I watched with awe how journalists around the world had been getting their jobs done and I say to myself, 'I CAN DO THAT JOB!' I'd seen the calibre of great journalists like Larry King, Andy Cooper, Christiana Armanpour, Jonathan Mann, Richard Quest and many more.
You know that feeling when somebody does what they really are good at, you stay back and watch the ease with which they do it and you conclude rather nonchalantly: 'Oh, I can do it...' often without giving much thought to what that whole task entailed. Alright!
I so was in love with that profession especially for the glamour and attention it attracted.
It is not as if to say journalism is less difficult but, I indeed was a bit impractical about the workings and preparations of that profession, thinking that all it probably took was: good looks, great personality and fine communication skills. But that definitely was not to be!
So, while finishing secondary school, I'd normally have a chat with my father and he'd ask: Ok, Louisa, what profession are you considering to undertake..? Almost immediately I'd gleefully chirp: 'journalism!' He usually would not have much to say against my career preference, but would ponder a little and pry: 'really?' as if to search for a different choice of career.
He'd then ask: ‘so what about journalism?’ Then I'd come round to giving him a full lecture and strongly defend why I wanted to be one. I'd tell him how talkative I am, how articulate and smart I thought I was and I'd just go on and on.
He wouldn't say much but his posture and disposition showed clearly that he wished I did not tow that line. His reason was simple, and here it is.
Back then in the early to mid 1990s there was just about one state owned not-too-attractive television station along with its radio units; very few newspapers in circulation; it was a male-dominated profession; free speech was curtailed; non-competition and boring media landscape! My old boy clearly feared for me that it was NOT a profession for me at that time to pursue. Also because journalists were often thrown into jail without regard for their human rights.
Himself an accountant, and once Chief Accountant of SSNIT, my father would prod, ‘Louisa, I see you are quite analytical with figures’. ‘Would you not want to pursue Finance?’ Then I go like: 'well, yeah, it wouldn't be bad at all to be called a Chartered Accountant one day...' However, my dreams of wanting to be a journalist were still very much alive.
Career choices are very CRUCIAL and students must definitely be SHEPHERDED in this regard.
Often students have chosen professions because:
You know that feeling when somebody does what they really are good at, you stay back and watch the ease with which they do it and you conclude rather nonchalantly: 'Oh, I can do it...' often without giving much thought to what that whole task entailed. Alright!
I so was in love with that profession especially for the glamour and attention it attracted.
It is not as if to say journalism is less difficult but, I indeed was a bit impractical about the workings and preparations of that profession, thinking that all it probably took was: good looks, great personality and fine communication skills. But that definitely was not to be!
So, while finishing secondary school, I'd normally have a chat with my father and he'd ask: Ok, Louisa, what profession are you considering to undertake..? Almost immediately I'd gleefully chirp: 'journalism!' He usually would not have much to say against my career preference, but would ponder a little and pry: 'really?' as if to search for a different choice of career.
He'd then ask: ‘so what about journalism?’ Then I'd come round to giving him a full lecture and strongly defend why I wanted to be one. I'd tell him how talkative I am, how articulate and smart I thought I was and I'd just go on and on.
He wouldn't say much but his posture and disposition showed clearly that he wished I did not tow that line. His reason was simple, and here it is.
Back then in the early to mid 1990s there was just about one state owned not-too-attractive television station along with its radio units; very few newspapers in circulation; it was a male-dominated profession; free speech was curtailed; non-competition and boring media landscape! My old boy clearly feared for me that it was NOT a profession for me at that time to pursue. Also because journalists were often thrown into jail without regard for their human rights.
Himself an accountant, and once Chief Accountant of SSNIT, my father would prod, ‘Louisa, I see you are quite analytical with figures’. ‘Would you not want to pursue Finance?’ Then I go like: 'well, yeah, it wouldn't be bad at all to be called a Chartered Accountant one day...' However, my dreams of wanting to be a journalist were still very much alive.
Career choices are very CRUCIAL and students must definitely be SHEPHERDED in this regard.
Often students have chosen professions because:
- those professions appear glamorous to them;
- they may be influenced by their peers who may have considerable strengths in certain subjects;
- parents are foisting a particular profession on their wards which they (the wards) obviously cannot cope with.
I believe students must have frank moments with themselves.
They must know their personalities, their strengths, what they can productively venture, what the profession entails and most importantly if they are prepared to pay the price of preparation for that profession.
Being in the wrong career may put food on your table, but could also make you very miserable.
Being in an imposed profession could get you needlessly into trouble because that is surely not your calling and therefore you may lack the passion to go the full term.
Being in the wrong profession could even kill you in the long run.
In my case I said to myself 'Louisa, what is it that you want to do?' Alone in my closet I begun musing and asking myself frank questions.
They must know their personalities, their strengths, what they can productively venture, what the profession entails and most importantly if they are prepared to pay the price of preparation for that profession.
Being in the wrong career may put food on your table, but could also make you very miserable.
Being in an imposed profession could get you needlessly into trouble because that is surely not your calling and therefore you may lack the passion to go the full term.
Being in the wrong profession could even kill you in the long run.
In my case I said to myself 'Louisa, what is it that you want to do?' Alone in my closet I begun musing and asking myself frank questions.
- Are you prepared for this profession?
- Are you ready to pay the price by dedicating yourself to focus on this course?
- Can you really go through these very difficult professional modules of ACCA?
- Are the job prospects encouraging for the accountancy profession both locally and internationally?
- Do I qualify for admission into the ACCA programme?
- Do I have that penchant to really go at it?
These are candid moments of critical assessment of your personality to truly find if this personality can support a particular career preference.
Let us not push ourselves into professions we cannot sustain. Talk to experienced people. Seek counseling. Do not pretend. Whatever you are good at, pursue it. Be excellent in that field of endeavour and all things being equal, you will enjoy your career to the maximum. When you get paid, it will feel like a BONUS.
Alright! So I ended up pursuing accountancy which I really love as my profession and God gave me a journalist to marry and we lived happily ever after!
Let us not push ourselves into professions we cannot sustain. Talk to experienced people. Seek counseling. Do not pretend. Whatever you are good at, pursue it. Be excellent in that field of endeavour and all things being equal, you will enjoy your career to the maximum. When you get paid, it will feel like a BONUS.
Alright! So I ended up pursuing accountancy which I really love as my profession and God gave me a journalist to marry and we lived happily ever after!
Excellent piece Louisa! You couldn't have said it any better. I can't help but agree with you on a number of the points you make. A lot of today's graduates are forcing their way into professions which they clearly lack the passion or the aptitude for. And it even becomes more obvious in job interviews when they woefully fail to impress. People can see through the lie and tell those who are in it just so they can put food on the table and those who are in it for the love of what they do. Let's get in touch and get talking...n see what happens
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You just had to add the last bit about marrying a journalist and living happily ever after huh? lol