutions. COVID-19 has not created new social or economic difficulties – it has intensified existing ones. The role many schools have played through the pandemic in tackling these difficulties has shown how well positioned they are to address communities’ needs. </p>
<p>Whether acting as templates for a new, more equal education system and society, or just as a measure to ease the effects of inequality and poverty, cradle-to-career schools offer a blueprint for a new type of school, which maximises their role in supporting their neighbourhood.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150795/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Victoria Hirst works part-time for the Reach Foundation and taught at Reach Academy Feltham for four years (2013-2017). Her PhD is funded by the Economic, Social and Research Council. </span></em></p>Schools cannot deal with inequality alone, but can help to provide joined-up support.Victoria Hirst, PhD Candidate, Institute of Education, University of ManchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1497872020-11-10T14:44:44Z2020-11-10T14:44:44ZJobseekers are being gaslighted – all too often being told unemployment is their fault<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368588/original/file-20201110-17-lffrc8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C2%2C920%2C611&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Difficult times.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-mask-holds-sign-lost-my-1720520449">kormakova1/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I interviewed Cheryl* several years ago right after she was let go from her job as a healthcare administrator. Cheryl described a fundamental denial of dignity when it came to the logistics of packing up her office after she was informed that she no longer had a job. She was briskly told to “hand in your keys, hand in your pager, hand in your ID card.” And while she packed up her office and separated out her personal belongings, “HR had somebody sitting next to me.” </p>
<p>The experience stung her. She viewed being policed in this way as being deemed untrustworthy. In her characteristic composed manner Cheryl told me: “I felt like I was not appreciated, quite frankly.” After several years of loyally working for the organisation, she had expected more. </p>
<p>The unemployed men and women that I interviewed for my book, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv11hpsdf">Crunch Time: How Married Couples Confront Unemployment</a>, were college-educated and belonged to dual-earner families. All lived and worked in the US and were parents. But across the world, and in <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54520521">the UK</a>, COVID has amplified job losses and fears over what will come next. These workers, too, will face some of the issues that participants in my book did. </p>
<p>Through the course of my research I found that this bureaucratic denial of humanity, where workers were informed that they no longer had jobs and then escorted out supervised, was just the start of an arduous process that would test the emotional stamina of unemployed job-seekers. This only became more acute as they delved into job-searching. </p>
<p>Brian, who lost his corporate job about four months before I interviewed him, shook his head in exasperation with looking for jobs. “A lot of them, you don’t hear anything back,” he said. Christina, who lost her job working in the management side of the food industry described the emotional toll of trying to get re-employed while at a low professional point: “It’s really hard to go to a networking event … and shake a bunch of hands and smile when you think you’re not worth being scraped off of somebody’s shoe.”</p>
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<img alt="People stand networking at a conference" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368604/original/file-20201110-23-1kqr8tb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/368604/original/file-20201110-23-1kqr8tb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368604/original/file-20201110-23-1kqr8tb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368604/original/file-20201110-23-1kqr8tb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368604/original/file-20201110-23-1kqr8tb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368604/original/file-20201110-23-1kqr8tb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/368604/original/file-20201110-23-1kqr8tb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Networking can be a dispiriting experience.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/delegates-networking-conference-drinks-reception-479633479">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Christina’s reference to networking captures the widespread understanding among white-collar job-seekers in the US: that job searching is a <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bait-Switch-Futile-Pursuit-American/dp/0805081240">multi-layered activity</a> which involves extensive networking, investing in upgrading skills certifications (for example, spending time and money on getting a certification for project management), learning how to craft resumes, <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/D/bo25799564.html">developing a brand</a>, and generally devoting oneself to finding a job.</p>
<p>Applying to hundreds of jobs, going on dozens of interviews, and still not getting a job is devastating. Brian’s wife, Emily, was deeply worried about him, and wondered out loud to me: “How’re you going to find a job when you have no confidence and are very emotional?”</p>
<h2>‘It’s your fault’</h2>
<p>The unemployed people I studied had frequently had successful professional careers. If measuring success by income, many had earned six-figure salaries and even received commendations and promotions right before they lost their jobs. (For example Kevin, an unemployed project manager I interviewed, had received an award from the president of his global company just a few months before he lost his job).</p>
<p>Losing a job shook their self-confidence and made them doubt their professional worth. This was not helped by the process of job-searching. The advice that unemployed job-seekers in the US routinely receive, for instance through <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo16668097.html">job-search clubs</a>, says that their personalities – the cheer, friendliness, enthusiasm, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/soc4.12744">passion</a> – that they can convey to employers are as important, if not more, than their professional expertise. </p>
<p>As unemployed job-seekers navigate the complicated world of white-collar job-searching, they are told that if they are not finding a job it is because there is <a href="http://www.wipsociology.org/2020/06/30/when-they-were-kicked-to-the-curb-jobless-workers-mostly-blamed-themselves-enter-career-coaches/">a flaw within them</a>: they don’t know how to search for jobs in the new economy; they need to upgrade their skills; they have not yet found their professional calling; they are not spending sufficient time searching for jobs.</p>
<h2>Scarcer good jobs</h2>
<p>But these understandings of unemployment as due to some sort of deficit within job-seekers ignore the larger, structural reality within which unemployment and job-searching take place. This is an economic reality where <a href="https://www.russellsage.org/publications/good-jobs-bad-jobs-1">good jobs</a> are few and getting scarcer, where the <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-tumbleweed-society-9780199957712?cc=us&lang=en&">employer-worker contract</a> is frayed, and where <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-great-risk-shift-9780190844141?cc=us&lang=en&">risks</a> have been offloaded onto individuals and their families. Even relatively credentialed and affluent workers, such as those I spoke to in my research, are not immune to these broader trends.</p>
<p>Unemployed job-seekers are being gaslighted. Professional careers, even for the relatively more privileged white-collar workers, simply do not offer a path of economic security as they did in the post-war years. We live and work in an economic context where <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-precariat-9781849664561/">precarity</a> is widespread. Paid work as it currently exists is untenable for workers to depend on for the essentials of their lives, including planning for retirement or healthcare. </p>
<p>The focus on how individuals search for jobs – nit-picking on how they present their resumes, fussing over what demeanour they have in job interviews, questioning whether they have found their calling – fundamentally misdiagnoses the problem: that there are simply too few jobs of quality.</p>
<p>Solutions seeking to alleviate the challenges that unemployed job-seekers encounter need to shift away from providing individualised tools such as guiding job-seekers to take personality and aptitude tests to best determine where they belong vocationally. Rather, the focus should be on pushing for systemic change which recognises how very broken the organisation of paid work is currently. We can consider holding employers more accountable, as through labour and employment legislation. Another option is <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/universal-basic-income-26213">universal basic income</a>, which would provide a level of income to every citizen for the duration of their life. This would be an ample enough sum of money which would not require them to participate in paid work in order to meet the basics of living. Pushing for these types of changes would allow people to live lives of dignity even in the absence of paid work.</p>
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<li><em>All names of research participants in this article have been changed</em></li>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aliya Rao received funding from the National Science foundation Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant 15389531, Ortner Center Seed Grant, Teece Fellowship, and Pollak Summer Research Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania for this study. </span></em></p>Jobs are scarcer and times are hard during a pandemic – so why are job-seekers still left feeling they were the ones who weren’t good enough?Aliya Rao, Assistant Professor, London School of Economics and Political ScienceLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1230122019-09-09T20:01:48Z2019-09-09T20:01:48ZKeep your job options open and don’t ditch science when choosing next year’s school subjects<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/291439/original/file-20190909-175686-1ao23v9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C64%2C4577%2C2965&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Studying chemistry can take you into many careers, from an analytical chemist to a forensic scientist and even an environmental consultant.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/Rawpixel.com </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Thousands of Year 10 students are in the process of choosing subjects for their final years of school and half will probably choose to ditch <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2016/07/science-and-maths-in-australian-secondary-schools-datasheet/">science</a>. </p>
<p>For someone like me who thinks science is one of the most worthwhile things I’ve ever studied, that decision is bewildering.</p>
<p>The downward trend in science enrolments has been watched with concern for <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/73153/" title="The continuing decline of science and mathematics enrolments in Australian high schools">decades</a> and is the subject of much <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/68725/" title="Choosing science: understanding the declines in senior high school science enrolments">research</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-was-maths-discovered-who-made-up-the-numbers-and-rules-121509">Curious Kids: how was maths discovered? Who made up the numbers and rules?</a>
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<p>But still science continues to be out of favour with teens despite its potential use in a wide range of employment opportunities, beyond the traditional science careers.</p>
<h2>Teens live in a world of science</h2>
<p>Today’s teenagers have grown up in a world shaped by science. Most don’t know life without the internet and have the world at their fingertips (and parents to help) through computers, smartphones and other connected devices.</p>
<p>Schools are doing what they can to try to teach students the skills they need to prosper in a future that continues to be shaped by science, with increased use of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-benefits-of-job-automation-are-not-likely-to-be-shared-equally-90859">automation</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-australia-can-make-ai-work-for-our-economy-and-for-our-people-113744">artificial intelligence</a> and so on. </p>
<p>You would think students in this environment would jump at science as a subject that teaches critical thinking and problem solving – just the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/support-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics">skills</a> needed in this modern world. </p>
<p>But that’s just not happening.</p>
<p>There are plenty of <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-007-7793-4" title="Understanding Student Participation and Choice in Science and Technology Education">books</a> written on why students aren’t choosing science and <a href="https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2015/04/occasional-paper-stem-skills-in-the-workforce-what-do-employers-want/">government</a> reports on why we need more science skills, so you might wonder what hasn’t been done. </p>
<p>That’s where my research comes in. I have studied as a scientist, teacher and marketer and I thought the problem might not be science at all, but how students see science compared to the other subjects they can choose. To me it looked like a purchase decision.</p>
<h2>How students choose subjects</h2>
<p>I wanted to know how students chose their subjects and how they saw science, so I <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09500693.2017.1299949" title="Why school students choose and reject science: a study of the factors that students consider when selecting subjects">asked</a> them.</p>
<p>Initially, I spoke to 50 students from five New South Wales schools and then 15 adults (careers advisers and teachers) who helped students make their choices. I went to the information events at these schools and reviewed the subject choice documents given to students.</p>
<p>Next, a group of 379 Year 10 students were surveyed to ask about their subject choices. They were asked to rank 21 factors I found students considered when they chose their subjects. These factors included things such as parent advice, teacher advice, enjoyment of a subject, subject difficulty and the expected mark.</p>
<p>What I found was that the students seemed to use a two-stage process to choose their <a href="https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/subject-selection">five to six subjects</a>. The first stage was a choice on “love” or “hate” (they used those words). Then, with any subjects left over, they judged the value of the subject compared to the others available.</p>
<p>This value was in terms of how useful a subject was for a career or further study, and how much effort they would need to put in to get good marks. Unfortunately, this is where things go wrong for science. </p>
<h2>Science looks like the bad buy</h2>
<p>Students reported more often (16 against 7) that they saw science as harder than other subjects, and as harder to get marks. Students didn’t say they wanted to avoid work – it just had to be worth it. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, science has a problem here too. Students repeatedly <a href="https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/handle/10453/37019" title="Fresh minds for science: using marketing science to help school science">commented</a> that science wasn’t as useful as other subjects – unless you wanted to be a doctor, scientist, engineer or something similar.</p>
<p>I did not see anything at any of the school subject selection events that countered this idea. This makes science look like the bad buy. It’s seen as expensive in terms of time and effort to get marks, and as having limited use.</p>
<p>Yet science is useful in a range of careers, from carpentry to management and many other roles – basically any career that needs answers backed by evidence. Science helps us to understand and participate in the world in which we live. </p>
<p>But this is not clear to students. Their perception of the usefulness of science is very narrow, so there is no longer pressure to include it as a staple next to mathematics and English.</p>
<h2>Seeing the value of science</h2>
<p>Knowing this gives us something to work with. Along with all the other great work to help students love science, we can work on their perceptions of the value of science at the time they are choosing subjects.</p>
<p>Schools should invite people from a wide range of career backgrounds to come talk to students to share their ideas on how science is useful in their jobs.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/timely-intervention-how-doctor-who-shapes-public-attitudes-to-science-123085">Timely intervention: how Doctor Who shapes public attitudes to science</a>
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<p>We can also do some very practical things to make sure science is at its most attractive when students are choosing subjects – for example, doing fun work in the lab and not scaring them with any challenging exam just before they choose.</p>
<p>These teenagers do not take subject choice lightly – they know they may be closing the doors on some paths. It would be wrong to convince students to take any subject that’s not right for them, but this is about helping them see the value of science. </p>
<p>If they see that value of science subjects through good information and good experiences then they may decide to stay with science, at least for a couple more years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123012/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tracey-Ann Palmer received funding from the Australian Government. This work was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award.</span></em></p>Students picking their subjects for Years 11 and 12 need to understand that science can be useful in a wide range of future jobs.Tracey-Ann Palmer, Lecturer, Initial Teacher Education, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1114252019-02-19T19:10:03Z2019-02-19T19:10:03ZChoosing a career? These jobs won’t go out of style<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259660/original/file-20190219-121732-1prjzh6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Careers in health care, education and design are unlikely to be automated.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sensationalist <a href="http://www.ceda.com.au/Research-and-policy/All-CEDA-research/Research-catalogue/Australia-s-future-workforce">claims</a> that 40% of jobs in Australia won’t exist in the future are unhelpful for young Australians thinking about entering the workforce. The reality is some jobs will no longer exist, new jobs will be created and most jobs will undergo some form of transformation. The skills we need for work are changing, but young Australians can plan for these changes. </p>
<p>Fears of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) wiping out future work are well founded – new technology <em>is</em> changing the way we work. But as the current workforce grows up alongside an ageing population, <a href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=621512572923126;res=IELHSS">future generations</a> will have many job opportunities, if they acquire the right skills. </p>
<h2>Jobs of the future</h2>
<p>The prospect of having a single occupation for life is becoming increasingly unlikely. Today’s 15 year-olds are likely to have <a href="https://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FYA_TheNewWorkReality_sml.pdf">17 changes in employers</a> across five different careers. And for <a href="https://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FYA_TheNewWorkReality_sml.pdf">three in five</a> young Australians with a post-school qualification (such as a degree or vocational qualification), less than half are able to secure more than 35 hours of work per week. </p>
<p>When considering which career path to follow, young Australians should be mindful that the jobs at risk are those which have high levels of routine, and repeatable and predictable processes requiring precision. These include administrative and clerical jobs, such as working as a receptionist or data entry clerk. Automation or AI will replace these jobs, if it hasn’t already.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-things-high-school-graduates-should-keep-in-mind-when-they-have-their-atars-107601">Three things high school graduates should keep in mind when they have their ATARs</a>
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<p>Non-routine jobs which need human problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, flexibility, physical dexterity, and communication skills will be the jobs of the future. So will jobs requiring physical proximity and interpersonal skills. Examples include engineering, design, construction, education, health services and care work. </p>
<p>The economy is undergoing an industry restructuring in response to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Industrial_Revolution">Fourth Industrial Revolution</a>. This is the name given to a combination of technological mega-trends happening all at the same time (for example, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, digital disruption and so on). Significant economic, demographic and social shifts are happening at the same time.</p>
<p>As this change happens, the prospect of polarisation of the workforce is a <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0041/3179885/Skills-for-a-global-future.pdf">looming concern</a> for young people. “Polarisation” is the hollowing out of the labour market: a decline in the share of mid-level skilled jobs considered “entry level” for young Australians. This will mean reduced opportunities for young people to enter the workforce, and limited opportunities for upward career progression from lower-skilled jobs.</p>
<h2>Which industries show growth?</h2>
<p>The Australian economy has shifted from one which produces goods to one which services people. Almost <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003Nov%202018?OpenDocument">80%</a> of the workforce is employed in the services industries. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/EmploymentProjections">Department of Jobs and Small Business</a> projects that over the five years to May 2023, employment will increase in 17 of the 19 broad industry sectors in Australia. And it will decline in two: agriculture, forestry and fishing; and wholesale trade. </p>
<p>Almost two-thirds of employment growth is projected to be in four sectors: health care and social assistance; construction; education and training; and professional, scientific and technical services. Jobs will exist for people with the skills to fill those jobs. </p>
<p>New jobs are projected to be created across a range of occupations. Aged and disabled care, registered nursing, child care, software and applications programming, and waiting are the top five areas of growth. </p>
<p>But employment in five broad occupation groups is also projected to decline: personal assistants and secretaries, office managers and program administrators, machine and stationary plant operators, farmers and farm managers, and clerical and office support workers are likely to be replaced by automation or AI. </p>
<h2>Skills young people can learn now</h2>
<p>Achieving a university degree no longer automatically means a graduate will get immediate and meaningful employment. The youth unemployment rate for graduates is increasing at a greater rate than for those without a tertiary qualification. According to the Foundation for Young Australians, it now takes on average <a href="https://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/FYA_TheNewWorkSmarts_July2017.pdf">4.7 years</a> for a person to transition from full time education to full time employment. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/graduate-employment-is-up-but-finding-a-job-can-still-take-a-while-109654">Graduate employment is up, but finding a job can still take a while</a>
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<p>Research from the <a href="https://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FYA_TheNewWorkReality_sml.pdf">Foundation for Young Australians</a> found there are four key factors which can accelerate the transition from education to full time work:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>an education that builds transferable skills such as problem-solving, communication and team work </p></li>
<li><p>being able to undertake relevant <em>paid</em> work experience </p></li>
<li><p>finding employment in a sector which is growing</p></li>
<li><p>an optimistic mindset. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Employers of technical and trade workers still place the most emphasis on <a href="https://www.ncver.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0041/3179885/Skills-for-a-global-future.pdf">job-specific skills</a>, but across all jobs employability skills are the most important. Employers look for communication skills above all other skills, followed by organisational skills, writing, planning and detail orientation, team work and problem-solving. Young people will need to make sure they also have <a href="https://www.fya.org.au/report/the-new-work-smarts/">transferable skills</a> such as digital literacy, critical thinking and creativity.</p>
<p>The NSW government challenged a group of researchers to identify what today’s kindergarteners will need to survive and thrive in the 21st century. The <a href="https://education.nsw.gov.au/our-priorities/innovate-for-the-future/education-for-a-changing-world/research-findings/future-frontiers-analytical-report-preparing-for-the-best-and-worst-of-times">report</a> says developing deep knowledge and specialist expertise over time is critical. </p>
<p>Employability skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking are considered generic, and are likely to also be job-specific and not necessarily transferable. For example, problem-solving skills will be very different for a mining engineer to those required by a kindergarten teacher. These “generic skills” need to be learned in context. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hints-tips-and-pitfalls-for-graduates-in-getting-their-first-job-35957">Hints, tips and pitfalls for graduates in getting their first job</a>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.aisc.net.au/sites/aisc/files/documents/Future%20Priority%20Skills%20Resource.pdf">Australian Industry Skills Committee</a> has also developed a practical resource that describes the mega-trends impacting Australia’s economy and society, scenarios for the future and the impact on work and skills. It may benefit parents, teachers, policy-makers and even forward-thinking teens to read about these trends.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111425/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa Denny does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Choosing a career that is unlikely to become automated or done by artificial intelligence, and learning soft skills will give graduates better career prospects in the long run.Lisa Denny, Research Fellow - Institute for the Study of Social Change, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1049492018-10-22T14:29:03Z2018-10-22T14:29:03ZIt’s time to take a new, more creative approach to career counselling<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/240998/original/file-20181017-41153-8sy7wz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Choosing a career path is often a complex matter.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The world of work is changing all the time. In the past, people would probably choose one career and stick to it for the rest of their lives, gradually climbing up the ladder with clearly demarcated and structured relationships. They might even remain at one company throughout their working lives. </p>
<p>But today, people move between careers and jobs several times; they have to navigate many work-related transitions.</p>
<p>The problem is that career counselling hasn’t, for the most part, adapted to these new realities. In the developing world, <a href="https://cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/cjc/index.php/rcc/article/view/2128/1974">traditional career counselling</a> approaches are still the order of the day. Young people – usually in their second last or last year of secondary schooling, and who are able to afford such a service – consult a professional career counsellor. </p>
<p>They are asked questions about their personal and family history, then complete a few interest and personality inventories. They may also write a set of aptitude tests, answer questions about their study habits and attitudes, and then receive what amounts to career education or career guidance.</p>
<p>For the most part, this approach is no longer working satisfactorily in a rapidly changing world. I am involved in many research projects, task teams, as well as in an advisory capacity, and the situation is by and large the same everywhere: alarmingly high tertiary dropout rates are related in part to undecidedness or career indecision. As <a href="http://jsaa.ac.za/index.php/sajhe/article/viewFile/2558/1847">my research</a> has shown, students often discover that the degree they’ve chosen doesn’t interest them. They become indecisive and unsure about what they want to do as a career and feel stuck.</p>
<p>Based on <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03069885.2018.1504202">my own research</a>, and drawing from different approaches to career counselling that have enjoyed success in the developed world, I believe that it’s time for developing countries to approach career counselling differently; more respectfully. One approach, which we tested, was having conversations with students in which they tell their stories, rather than simply writing down answers to aptitude test. </p>
<p>Research <a href="https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319669533">has shown</a> that encouraging people to tell their stories in career counselling settings has direct, positive results. It enhances people’s career adaptability and career resilience. This makes them more employable. When people share their autobiographies, they can be helped to identify their key life themes and find out what really drives or motivates them. </p>
<p>This sort of approach has also <a href="https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319669533">been shown</a> to improve people’s chances of finding sustainable, decent work.</p>
<h2>Telling stories</h2>
<p>“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rb8oIJTd6Y">Storytelling</a>” is already widely used in career counselling in the US, Western Europe and Australia, among other places. Some of my colleagues and I have begun to introduce it in South Africa. Our <a href="http://jsaa.ac.za/index.php/sajhe/article/viewFile/2558/1847">research</a> has conclusively confirmed the vast potential of the approach.</p>
<p>This sort of career counselling involves asking people not just to fill in aptitude tests or assessment sheets, but to also explain what drives or motivates them. This would centre on their key life themes – for instance, a candidate who says “I want to help people who are being hurt or bullied or do not have a voice” and who talks about sympathy or compassion or caring a great deal might be well suited to law, nursing, social work, psychology, or theology. </p>
<p>These life themes can be uncovered by, for instance, asking people about their earliest recollections (in the case of individual assessment) or, in group-based contexts, their biggest challenges while growing up. People are, for instance, also asked to tell the career counsellor who their role models were when they grew up; who their current role models are, and what they regard as their greatest strengths and areas for growth.</p>
<p>The ultimate aim is to help people not only choose a career and “find work” but also to make meaning of their career lives, find a sense of purpose and hope, design a successful life, and make meaningful social contributions. </p>
<p>This approach calls for listening and repeated reflection. Counsellors who are trained in the method create a ‘safe’ space for people (help them feel sufficiently contained) to narrate stories about their lives and their work. Ideally, people who undergo this sort of counselling should emerge with a deeper understanding of who they are and how this might play out in their work. </p>
<h2>Going forward</h2>
<p>Of course, it will take time and training for career counsellors to start embracing this sort of approach. It took me more than a decade and a half of applying the new approach in my private practice (and constantly refining it) before feeling that I have mastered it to a satisfactory degree. </p>
<p>First, relevant stakeholders will have to accept that a different approach is required by career counsellors to respond appropriately to large-scale changes in the world of work. </p>
<p>Second, universities’ psychology (and education) departments will need to adjust their curricula, since it is here that future career counsellors are trained. I am training Master’s students in educational and counselling psychology in this approach, and their feedback about the course is consistently positive and inspiring. </p>
<p>Those who are already working as career counsellors could undergo further training to develop new, different approaches that are more in keeping with the demands posed by the changing world of work.</p>
<p>Career counsellors’ allegiance should be solely to their clients. Given this fact, and the fact that research has shown how valuable this and other different, more modern approaches to career counselling can be, it would be good to see them more widely in action.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104949/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kobus Maree receives funding from the National Research Foundation. </span></em></p>Research has shown that encouraging people to tell their stories in career counselling settings has direct, positive results.Kobus Maree, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of PretoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/927982018-04-09T10:33:39Z2018-04-09T10:33:39ZWhy double-majors might beat you out of a job<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212348/original/file-20180328-109190-ensn31.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">New research shows double majors have a big competitive advantage in one critical area.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/employers-recruiters-holding-reviewing-bad-poor-653243275?src=-5VNpD-j2CiXCoVrA2TleQ-1-69">fizkes/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Two college majors are better than one. That is the conclusion that researchers are beginning to reach.</p>
<p>Prior research has already shown that students who double major <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-it-pay-to-get-a-double-major-in-college-74420">can earn more</a> than peers who majored in only one field.</p>
<p>Our study shows that <a href="http://commons.lib.jmu.edu/sls/1/">double majors fare better</a> in another way as well: They are more innovative. </p>
<p>We are education researchers with an interest in how the college experience develops students. What we found in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11162-017-9486-7">this research</a> is that students who double majored scored 17.4 percentile points higher on our overall innovation measure than the average student. The innovation advantage for double majors is almost three times higher than any other major, including business, engineering and math/statistics. </p>
<p>This finding held even after we controlled for a number of variables, including a family history of entrepreneurship, courses taken in college, race, gender and GPA. We even controlled for personality traits, such as being an extrovert and being open to new experiences. We also considered the institution students attended, the quality of teaching to which they were exposed and the nature of their interactions with faculty members.</p>
<p>So what does it mean to be more innovative and why does it matter?</p>
<h2>What makes a person innovative</h2>
<p>For our study, we sought to measure students’ innovation capacities. We did so using a relatively new survey instrument that enabled us to determine how institutions can help students develop their innovation capacities. These capacities include skills related to networking, persuasive communication, working on diverse teams, and risk taking. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eXGp1V5mrqU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Why majors don’t matter.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These innovative qualities matter in the job market. That’s because employers want more from college graduates than good grades. What employers really want – according to a <a href="http://www.naceweb.org/talent-acquisition/candidate-selection/what-employers-seek-on-a-resume/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=post-with-img&utm_campaign=content">recent survey</a> – are graduates who can effectively work in diverse teams, are creative thinkers and have persuasive communication skills. In short, <a href="https://www.aacu.org/publications-research/periodicals/it-takes-more-major-employer-priorities-college-learning-and">employers want innovators</a>. </p>
<p>Since innovators are in demand, it begs the question: Are graduates who double-majored more innovative because they double-majored? Or did they double-major because they were already more innovative? </p>
<p>Self-selection could be at play. To be sure, one aspect of the connection between innovation and double-majoring is related to the fact that certain students want more than any one discipline or major can provide. They want to choose, or perhaps <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/12/08/why-is-choosing-a-college-major-so-fraught-with-anxiety/?utm_term=.da36806866a6">not choose</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212349/original/file-20180328-109193-fd7h3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212349/original/file-20180328-109193-fd7h3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212349/original/file-20180328-109193-fd7h3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212349/original/file-20180328-109193-fd7h3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212349/original/file-20180328-109193-fd7h3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212349/original/file-20180328-109193-fd7h3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212349/original/file-20180328-109193-fd7h3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212349/original/file-20180328-109193-fd7h3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">It’s unclear if students double major because they are innovative, or if doing so makes them more innovative.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/colorful-direction-sign-majors-184585037?src=vyRcTJCx4WNqPjrtApErsQ-1-16">Nerthuz/shutterstock.com</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>A desire for more</h2>
<p>Perhaps double majors are the kind of students who need more than many programs offer. It could be a signal of proactive and creative choice for students who don’t fit the mold in terms of how higher education is currently delivered.</p>
<p>Double-majoring might also provide students with experiences in which students see <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3102/0002831212437854">connections between content</a> in different courses. Additionally, taking classes required for two majors might increase <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/612677">networking with peers</a> across disciplines.</p>
<p>Does this mean that all students should double-major and employers should only hire these graduates? Probably not. </p>
<p>While certainly our data demonstrate that double-majors are the most innovative, we do not conclude that this academic pathway is always the best choice for students or industries. What we do suggest, however, is that colleges and universities help students find ways to integrate material across disciplines, interact with each other across majors, and work on teams to solve real-world problems. This could be done through existing courses or perhaps new centers and spaces dedicated to innovation on college campuses.</p>
<p>That way, even if students don’t double-major, they might still become more innovative – and more attractive to employers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92798/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew J. Mayhew receives or has received funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Fetzer Institute, the Merrifield Family Foundation, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Benjamin S. Selznick does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>New research shows double majors beat their peers in one critical way that makes them more attractive to employers. Colleges may have to adapt to that reality to help their graduates compete.Matthew J. Mayhew, William Ray and Marie Adamson Flesher Professor of Educational Administration, The Ohio State UniversityBenjamin S. Selznick, Assistant Professor, James Madison University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/927502018-03-14T14:32:54Z2018-03-14T14:32:54ZWhy universities need to invest in strong advice systems for students<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/209505/original/file-20180308-30965-1sds1h3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Proper guidance, support and advice can help university students enormously.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It is relatively rare for a young person to leave school knowing on their own exactly what they want to do next. And, even if they do, it’s unusual to seamlessly and independently go to university, complete the degree of their choosing, graduate, and move into the working world.</p>
<p>For most young people the world beyond school is complicated. They need a great deal of support – particularly from their families and universities – to navigate their higher education choices. This is borne out by <a href="http://www.africanminds.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/9781928331698_web.pdf">a recent study</a> which tracked the experiences of 73 students who, some six years before, had started bachelor’s studies at one of three research-intensive South African universities.</p>
<p>The study focused on how young people navigate the opportunities and constraints of university study. One of the key findings was that the country’s universities seem mostly to have limited capacity for giving students advice about academic choices. In some other parts of the world, most notably the US, <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-za/Academic+Advising:+A+Comprehensive+Handbook,+2nd+Edition-p-9780470371701">this is a whole field of expertise within a university</a>, with dedicated staff focused solely on giving students advice.</p>
<p>There is substantial literature showing the <a href="https://works.bepress.com/samuel_museus/12/">positive effects of academic advising</a> on student retention and progress, especially for those from underrepresented groups in higher education.</p>
<p>As we <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-class-and-social-capital-affect-university-students-92602">point out elsewhere</a> in the book on which this research is based, many of the students we interviewed didn’t have the support structures at home that could offer informed advice about issues such as the choice of institution, degree, funding routes. Proper advisory systems in universities can be especially helpful in this context. </p>
<p>It’s not easy. South Africa’s universities are dealing with a <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/saturday-star/dispelling-myths-around-higher-education-funding-12947553">huge resource crunch</a> and it takes money to set up many of the systems that would be needed. </p>
<p>But it’s a worthwhile investment. Universities that can formalise academic advising and make it more accessible are likely to see better results in students progressing from enrolment to graduation. </p>
<h2>Some interventions</h2>
<p>While few universities appear to have formal, full-time advising structures, there are one-off or informal interventions at some South African institutions.</p>
<p>At one institution for example, there were sample introductory lectures at the start of the year. Students found this very helpful though they pointed out that attending just one lecture wasn’t necessarily enough to make a fully informed decision about whether to pursue that course or degree path.</p>
<p>Some universities also allowed students to change courses within the first few weeks of the academic year. But this can be tricky because students then need to make up what they’ve missed.</p>
<p>Some students spoke of establishing a rapport with individual lecturers and even their deans. This meant they could discuss their plans and choices with someone who was well informed. But this was relatively rare at the larger universities and was left largely to chance – requiring both students with confidence and initiative, and supportive, engaged academics</p>
<p>It also wasn’t always a successful approach: in our study we did hear of situations where the advice students received from academics was incorrect or even insulting. One student who was struggling in a science degree, for example, was told that she was a “pretty girl” and maybe she should change to a degree in education.</p>
<h2>Flexibility</h2>
<p>Some work is being done in South Africa to improve the situation. The National Student Financial Aid System is <a href="http://www.nsfas.org.za/content/publications/FINAL%20-%20A%20NSFAS%20Response%20to%20the%20MTT%20Missing%20Middle%20Report%2031%20January%202017.pdf">looking at models</a> for more broader support for the students it funds. This is good news, since these students are often those whose families may not have the social capital and information to support their decisions. </p>
<p>Another thing that universities should consider is a more flexible curriculum structure. Our research also found that where the curriculum is fairly fixed and university rules preclude much movement between programmes, there is little opportunity for navigating a successful pathway. This is a problem for students who only become aware of their skills and passions along the way and wish to change their degree course. A flexible curriculum coupled with strong advice structures could make a real difference to such students.</p>
<p>_This is an edited abstract from “Going to University: The influence of Higher Education on the lives of young South Africans” (2018) Case, J., Marshall, D., McKenna, S. & Mogashana, D. African Minds. Available for <a href="http://www.africanminds.co.za/dd-product/going-to-university-the-influence-of-higher-education-on-the-lives-of-young-south-africans/">download here</a>. </p>
<p><em>The other authors of the book from which this piece is extracted are Professor Sioux McKenna (Head of Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University), Professor Delia Marshall (Faculty of Natural Science at the University of the Western Cape) and Dr Disaapele Mogashana (student success coach and consultant at <a href="http://www.mytsi.co.za/">True Success Institute</a>).</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92750/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors of the book 'Going to University: The influence of higher education on the lives of young South Africans' are grateful for the financial support of the NRF.</span></em></p>Formal, accessible academic advice systems can help university graduation rates.Jennifer M. Case, Department Head and Professor, Department of Engineering Education, Virginia TechLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/800792017-06-26T12:09:39Z2017-06-26T12:09:39ZWhy I disagree with Nobel Laureates when it comes to career advice for scientists<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175613/original/file-20170626-12696-1lne0tj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A successful science career is founded in a solid publication track record. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/blur-image-picture-library-background-resources-604328939?src=qPj0vTRi0ancc1ZsVM9T1w-3-88">Thiranun Kunatum/www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The measures by which we judge scientists are always under intense scrutiny. For those who hit the peak of their field, there’s the <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/">Nobel Prize</a>. But across all levels of career progression, we publish research papers in journals whose importance or rank can be communicated via a number known as the <a href="http://researchguides.uic.edu/if/impact">Journal Impact Factor</a>. </p>
<p>The much respected Nobel Prize Twitter site <a href="https://twitter.com/NobelPrize">@NobelPrize</a> recently tweeted an impressive video with four Nobel Laureates speaking out against Journal Impact Factors. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"877804020345262080"}"></div></p>
<p>My view is that the Nobel Laureates are right in theory. But I cannot advise the junior researchers I mentor to ignore Impact Factors. </p>
<p>Although imperfect, Impact Factors retain some validity. But more importantly, deep down, I know that as the world of research expands and as people become increasingly specialised, the use of proxy metrics, like Journal Impact Factors and citations, will increase not decrease.</p>
<h2>Criticism of Journal Impact Factors</h2>
<p>Nobel Laureates Peter Doherty, Bruce Beutler, Joseph Goldstein and Paul Nurse aren’t alone in their criticism of Journal Impact Factors. </p>
<p>The widely supported <a href="http://www.ascb.org/files/SFDeclarationFINAL.pdf">San Francisco Declaration</a> makes the same point – you can’t judge the quality of research by just looking at the Journal Impact Factor.</p>
<p>Australia’s major medical research funding body, the National Health and Medical Research Council is also officially opposed to Impact Factors and has essentially <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/file/grants/peer/impact%20factors%20in%20peer%20review_1.pdf">outlawed reporting them</a> in grant applications. </p>
<p>The Australian Research Council once had a list of A star, A, B and C ratings for journals in its Excellence in Research Australia research assessment exercise but has <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/end-of-an-era-journal-rankings-dropped/news-story/923b52a699c02a659bad88c20157fc0d">now abandoned that list</a> and recommends against institutions continuing to use it.</p>
<p>In theory all these august bodies are correct. Impact Factors represent the average number of citations for each paper in the journal over a two year period. They are unreliable. They can be gamed in various ways, such as including a lot of reviews in a journal, and they can be heavily influenced by one or two “jackpot” papers.</p>
<p>In summary, Journal Impact Factors are a crude short cut to the proper job of estimating quality – they are a type of pre-judgement, a prejudice.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175560/original/file-20170626-304-r7wnip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175560/original/file-20170626-304-r7wnip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175560/original/file-20170626-304-r7wnip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175560/original/file-20170626-304-r7wnip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175560/original/file-20170626-304-r7wnip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175560/original/file-20170626-304-r7wnip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175560/original/file-20170626-304-r7wnip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175560/original/file-20170626-304-r7wnip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You don’t have to be tall to be good at basketball. But it certainly helps.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/520431253?src=ULmZ2z27FofFnjPl4jICmQ-2-62&size=medium_jpg">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Picking a researcher or a grant application on the basis of Impact Factors is like selecting a basketball team on the basis of one single metric – like the height of the players.</p>
<p>It’s ridiculous.</p>
<p>But hold on – have you ever looked at the heights of players in any professional basketball team?</p>
<p>Nearly all the players are giants.</p>
<h2>Standing tall among giants</h2>
<p>I would love to take the Laureates’ advice, and read the papers and judge the science on its own merits. But sadly I am only expert in a very small area. I am not capable of critically analysing most of the research I come across.</p>
<p>It is not that peer review doesn’t work. It works for publications. I only review papers in the small field where I truly am an expert. But when it comes to grant review or making academic appointments I am often out of my field.</p>
<p>So I confess. I do look at Impact Factors. I look at citation metrics. I even count papers.</p>
<p>I regret to say that in reviewing perhaps a hundred grants or job applications and trying to find the ten grants to fund or one person to employ, I do not read every paper in the bibliography and assess the research on the basis of my limited understanding. I just don’t have the time or expertise to read and judge all the papers.</p>
<p>I pick my basketball team in part based on the player’s height and past match statistics. I want the people I appoint to get grants in the future and I suspect other grant reviewers also look at metrics too, so I can’t ignore them.</p>
<h2>What is the best advice for young researchers?</h2>
<p>In their video the Nobel Laureates said that doing sustained, solid, research was the best way to build a reputation. But with grant <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/outcomes-funding-rounds">success rates</a> <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/selection-report-discovery-projects-2016">falling to less than 20%</a>, it is not clear solid research alone will be enough to sustain a lab. So while the advice to downplay Impact Factors is good for established researchers, this is not always feasible for junior researchers.</p>
<p>When I was starting out I also lamented the fact that those in authority seemed to want everything – lots of papers, and papers in journals with high Impact Factors, as well as preliminary data prior to the grant even being funded.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175565/original/file-20170626-32731-1adnu5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175565/original/file-20170626-32731-1adnu5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175565/original/file-20170626-32731-1adnu5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175565/original/file-20170626-32731-1adnu5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175565/original/file-20170626-32731-1adnu5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175565/original/file-20170626-32731-1adnu5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175565/original/file-20170626-32731-1adnu5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/175565/original/file-20170626-32731-1adnu5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young scientists need resilience to keep their careers moving forwards.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/86083886@N02/20782393286/in/photolist-xEtctC-xGCwEn-UiRpbP-xHq1hx-wKMtU3-xGNooT-wKVMFD-xGMQqK-tFas7p-ukypoR-uBz1L1-ukqrVG-uBz1iN-ukyoma-uC1yQ4-uni9Kk-tEZwUw-tFaoqg-uC1qbF-tFarpH-tFanxz-ukpUzy-uC1vUp-tFaqnc-uzFNZs-uByWYm-tEZgvq-uzFNTW-ukq8HN-ukykTe-uQWdpa-ukym8H-qrALKa-GqbJsA-uye6GP-uBz2zq-uCeuRx-qHT9vi-tYzHak-tYzHuD-xEtXJG-tYzHp8-uQMu4D-xqcrNN-HDhCp2-tEZsMJ-xq8dHZ-wE9wib-uT7f4A-wKCg3j">86083886@N02/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A wise colleague looked at me with raised eyebrows and said,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I thought you were meant to be smart. You’re meant to work it out. </p>
<p>You’re meant to balance your research so you deliver some solid work, and some high impact papers, and to manage your resources to produce preliminary data for new applications, while simultaneously delivering on the main research goals of your current grant or start up funding.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I think this was good advice. It is up to each of us to optimise our output. Aim as high as you can but don’t be silly and waste your career trying to lodge one paper in <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/index.html">Nature</a> at all costs.</p>
<p>Those in academic management do not want to make the wrong decisions and only use Impact Factors and other metrics as one indicator and often as a last resort. They, and you, should consider your whole portfolio. Concentrate on these things:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Produce a number of first author papers in any Impact Factor journal. New journals such as PLoSONE will publish solid work that isn’t world shattering in its significance. The ability to initiate and wrap up multiple projects is highly valued</p></li>
<li><p>Establish a focus and academic reputation for being an expert in one area or technique, especially in something that is on the up</p></li>
<li><p>Collaborate with one or perhaps two leading labs but do not spread yourself too thinly</p></li>
<li><p>Do aim for high Impact Factor papers but know when to give up – knowing when to give up is actually more important than clinging to your dreams and never saying die (something that is dangerously over-rated in my view!)</p></li>
<li><p>Most importantly, ask yourself whether you are enjoying it and whether you can handle the hard knocks that research delivers – others can sense this, and tend to support people who have resilience in their DNA.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Impact Factors and citations aren’t perfect, but nor are they worthless. Metrics are simply indicators or messengers; in themselves, they are not really the problem. </p>
<p>The problem is the rapidly escalating level of competition for grants and jobs. In our world, as it exists, one has to take many measures into account and my expectation is that hard, cold, imperfect numbers will continue to be important in science.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80079/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Merlin Crossley receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council. He is on the Editorial Board of The Conversation, and of BioEssays, and on the Board of the Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC) and the Trust of the Australian Museum.</span></em></p>Journal Impact Factors are unreliable and may be gamed. But can they still offer value?Merlin Crossley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Professor of Molecular Biology, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/792242017-06-15T04:03:00Z2017-06-15T04:03:00ZDear students, what you post can wreck your life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173436/original/file-20170612-3809-okxd5n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-worried-roommates-reading-bad-news-556708990?src=jwiFJHKMkpaxMisAB8pyaA-1-0">Antonio Guillem/shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dear Student,</p>
<p>Harvard recently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-rescinds-student-acceptances-over-obscene-facebook-memes-2017-6">rescinded admission offers</a> for some incoming freshmen who participated in a private Facebook group sharing offensive memes. The incident has sparked a lot of discussion: Was Harvard’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/09/learning/did-harvard-go-too-far-in-its-decision-to-rescind-admission-to-10-incoming-freshmen.html">decision</a> justified? What about the <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2017/06/07/harvard-rescinded-acceptances-private-facebook-posts-doesnt-violate-first-amendment/">First Amendment?</a> Do young people know the <a href="http://nypost.com/2017/06/06/how-can-harvard-kids-still-not-understand-that-what-happens-online-doesnt-stay-online/">dangers of social media?</a></p>
<p>I’m a business school lecturer, career services counselor and former recruiter, and I’ve seen how social media becomes part of a person’s brand – a brand that can help you or hurt you.</p>
<p><a href="http://press.kaptest.com/press-releases/kaplan-test-prep-survey-college-admissions-officers-say-social-media-increasingly-affects-applicants-chances">College admissions staff</a>, <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=4%2f28%2f2016&siteid=cbpr&sc_cmp1=cb_pr945_&id=pr945&ed=12%2f31%2f2016">future employers</a> and even <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/10/21/online-dating-relationships">potential dates</a> are more and more likely to check your profile and make decisions or judgments about you.</p>
<p>Here’s what you should know so you don’t end up like those Harvard prospects.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173444/original/file-20170612-1873-1xuec6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173444/original/file-20170612-1873-1xuec6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173444/original/file-20170612-1873-1xuec6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173444/original/file-20170612-1873-1xuec6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173444/original/file-20170612-1873-1xuec6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173444/original/file-20170612-1873-1xuec6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173444/original/file-20170612-1873-1xuec6c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The rescinded Harvard admissions have sparked debate over First Amendment rights to free speech.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cambridge-ma-may-29-students-harvard-197551889?src=zzQ6Ds1FUrXmj9TF-xRVcg-1-48">f11photo/shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>1. Social media posts disappear, right?</h2>
<p>Let’s be clear about one thing: You’ve been building your online reputation since your first Snapchat. Think the posts disappear? Think private pages are private? Think again.</p>
<p>You might feel like your life and opinions are no one’s business, but you can’t always control <a href="http://www.askamanager.org/2015/09/i-was-fired-after-a-stranger-sent-photos-of-my-private-text-messages-to-my-employer.html">who sees what you post</a>. Every photo, video, tweet, like and comment could be <a href="https://mic.com/articles/150198/people-are-dragging-miss-teen-usa-2016-karlie-hay-for-using-the-n-word-a-lot-on-twitter#.xfuFXLXqF">screenshotted</a> by your friends (or frenemies). You might make a mistake with your privacy settings or post to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/04/kitchen-aid-twitter-tweet-obama-grandmother_n_1938031.html">the wrong account</a>. And a determined online sleuth can sometimes find ways around privacy settings, viewing photos and posts you might think are well hidden.</p>
<h2>2. Do employers and colleges actually look at this stuff?</h2>
<p>Your profile will very likely be scrutinized by college admissions officers and employers. According to CareerBuilder’s 2017 <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/number-of-employers-using-social-media-to-screen-candidates-at-all-time-high-finds-latest-careerbuilder-study-300474228.html">social media recruitment survey</a>, social media screening is through the roof:</p>
<ul>
<li>600 percent increase since 2006 in employers using social media to screen</li>
<li>70 percent of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates</li>
<li>34 percent of employers found online content that caused them to reprimand or fire an employee</li>
</ul>
<p>This trend is common with admissions as well. Kaplan Test Prep’s 2017 <a href="http://press.kaptest.com/press-releases/kaplan-test-prep-survey-college-admissions-officers-say-social-media-increasingly-affects-applicants-chances">survey of over 350 college admissions officers</a> found that 35 percent checked applicants’ social media profiles. Many who do said social media has influenced their admission decisions.</p>
<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/3iWI7/7/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" width="100%" height="600"></iframe>
<h2>3. What are recruiters watching out for?</h2>
<p>So what are the potential hazards to avoid? These are some of the types of posts that left a bad impression on me when I used to recruit:</p>
<ul>
<li>References to illegal drugs, sexual posts</li>
<li>Incriminating or embarrassing photos or videos</li>
<li>Profanity, defamatory or racist comments</li>
<li>Politically charged attacks</li>
<li>Spelling and grammar issues</li>
<li>Complaining or bad-mouthing – What’s to say you wouldn’t do the same to a new school, company, boss, or peer?</li>
</ul>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"12944403659"}"></div></p>
<h2>4. What can I do to build a positive online reputation?</h2>
<p>Remember, social media is not all bad; in many cases it helps recruiters get a good feel for your personality and potential fit. The CareerBuilder survey found <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/number-of-employers-using-social-media-to-screen-candidates-at-all-time-high-finds-latest-careerbuilder-study-300474228.html">44 percent of employers</a> who screened candidates via social networks found positive information that caused them to hire a candidate.</p>
<p>From my experience, the following information can support and confirm a candidate’s resume:</p>
<ul>
<li>Your education and experiences match the recruiter’s requirements</li>
<li>Your profile picture and summary is professional</li>
<li>Your personality and interests align with the values of the company or university </li>
<li>Your involvement in community or social organizations shows character</li>
<li>Positive, supportive comments, responses, or testimonials</li>
</ul>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"869743954735939586"}"></div></p>
<h2>5. How do I clean things up?</h2>
<p>Research. Both the college of your dreams and your future employer could Google you, so you should do the same thing. Also check all of your social media profiles – even the ones you haven’t used for a while – and get rid of anything that could send the wrong message. Remember, things can’t be unseen. </p>
<p>Bottom line: Would you want a future boss, admissions officer, or blind date to read or see it? If not, don’t post it. If you already have, delete it.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Your Career Counselor</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79224/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thao Nelson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>To post or not to post? Colleges and employers are increasingly checking social media to get a sense of their candidates. Here’s what you should (and shouldn’t) post in order to secure your future.Thao Nelson, Lecturer, Kelley School of Business, Indiana UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/622312016-07-19T18:37:55Z2016-07-19T18:37:55ZWhy career counselling is more valuable now than ever before<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/130695/original/image-20160715-2127-13i2quc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The days of staying in one career forever are over for many people.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The world of work is <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-work-8526">changing all the time</a> – and fast. Jobs have emerged that didn’t exist five or ten years ago. And the idea that you’d stick with one career for your entire working life has been left in the dust. The Conversation Africa’s education editor Natasha Joseph asked Professor Kobus Maree of the University of Pretoria’s Educational Psychology Department to explain how career counselling has changed – and why it’s so important.</em> </p>
<p><strong>When you talk about career counselling, I suspect a lot of people think back to their school days when a guidance counsellor said, “You should do this job one day.” But it’s a far broader world, isn’t it?</strong></p>
<p>Career counselling entails much more than merely choosing a job and hoping to stay in that job for the rest of one’s life. Choosing a career is seen by many as trying to find a way to integrate into society, say as a teacher or a plumber, and also about making a social contribution. </p>
<p>Today, career counsellors believe that it is essential to identify a person’s original “pain”. This provides the starting point and life plot of every person’s career and life career story.</p>
<p>Career counsellors endeavour to help people deal with their pain – and empower them to use this pain to help others. In the process, people can heal themselves and make social contributions. Some people understandably grapple with the contention that every life story starts with pain. My <a href="http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-6209-272-3_1#page-1">own research</a>, and <a href="http://www.ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sd/news_article/98443/_PARENT/layout_details_cc/false">others’</a>, suggests that very high career achievers understand the value of pain to any life story: the more you hurt and struggle, the more you have to strive to prove yourself. </p>
<p><strong>Why is career counselling so important?</strong></p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/130700/original/image-20160715-2110-1exk1bh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/130700/original/image-20160715-2110-1exk1bh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/130700/original/image-20160715-2110-1exk1bh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/130700/original/image-20160715-2110-1exk1bh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=444&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/130700/original/image-20160715-2110-1exk1bh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/130700/original/image-20160715-2110-1exk1bh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/130700/original/image-20160715-2110-1exk1bh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=558&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Career counselling can help people to navigate crossroads in their lives.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kobus Maree</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once people know where they are headed, they mostly become motivated to work hard to realise their goals. </p>
<p>People consult career counsellors when they face a “natural” crossroads: having to choose a school, university, field of study or one from a number of employment opportunities. A second group consults career counsellors when they begin to doubt whether they have made the appropriate choice in terms of schools, subjects, universities, careers or employers. In all these cases, the future is already upon them: “the old” – what used to work – no longer does. </p>
<p>Workers are being confronted increasingly in the postmodern era with the impact of change on the workplace. They have to face and deal with repeated work-related crossroads and transitions. They hesitate because they are uncertain about the way forward. Career counsellors then enable them to recount their career life story. This allows them to listen to themselves by revisiting instances when they faced a crossroads. And by listening to themselves, they become able to deal with their current crossroads.</p>
<p><strong>Whose responsibility is it to set up career counselling mechanisms? Individual schools and universities? Does the government have a role to play?</strong></p>
<p>I should think that everything starts with the government. But a host of other stakeholders are also responsible: education and labour departments; primary, secondary and tertiary training institutions; professional bodies and qualifications authorities; and youth development agencies, private practitioners and non-profit organisations. </p>
<p>The role of parents, teachers, role models and a person’s peer group also shouldn’t be underestimated. Society has a collective responsibility to ensure that every person be granted access to career counselling. In fact, postmodern career counselling can help “invisible” and “unvoiced” people who are desperately in need of career counselling become “visible” and listened to. </p>
<p><strong>How much does your research and experience suggest that people are using career counselling services in South Africa, where you’re based? What holds people back from seeking career counselling?</strong></p>
<p>Sadly, only a small percentage of South Africans ever have access to career counselling. Career counselling in <a href="http://bit.ly/2a3v6VB">Africa at large</a> is still premised on the belief that career counsellors should “test” clients to assess their personality profiles and help them to find the “best fit” between their personality traits and the traits required to execute a certain job successfully. People hope that career counsellors will tell them which careers to choose. </p>
<p>Moreover, career counselling offered by private practitioners is too expensive to be accessed by people who are poor – and that’s the <a href="http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-03-south-africa-where-12-million-live-in-extreme-poverty/">vast majority</a> of South Africans. </p>
<p>Far too few teachers are trained to administer career counselling adequately. Introducing Life Orientation as a school subject has <a href="http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-01-22-op-ed-active-citizenship-requires-active-learning-the-case-for-valuing-life-orientation/#.V4x_srh97IV">not resolved the challenge</a> either. Few of the teachers currently facilitating this subject have been <a href="http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/T-Anth/Anth-14-0-000-12-Web/Anth-14-4-000-2012-Abst-PDF/Anth-14-4-305-12-785-Chireshe-R/Anth-14-4-305-12-785-Chireshe-R-Tx%5B4%5D.pdf">trained adequately</a> to administer career counselling.</p>
<p>There’s some work being done to improve career counselling in the country. The South African Qualifications Authority, for instance, has developed a career guidance <a href="http://www.southafrica.info/services/education/careeradvicehotline.htm#.V4inZbh97IV">hotline</a> that doesn’t just involve a professional telling job-seekers what to do. The government is working on <a href="http://www.gov.za/sites/www.gov.za/files/40115_gon795.pdf">a plan</a> to develop and implement a three-tier system of career development services in South Africa. </p>
<p><strong>The world of work is constantly changing. We have jobs today that didn’t exist ten or even five years ago. How much is career counselling as a field adapting to those changes?</strong></p>
<p>The US Department of Labour estimates that 65% of today’s schoolchildren will end up working in jobs that <a href="http://www.successperformancesolutions.com/2013/65-percent-of-todays-students-will-be-employed-in-jobs-that-dont-exist-yet/">don’t currently exist</a>. </p>
<p>Change is the new normal. For this reason, career counsellors must do their work in such a way that their clients become career adaptable and, most importantly, employable. It is vitally important that students acquire those skills that will help them not only survive but rather <em>flourish</em> in times of change. Career counsellors should become <em>au fait</em> with the basics of “employability counselling”, so to speak. </p>
<p>Career counsellors should try and use the best elements from various approaches in their work. Their allegiance should, ultimately, be to find the best ways to be useful to clients.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62231/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kobus Maree receives funding from National Research Foundation. </span></em></p>Career counselling shouldn’t be a luxury that only certain people can access. It’s actually a necessity in the rapidly changing world of work.Kobus Maree, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of PretoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/492172015-10-20T00:26:28Z2015-10-20T00:26:28ZCareers education must be for all, not just those going to university<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98930/original/image-20151019-23267-de8e1c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">University isn't the best option for everyone. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Year 12 exams are in full swing and we are getting almost daily reminders from the media that young people need to think and plan beyond their final days in the classroom. </p>
<p>Even the premier of New South Wales, Mike Baird, has chimed in with <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/10/12/mike-baird-offers-advice-hsc-exams-start-nsw">his advice</a> to students.</p>
<p>But a focus on exams, ATARs and university offers provides a skewed image of what it means to finish high school. </p>
<p>Less than half of young people finishing school go on to university in Australia. Yet the focus of many of our <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-features/vce-results-2014-anxious-wait-over-as-atar-scores-released/story-fni3wj64-1227156165490">media</a> and public conversations tends to reinforce university as the gold standard that all young people should strive for.</p>
<p>This is further reinforced by <a href="http://www.acpet.edu.au/uploads/files/Reports_Submissions/2010/Access_Economics-Increasing_Austr_productivity_through_effective_delivery_of_Govt_higher_ed_policy_Apr_2010.pdf">government targets</a> to increase the number of 25 to 34-year-olds completing a bachelor degree or higher to 40% by 2025. </p>
<p>But university isn’t the only option. Neither is it the best option for everyone. </p>
<p>This year alone more than 290,000 young Australians aged 15 to 24 were unemployed. So what can be done to support them? </p>
<p>We need to <a href="http://cica.org.au/wp-content/uploads/GOVERNMENT-RECOGNISES-THE-IMPORTANCE-OF-SCHOOL-CAREER-ADVISERS1.pdf">focus on improving careers advice for young people</a> in schools to help them make informed decisions about their future careers. </p>
<h2>Careers education in schools</h2>
<p>In a labour market context that is increasingly unforgiving to low-skilled young people, the role of career advisers and supportive teachers in schools is crucial. </p>
<p>Career advisers work with young people with diverse backgrounds, varying dreams and ambitions and are often <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01596306.2013.770251">under pressure from systems and school leadership who prioritise certain types of career education activities</a>. </p>
<p>Career advisers are increasingly under-resourced, with <a href="https://cica.org.au/lack-of-funding-deprives-young-australians-of-necessary-career-support/">research from the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA)</a> showing that one in three career practitioners is provided with less than $1,000 annually to undertake career development activities across their entire school. </p>
<p>This equates to half of schools with a population of over 1,000 students having less than $3 per student to spend on career education. </p>
<p>As CICA has highlighted: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Preparing young Australians for an ever-changing workforce is a growing challenge, particularly when career practitioners are under-resourced and under-funded.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://cica.org.au/wp-content/uploads/CICA-Infographic-A-Snapshot-of-Career-Practitioners-in-Australia-2.pdf">The research shows</a> that career advisers in schools are largely female (80%), over 45 years of age (77%), and more than half (52%) work part-time. The age and working profile of these practitioners can have implications for sustainability and continuity of quality provision in schools. </p>
<h2>Current approaches to careers education not perceived as useful</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/research/pages/ontrack.aspx">Government data shows</a> there is a decline in the perceived usefulness of current approaches to careers advice in school. </p>
<p>Less than a third of Victorian school completers surveyed in 2014 indicated that their career advice was very useful. This was down from 44.4% in 2010. </p>
<p>There has been a steady increase in the number of school completers attending university information sessions and attending presentations by employers, but a decline in students attending taster sessions and presentations by TAFE.</p>
<p>This is consistent with <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAAahUKEwjKqJGB7sDIAhUi26YKHd4RAVw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skillsboard.nsw.gov.au%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2FFinal%20Report%20-%20Expectations%20and%20destinations%20of%20NSW%20senior%20secondary%20students.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFtVy-jzqCIyjj3J8i39tFkgk8jNg&sig2=fdh45rARqBmRgacDJiYdJw">research in NSW</a> which shows there is stronger focus on university courses compared with vocational courses and jobs. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.ncver.edu.au/wps/portal/vetdataportal/restricted/publicationContent/!ut/p/a1/lVHLTsMwEPyaHiNv7MRJjuFRnEAfJEVtfKliO6WGxk1bU0G_HheJC1IJ7G2k0czsDOJogbipj_q5tnpr6s0Zc7rMfHzNWAD5hDEKWTScFSV7IuBTNEcccWlsZ9eoMvLY7JeHdb1v1AC6N7HR8kvpMABMo_jM7aRWqAqoFEnSEC_wk9ALQAlPRAo7GDZyRaiqhXTmlTOHC5fCn7I5ypTdUXzlKDEbAWTjshiObksCE_qTAMnjjdPA45w9TH24D3sU4Fvhl5CV-yK6GJOFqPxnLXnf3643_bLb8dQtszW2ebdo0TtN17Yx-fBeC3aardp5-gmdrI76/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/">Research from teachers working in VET in Schools programs</a> also indicates a preferential focus in schools on university pathways rather than vocational pathways.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98806/original/image-20151019-7748-18aymel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=59%2C571%2C4507%2C4054&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98806/original/image-20151019-7748-18aymel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98806/original/image-20151019-7748-18aymel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98806/original/image-20151019-7748-18aymel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98806/original/image-20151019-7748-18aymel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98806/original/image-20151019-7748-18aymel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98806/original/image-20151019-7748-18aymel.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Planning your future: are you heading in the right direction?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What could we be doing better?</h2>
<p>So what can schools do in response to this dynamic and changing landscape to support young people moving from school?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/%7E/media/Files/Research%20and%20Advocacy%20PDFs/Research%20and%20Evaluation%20page%20PDFs/Young-People-Transition-to-Work-Report.ashx">Research from The Smith Family</a> – a charity helping disadvantaged Australian children get the most out of their education – highlights three main ways that recent changes to the Australian economy have been problematic for young people:</p>
<ul>
<li>A growth in employment in new industries which do not have well-developed career structures means there are not clear pathways to secure employment.</li>
<li>A decline in traditional entry-level jobs for young people has generated greater need for post-school education and training.</li>
<li>Changing recruitment practices among large organisations have led to a focus on a broad set of employability skills that young people may have difficulty developing through school. </li>
</ul>
<p>As industries and occupations rapidly change and evolve, students and their families need explicit information about the education and training pathways that maximise post-school options and mobility. <a href="https://cica.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Parental-Engagement-Report-March-2012-FINAL.pdf">Engaging with parents and building their capacity to support the career pathways</a> of their children is a particularly challenging task for schools.</p>
<p>Careers education needs to be <a href="https://theconversation.com/career-studies-and-advice-start-early-or-dont-start-at-all-40563">established early</a> in all schools to introduce students to technical and vocational education pathways as an equal option alongside higher education. </p>
<p>Despite the evident collapse of the youth labour market, there is often confusion or a lack of awareness of the severity of this decline among some families. </p>
<p>There have also been some <a href="http://docs.education.gov.au/documents/preparing-secondary-students-work">problematic mixed messages</a> from government regarding the role of school in paving a direct pathway to work. </p>
<p>Many young people may be developing a set of important employability skills through part-time work while at school. But they may not be aware of the value of these skills to future employers and may not know how to sell their skills set when applying for work. </p>
<p>For example, students may have skills (e.g. IT skills, presentation skills, accounting skills) – gained both within and beyond school, which they may not reflexively frame and describe as skills. </p>
<p>Schools need to see the value careers education has in supporting students in developing the skills to navigate the youth labour market.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49217/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kira Clarke does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Less than half of young people in Australia go to university, so why do we make this the gold standard that all should strive for?Kira Clarke, Lecturer, Education Policy, Centre for Vocational and Educational Policy, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/405632015-04-29T19:40:20Z2015-04-29T19:40:20ZCareer studies and advice: start early or don’t start at all<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/79675/original/image-20150429-7091-1hubw4m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Most career advice starts late in high school. This is too late for kids from disadvantaged backgrounds.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com.au</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The unemployment rate for 15 to 19-year-olds is currently <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6202.0Nov%202014?OpenDocument">20.1%</a> in Australia. This is over three times the national rate of <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6202.0Nov%202014?OpenDocument">6.3%</a> and almost double the unemployment rate of this age group during the first year of the Global Financial Crisis, <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-youth-unemployment-cant-be-blamed-on-wages-39628">10.7%</a>.</p>
<p>This means that one in five young people is actively looking for a job. The longer they are unemployed, <a href="http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bsl.org.au%2Fpdfs%2FMyChanceOurFuture_Youth_unemployment_snapshot_Feb2014.pdf&ei=mo8wVYKkKoK1mAX4ooHYDQ&usg=AFQjCNGj9GHSJjzs8puEMd0x3OfGB_601g&bvm=bv.91071109,d.dGY">the harder it is to join the workforce</a>.</p>
<p>Those who can turn to their mums and dads for financial support, do. However, statistics show that <a href="http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED514894.pdf">young people from disadvantaged backgrounds</a> have the most difficulty in gaining meaningful work and contributing to our economy after leaving school. </p>
<p>Young people who experience difficulties making the transition to further education, training or work also tend to be <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02680939.2014.953596#.VTLYUiGqpBc">less academically inclined</a>. This makes it difficult for them to compete in contemporary job markets, as the demand for low-skilled labour is much lower than it was in the past.</p>
<p>Governments have been considering how to get students to <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1743727X.2014.885010#preview">think about what they want to do for a living and why</a>. Students who think critically about their career choices well before they leave school are thought to benefit from <a href="http://www.ncver.edu.au/wps/portal/vetdataportal/restricted/publicationContent/!ut/p/a1/lZFbU8IwEIV_TR9LlvSKb3jBgAJKcaB5YdIkpVV6IU1R_PUGZnxxQHTfsjnz7dk9iKIloiXb5Wum86pkm8Ob-qthF98Q4sJoSogPw2Awn0XkxYGujxaIIspLXesMxSXfSbVqMqaksKBuk03Oj6TGAoxD76CteS5QnHqu6-MUbAGOa7uO8OwkSR07xUwEwuU91sNmeGyGw5nqw5-8GckTuffxtZGEZAwwnESzwfgucmDq_xRA7_nWMPBkRB6fuvDgXSDAN-EXk7HZIjhrk3go-udZRpf2NnfLX7db2jfJVKWWHxotL0ZjqOtNlRwzj_tl4oRrRJVMpZKq0yrTzrSuryywQMlGMsWzDuPmT4q2w1oLtGJlkx-RqyJvuAWBBadgWdUYQ6cgqC6K0NnbbzPyOU-LhU2T_fsXFtDg0g!!/dl5/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/">improved further education and employment outcomes</a> and make better choices than those who don’t.</p>
<h2>Why some students are career uncertain</h2>
<p>This is confirmed by <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-015-0175-2">a survey of over 700 high school students in NSW</a>. Importantly, it found that students who were uncertain as to what they’d like to do in their future career share some important characteristics.</p>
<p>Prior academic achievement was a factor. For example, students attending academically selective schools were more certain about their future career path than students in non-selective schools, as were students who rated their academic ability in the top third of their grade. Students who ranked themselves as being in the bottom third of their grade were more likely to be uncertain about their career.</p>
<p>Location and job availability also appeared to have an effect. Higher proportions of students located in urban schools were certain of their future career, whereas students from outer-metropolitan and rural schools were much less certain.</p>
<p>Somewhat unexpectedly, those uncertain about their careers across all year groupings (from Years 9 to 12) reported never having access to a career education session. This is despite the recommended provision of career education to high school students in Years 9-10 by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (<a href="http://consultation.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Static/docs/WorkStudies/Draft%20Australian%20Curriculum%20Work%20Studies%20Years%209-10.pdf">ACARA</a>).</p>
<p>These uncertain students also reported that they did not participate in school-organised work experience programs. These might have helped them determine their career preferences. </p>
<p>They also reported they didn’t enjoy school and there were not enough elective subject choices. In many cases, they made their subject selections on others’ recommendations and not because they were interested in them.</p>
<h2>Good seed makes a good crop if looked after</h2>
<p>In order to help disadvantaged youth improve their career prospects, Australian government initiatives attempt to <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1743727X.2014.885010#preview">force students to stay at school</a> and explore the option of attending university. </p>
<p>However, something more effective is needed if we’re to get these kids interested in their careers and how their school studies relate to real work. </p>
<p>Researchers from the University of Newcastle note that <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-015-0172-5">younger students tend to have higher aspirations</a> than older students. They recommend intervention as early as primary school, rather than waiting for students to flounder through high school.</p>
<p>Educating students, parents and teachers about the link between school subjects and possible career pathways can make school more meaningful. The education system should move towards ensuring that students are provided with career education sessions before they make their elective subject choices, enabling them to make informed decisions. At the moment, <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-015-0175-2">this rarely happens</a>.</p>
<p>In addition to earlier provision of career advice, the choices of elective subjects should reflect students’ needs and interests. This is problematic because of existing problems in the education system. </p>
<p>While many academically inclined students are satisfied with traditional academic subjects such as English, history, science and physics, schools in disadvantaged communities must appeal to a much <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02680939.2014.953596#.VTLYUiGqpBc">broader range of tastes</a>, despite <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02680939.2012.664287#.VTJLYJOPVXc">limited resources</a>.</p>
<p>If students can’t identify any interesting subjects and are forced to remain at school, they are set on a dangerous path. School suddenly becomes less enjoyable, they underperform in subjects from which they derive no enjoyment and, as a result, they are likely to have low self-esteem, poor educational outcomes and poor job prospects.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/40563/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natal'ya Galliott does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The unemployment rate for 15 to 19-year-olds is currently 20.1% in Australia. This is over three times the national rate of 6.3% and almost double the unemployment rate of this age group during the first…Natal'ya Galliott, PhD Candidate in Education, Macquarie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.