I recently had the privilege of speaking at Alexander Academy. A private high school located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Life after school can be stressful and filled with pressure.
Pressure from parents, teachers, peers, colleagues, and friends. From what you want to do, what schools you may or may not get into, and what you do following it.
In this post, I’ll be covering 3 areas that students may want to focus on, look into, and capitalize on in their lives.
Today is a tech-filled world. There’s never been more opportunity in the workplace. From pro gamers, streamers, YouTubers, content creators, and more. Young people are killing it these days and also making a killing.
People under the age of 20 are making over 10 million a year to be on YouTube. Some of these numbers aren’t even fathomable for a job for people 10 and 20 years ago as a high-level CEO, business owner, or investor.
Yet today, people who create videos are making multi-millions. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?
Is post-secondary education required these days? Here’s a quick list of some of the biggest, bravest, and richest CEOs without any degrees:
Shocking? Maybe. Crazy? Maybe.
When I grew up saying parents loved to say, “go to school, get a good education so that you can get a good job.”
In their era, you needed post-secondary school to get hired and make decent money. It was almost required to be seen as educated, smart, and forward-thinking.
But times have changed.
And school doesn’t add up to what it used to be.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to school.
I went to B.C.I.T., a technological institute and graduated with a diploma in technical studies. Something I needed to do the work I wanted in aviation.
While I believe you can be a massive success without school, I don’t fully believe school is pointless. It has its place and is still a good tool to up your skills and help you figure out what you want to do.
Most schools allow you to be a major after you’ve already started and enrolled. Allowing you to make adjustments and changes down the line still.
This question depends on your money/life situation. I started my first job as an assistant ski instructor at age 14. And I’ve been working ever since.
Working helps you with structure, organization, listening skills, and personal growth.
I think there’s a lot to be gained from working in various environments and doing different jobs. Working allows you to see what it’s like to communicate with people, deal with different situations, and solve problems.
It’s also allowed me to understand the basics of earning a paycheck. A skill that is important in one’s life. Money management 101 and financial intelligence shouldn’t be taken lightly.
I think working even a small amount of hours on the side of your school/education is a good idea overall. You can earn a bit of money, meet some new people, and gather more life experience (exactly what you need at this stage of the game).
Now, this can be a tricky one. I’ll be 100% real and honest, no one can predict their life.
No one knows what will happen 5 minutes from now, tomorrow, next week, or next year.
So, knowing EXACTLY what you want to do, has its challenges. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim for something.
You ALWAYS need a goal in mind. Something to drive you to progress and grow daily.
When I began looking into jobs, careers, schools, and what I wanted to do after high school, it all started with what I enjoyed.
I knew I wanted to like my job, that I wanted to do something different from everyone else, and that I wanted to live somewhere far and new.
Then I came across Vancouver, the mountains, the beauty, and the helicopters.
This then became my goal.
To find a way to move 4000 kilometres away, and to do it.
Look into ideas and areas that excite you! Do you enjoy drawing, painting, playing an instrument, creating, or computers?
Would doing anything you love to be an option for a future career? If so, what?
Looking to become a computer programmer but don’t know exactly what’s expected of someone in that position other than a 5-minute google search on salary (funny but true!).
If you spend some time, I’m sure you’ll be able to find 3 professionals in that field and ask them a few questions about the job.
You could ask about the hours, the pay, the work environment, and what’s expected of them. Possible room for growth and progress could be another area of interest.
There’s no crystal ball that you can rub that will give you all the answers.
Finding what you want to do out of high school is a daunting task. One that has a lot of pressure, stress, and merit to it.
But you got this!
Decide if you’ll be going to school or not right away. Find out what their requirements are to get in, and apply.
See if working part-time while in school is a good option for you. You could also launch some small side projects for business ideas if you have an entrepreneurial mindset.
Take some time and think about what you want to do for a career. What excites you? What are you passionate about? Is security important? Time? Money? Or all of the above.
Starting anything new can be a frightening experience.
Figure out what you enjoy, plan, create goals, and go after them. There’s nothing worse than just winging it and regretting it 10 years later.
Chris M Wilson
Chris Wilson is a keynote speaker, CTI coach, and entrepreneur. Through his Hover to Fly framework, he aims to impact the next generation in their careers and lives.
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