The things I wish I knew when I was 18, about work and employment
“Do what in your heart you know is right. It is easy to get caught up in your ambitions, but no job is worth not being true to yourself.”
(Irene Rosenfeld)
When I was 18 years old, I left home to study for a degree in another town, roughly 3 hours’ drive away. I knew no one and had no idea what life would be like when I arrived. Philosophy was my major; sometimes I sat in different classes such as anthropology, social sciences, art and history. Yet, during that time there wasn’t a single class committed to preparing students for life after university i.e. full-time work.
Sure, there was a careers department that looked like a small library. It was filled with booklets about different professional careers, CV writing and interview preparation, and the people managing the department were available to see students, help them get their CVs in front of companies, but they never — ever — gave them, nor I, any life advice.
What I mean by life advice is information and/or tips about surviving as an adult once university is over. Being a student, from preschool to college days, often depended on the support of teaching staff, academic tutors and professors. Class schedules and curriculums were already determined and spoonfed to students before they had enrolled. One…
