Your final years of school are a significant milestone in your personal development journey and while you may think it is the conclusion, it is only the beginning.
To blast off into the real world you will need to learn new skills. You will need a blend of academic, technical, and employability skills – like communication (how to speak so others will listen); digital skills, problem-solving skills, and lifelong learning skills (taking responsibility for your own learning).
Here are 7 things you need to do to prepare for life after school:
1. MAKE GREAT CHOICES
Tomorrow, the life you create from scratch on your own -- begins.
How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make?
Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?
Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?
Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?
Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?
Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?
When it's tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?
Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?
In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story.
2. BE WILLING TO EXPLORE NEW THINGS
You may be worried about finding a career right after you graduate. It's important to recognise that your job doesn't have to be your career. You should be open to trying new things and exploring different career paths. Trying different job roles is an excellent way to discover what your true calling is.
Get used to testing often and failing fast. If things don’t turn out as planned, instead of asking “Why me?” ask, “What happened?” or “How could I improve that next time?” The pace of work and life are so fast, and the tools of technology are so adaptable, that the people who are able to work quickly, creatively and flexibly will be the most valued in the market.
3. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS
Did you know that one of the best signs of intelligence is curiosity? The more questions you ask, the more intelligent you become. Ask questions about how things work. Ask why they work. Ask why they don't work. Ask where things come from. Just ask as many questions as you can about everything. You're going to make a ton of mistakes as a teenager, in your 20s, and beyond. Make sure you train yourself now to ask the right questions so that you can learn from them.
4. TAKE TIME TO RESEARCH YOUR POST-SCHOOL OPTIONS
Taking time to research and make plans for post-school life can provide a nice break from studies, while also helping you to stay motivated by reminding you of the bigger picture. This may include researching institutions and courses of interest, making travel plans for the holidays, organising things for your gap year and putting together course applications.
5. MAKE WISE EDUCATION CHOICES
Your chances of finding a great job and satisfying career depends more and more on the education and training choices you make right now. Choosing what to study is a personal choice, but your decision should be based on what you enjoy, what you’re good at and what you want to achieve. Choosing a course or job based on anything else—such as what other people want you to do, or what you think will earn the most money—is not a good idea.
6. DEVELOP STUNNING JOB READY SKILLS
Knowing who you are – your talents, skills and values – helps you make good career and life decisions. Job-ready isn’t simply about being JOB ready … it’s about being ready for life after you leave school. To become an expert at something, learn all you can about that subject, study other’s successes and then aim to do it better than them. The stronger your commitment and passion is to your endeavor, the greater your resolve will be to succeed.
7. LEARN FROM OTHERS
Here’s some great advice from Steve Jobs:
Find what you love…
“You’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” Steve Jobs
Have the courage to follow your heart …
“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” Steve Jobs
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” Albert Einstein