Work, Career, Life

This post is written for someone who is preparing his/her career, such as a school leaver or a university student. It also may help someone undergoing career change, either voluntary or involuntary.

First, I tell a short, real story. In the early 1980s, I was a postgraduate student in an American university. One summer, an American classmate invited us to his hometown. While we were there, his brother got a job at IBM. We all congratulated him because it was considered a very good job. I was told that a job at IBM was lifetime with good pay (if my memory serves, his salary was more than 30K). Today such a job or similar will be considered not so good. First, although IBM was a top-rate company at that time, it is at best a second-tier company now. Second, a computer science graduate easily gets a six figure offer. Third, job at IBM or many companies is no longer secure. In fact, IBM had several major lay-offs since then. The top-tier companies now are Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and so on. Now I have extensive knowledge of business, finance and investment. IBM actually has done relatively well. Many old famous companies are bankrupt. Kodak is an example. Today’s world is constantly changing. In such an environment, what should one do to prepare for one’s career? I will try to shed some insight into future economic trends.

This post involves some Bible passages. My original plan was two parts: one without religion and the other involving biblical views. After some draft, I realize that it is actually better to integrate these two parts. One reason is that the passages from the Bible are either from the so-called wisdom book (Ecclesiastes) or agree with common sense.

Your career choice can be very important. When making a career choice, you should consider three things.

1. Choose a Job You Like

It is best if you are passionate about the job you choose. At least you should enjoy doing it. I have seen some who have achieved very high, such as medical doctor, lawyer. Later he/she realized that he/she does not like job. Often this career was chosen by someone else. This happens for many Asians. Some Asian parents demand their children to study some subjects. Some might be too young to consider all aspects of careers.

The short Bible passage below contains rich information and wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

Enjoyment of work is a gift from God. Almost all able people should work. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10. Because Australia has rather generous welfare, there are people who prefer to lie down and do nothing. Some even rort the welfare system. Not only do they become a burden to the society but they also miss the opportunity to enjoy gifs from God.

Be sure that you also consider all aspects of the jobs. At least you should consider 3 things.

1. You Have the Talent to Succeed

It is possible that your dream job might demand talent which you do not have. You might want to be a lawyer. In order to be able to practice law, you need analytic skills, logic reasoning skills, and extensive knowledge of the relevant fields. If you do not have the talent, then you may work hard yet will not succeed.

Most talents need to develop. So this is a long and dynamic process.

1. Job Market Is Good or Reasonably Good

Some fields require extraordinary talent because of the competitiveness of these fields. However, unless you are really, really good, it is hard to make a career.