When You Leave School!

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 181, 1 August 1936, Page 1 (Supplement)

When You Leave School!

W[E love to try and look into the future and wonder what it holds for us. As we get along in our school

career and begin to feel that there are some things at least which we can do well and would like to know more about, the world looks rosy and full of hope. We imagine ourselves performing daring deeds, making great discoveries, travelling far afield, controlling large numbers of other people—in fact, becoming famous. It would be a poor world if we could not have our dreams and feel that there was a chance of their coming true; and I cannot imagine any greater tragedy than for a person to feel, as his active life comes to an end and he looks back over it, that it has been wasted, or spoiled, or rather unhappy, because he did not plan it carefully when he was young.

What would you think of an engineer about to built a splendid bridge, or a builder who was asked to construct a lovely home, if he commenced his job immediately without spending any time beforehand in making plans? What a muddle he would soon be in! How wasteful and unsatisfactory his work would be! Think of the mistakes he would make and the alterations that would be necessary, much to the annoyance of the people for whom he was working and the discouragement of himself! He would not ever be employed by them again, nor would anyone else who had seen his attempts want to employ him for anything important.

Yet there are many men and women who have in just such a thoughtless and haphazard way set out upon doing something infinitely more important than the building of a bridge or a house, namely, living a successful life. By success I do not, of course,

"I'm going to be a doctor when I grow up." Who has not made a statement similar in spirit at least, to that? Yet ten or fifteen years later the same person echoes the plaint uttered by so many —"Oh, 1 wish I knew what to do." Probably that same person takes the first iob that offers, irrespective of personal choice or suitability, instead of following his or her natural bent, albeit somewhat removed from the decision so emphatically announced in early life. In this and succeeding articles the problem of future vocations will be discussed with you by Mr. G. M. Keys, M.A., Dip. Ed., Dip\ Soc. Sc., a Christchurch gentleman whose life work and training has fitted him for the task of advising you in the selection of your work in life. We introduce the subject now, in the middle of the school year, so that our readers may give the consideration that is due to this subject ere the call comes for them to turn their backs finally upon primary and secondary education. The Editor.

mean necessarily the making of much money, or the! winning of great fame; but I do mean living a life which is happy for ourselves, and useful to others, by making full use of the gifts which have been given to us. To decide upon a career and the best preparation for that career is unquestionably one of the most important decisions that anyone is called upon to make in life, for the effects of that decision mean so much to ourselves and to others. 1 have been told by a traveller that in another country that he has visited there is, away up in some mouEtains, a spring which is the source of two great rivers. It forms at first a small stream which shortly finds in its course a rock which is neither very large nor very important in appearance. Yet this rock divides the waters of that stream and causes' some to flow in one direction and some in another. From this point onwards the water follows two different courses which draw further and further apart, finally entering the sea at localities which are separated by hundreds of miles. • So, too, we start our lives with many school mates all going along the same course, but there comes a day when our ways separate and

What Are You Going To Be?

we follow careers widely separated. But—and this is the important point 1 want you to think, about it need not be mere chance, as it was with the water in that stream, which decides which course our lives shall follow. It is within.our power to plan our careers carefully and to follow that which appeals to us most, and for which we are best suited. This is where I hope to be able to help you, for in other articles which will follow this 1 shall suggest methods whereby you may make your choice of vocation wisely, and prepare for it most satisfactorily. Meanwhile, please just think over once more what I have said here. Sooner or later you must ask yourself the question: "What am I going to be when I leave school?" Perhaps you have already made up your mind, and. your choice may or may not be wise; or perhaps you cannot make up your mind, or have not thought very seriously about the matter. Whatever may be your position, you must realise that the decision is of very great importance, and must be made carefully after obtaining as much information as you can about yourself and about possible avenues of work. In these matters, then, I shall do what I can to help you.