WHY CAREER DEVELOPMENT?

How did I land up with an interest in career development? Not through conventional routes like a psych degree, nor working in recruitment, HR or talent development. I've landed here through years of doing business research on the education market, and becoming qualified in Futures Studies to help others navigate change. But apart from the knowledge and expertise, here are the five intrinsic motivations that drive my interest in career coaching.

1. Work is a world of wonder

I remember the day I realised this. I was 23, working my first salaried job in Cape Town. Walking to a MyCiTi bus stop on my way home, I observed all the work going on around me. An electrical technician fixing a traffic light, a truck driver delivering food, a nanny pushing a baby in a pram. And it hit me: all jobs are interconnected. The truck driver needs the traffic light to work so they can deliver the food so the baby can eat. All jobs exist because people need them. And as society’s needs change, jobs change. Our economy is a living, breathing thing. Choosing your place in it can be a wonderfully exciting process. Inspiring this mindset for young people is part of my motivation.  

2. Alternative paths are there to be explored

I took a gap year after matric even though most of my friends went straight into further studies. When I eventually started university, I changed programs (and institutions) right at the last minute. For my first job, I chose to work at a startup rather than a large corporate. I’m not saying alternative paths are always better; conventional routes can pay off too. But options are plenty, and exploring them all can be really valuable (and fun!).

3. The right job is the one that works for you

Job titles are overrated. Don’t choose a job just so you can feel good answering someone when they ask: what do you do? You’ll be better off if you build a career by choosing jobs that give you what you need. Jobs that fit your lifestyle or personality. Do you prefer to work alone or in a team? Are you happiest doing a range of things or getting really good at one specific thing? These questions will pop up naturally over time as your career grows, but discussing them early on can give you much better clarity on how to choose work that is personally fulfilling.

4. Work is changing more rapidly than ever before

This sounds cliche but it’s true. Our parents had a much narrower set of career options than we do today. More choice is generally a good thing, but the pace of change can also be scary. My university major (print media production) no longer exists. My first job - online learning design - has been so heavily disrupted by AI that I would hardly recognize the work today. So much change and uncertainty requires us to do more reflection on where we see our careers going.

5. I made my biggest career choices through talking with other people

Looking back, almost every pivotal decision I’ve made regarding work, I arrived at with the help of other people’s guidance and feedback. Whenever you need to figure out a course of action, one of the best things you can do is find someone to help you think about what’s important. It can be a teacher in class, a boss at work, a mentor or a coach (but never only your parents!). 

So there it is. The five reasons why I want to pursue career coaching. If you’re curious to learn more about my approach, feel free to reach out below.