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See it, Be it – True Career Exploration: A Recruiter's Perspective

christiaan_008 via CC BY-SA
christiaan_008 via CC BY-SA

I heard a very interesting interview with Reshma Saujani, the Founder and CEO of Girls who Code. When asked why she started the program she said something brilliant.

If you can’t see it, you can’t be it.

Her argument was that the world of coding and app development is filled with hoodie wearing guys clutching Red Bull. How would a 15 year old girl believe that she could be the next Mark Zuckerberg?

Similarly, could the average teenage boy envision himself as a registered nurse specializing in traumatic brain injuries?

There are thousands of jobs and more are evolving every day. The world of work is changing faster than ever before.

In middle school, 74% of girls express interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), but when choosing a college major, just 0.4% of high school girls select computer science. - Girls who Code

This presents lots of different opportunities for us and for our kids. Just take a few minutes to look though the new programs being offered by George Brown College, Sheridan College or UIOT. I bet there are courses in things you didn’t know even existed.

So when your niece, neighbour or offspring says they want to study sneaker design or industrial mathematics, don’t frown and dismiss it. Ask why it interests them and where they heard about it. This is way more helpful and supportive.

You never know, you might learn something that helps you in your own career.