The Catholic Education Unit (CEU) on January 30, 2024, held Career Day for pupils in schools under their sphere of influence. I got wind of this because my nephews and nieces attend St. Anthony's Basic School at Fish Pond, a suburb of Nii Boi Town, Accra.

The children dressed so colourfully in the attire of the preferred professions, while the teachers wore traditional dresses.

Parents, teachers, school management, pupils, students, traders who sold the items, tailors, seamstresses and not forgetting the Catholic Education Unit [CEU] I say kudos for making the activity a resounding success.

It is always refreshing to see children feeling excited about going to school. Career day, brought some air of freshness to the children especially, and everyone associated with them.

That brought this very thorny issue of career choices under my radar, hence my decision to share perspectives on it.

What are the reasons people choose career paths?

People choose careers for among others reasons, prestige, financial, family legacy, to contribute to community or society and so on.

How must the choice be done?

As your child grows, you may nurse some ambitions for her/him to pursue one profession or another. That is fair and justified, however, you must bear in mind that this may remain a dream, which may never to come to pass.

If that happens, it by no means makes you a failure. The child may also choose some professions based on the few that are prevalent or most mentioned/popular.

Does 'I want to be a doctor, a pilot, an engineer, a banker, a nurse, a police, a pharmacist, a soldier,' ring a bell?

Your dream on the child's career is only a wish at this point as it is not based on the academic strengths of the child. When his/her strengths begin to show, there may be the need for a radical shift. The reality of your wards strengths would determine whether he/she is cut out for a career in a particular field or not.

In addition, when your son/daughter comes of age you must give them a hearing. The gen Z are to be treated in a markedly different way, from how most us we were. Even if you vehemently disagree with your child, deal with it in a gracious manner.

It has to be a persuasive approach than one that seeks to compel him/her to comply. Many a potential or talent has been wasted or underutilized because of this push and pull.

The choice of future careers must not be left entirely in the hands of kids either. As they may be swayed by peer pressure and lack of appropriate information to choose options which are not the best for them.

There actually has to be a blend of consultation of a wide range of professionals, be they teachers, religious scholars, specialist in professional development, you the parents - bearing in mind your financial capacity or ability to seek funding for the studies and the child - who must be convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the career path settled on is the best.

Therefore s/he must pursue it with passion and give it his/her all.

Even before they get to the point of choosing a clear career path, at this teething stage, where most what the child does is general stuff. You the parent must be involved in building aspects of life that school doesn't necessarily focus on, but are very useful for a well-rounded human being.

Like:

* Doing your best is better than being number one.

* " Never let anyone - any person or any force - dampen, dim or diminish your light." John Lewis.

* Respecting all humans for who they regardless of background, race, gender, religious.

* Should never be a wannabe but project his/her uniqueness.

* Always try to improve/add value/do something new, upon your previous achievement.

* Cultivate a savings culture and be entrepreneurial in your approach.

* Have a program for acquisition of basic skills like sewing, plumbing, sawing, gardening, moulding etc.

* Looking at things from other angles/perspectives.

* Don't just accept without clear understanding.

* Polish up skills in a sport s/he has a natural flair for or even learn one that is not common in your environment and/or country from infancy.

* Not engaging in cheating in class assignments, have a zero-tolerance attitude towards it.

* Goal-setting and working towards targets.

* How to learn.

These are but few of what the child doesn’t get to be taught in school, in a deliberately focused way as it has to be. So take it up as a personal project.

This is where I bring down the curtain on the first part of this piece, in the concluding part, I will zoom in on the race for prestigious professions and the role that passion and drive play.

Much as our desires and egos are important we should not put them above the long-term satisfaction of the child. We should be ready to consult widely and need be shift positions to the greater good.

O my God! Help parents, 'shine their eyes'.

Rayhann Shaban
Parent-Child Relationship Coach
Lead Education, Advocate Development Networks (ADN)
rayhannshaban@hotmail.com
WhatsApp, Text or Call: 0243414669/0200225235