Maybe the generation-y’ers have a point and maybe it is our fault (the baby boomers).

Our parents came through the depression years and we were motivated by them constantly to study. My dad always said that no-one can ever take your qualifications away from you, so study, study, study. But, there were not that many occupations around in those days and almost everything you studied invariably did lead towards a profession of some kind.

We, the baby boomer, generation were not so strict on our generation y kids, as our parents were on us. Times were good and it was said that most of our kids will someday work in occupations that didn’t exist in their schooling years. Their future is bright and interesting …. or, is it?

When it comes to study they did study, but, they studied all the “nice” and interesting subjects, that don’t necessary lead to a specific profession. Our emphasis was not correct, we should have motivated our kids to become “professionally qualified”, not just studying.

There are only 2 kinds of people that make the wheels of the world go round: the professionals and the entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs are born like that, you can’t study to be one. If you aren’t a born entrepreneur, then you have to study towards a specific profession.

For the rest you have to have a professional qualification, be it a doctor, lawyer, bricklayer, plumber, electrician, etc. If you are asked “what is your profession?” then you must be able to answer in one or 2 words ….. and then everyone will know exactly what is is that you do. But, if you start waffling around, trying to explain what it is that you do, then you have missed the boat. Sure, it does take studying to get anywhere, that is the essential part ……… but, it must be towards a specific professional qualification.

Where to now?

Why are so many of todays youngsters battling to get jobs?

In my opinion, it’s because many of them have no set goals, in the way that previous generations had to have.

There are too many interesting ?career? options now days.

Previous generations only had a few career options, so choices and goal setting was much less complicated.

‘Baby bust’ generation: Today’s young ‘will end up 25% worse

off than their boomer parents’

By BECKY BARROW
UPDATED: 06:36 GMT, 11 October 2011

Are millennials really the first generation to do worse than

their parents?

by Dave Roos

Middle-class young ‘will fare worse than their parents’

David Cameron’s social mobility and child poverty inquiry to issue grim warning as debt and job fears create ‘perfect storm’

issue grim warning as debt and job fears create ‘perfect storm’

Daniel Boffey, policy editor
The Observer, Saturday 12 October 2013 20.59 BST

Why do they all say this? What’s the problem? Where did things go wrong? Where to now?

Many youngsters tend to study something interesting and think that once they have this “interesting” qualification, all the job opportunity doors will automatically open. Then the rude awakening:- It doesn’t happen!

Why not?

You first need to set a goal. If you don’t have a goal, you are like a small car roaming, on a large map, drifting around, going no-where. What’s more. Drifting around is expensive. The car has to be maintained, insured, fueled up and serviced, while it is on it’s way to nowhere.

The goal must be specific and well defined, not fuzzy.

You have to make a career choice. It must be specific.

You must visualize yourself 5, 10, 20 years from now. Set your goal.

Once you know where you are going, the road will become clear.

Know where you want to go and only then decide what to study. Find out what are the best and right qualifications you need for you planned career and then see that you set yourself on the correct road to get there. Not the other way round. (you can’t first study something and then decide on a career).

Spend most of your leisure and holiday time getting a solid foundation towards your goal.

Be purposeful and structure your studies very specifically towards your future career.

Once you are on your road on a clear map, then, success cannot and will not elude you at the end.

So, set your goals. Have a 5, 10 and 20 year plan.

Put 110% effort into qualifying yourself towards a very, very specific career goal.

Visualize your future.. Not a pie in the sky. It must be specific.

Once you have arrived, are financially comfortable and have achieved your goal. Then you can start spending your time on all the other interesting career options. You can the do those as sideline businesses or secondary career options. Then you have money and can finance your other interests at leisure.

But, don’t confuse yourself with all the nice options until you have reached your goal in your chosen career.

Once you have arrived, only then, can you live the interesting life.

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