Everyone has had this thought, if only fleetingly: "Am I in the right place?" To this question, we try to answer by analyzing the elements of our personal lives, and in particular our professional situation. After all, it's central to our lives and even to our identity. At least, that's what we've been told since adolescence, when we're asked to choose the right course of study to quickly find our place in society.
Most training and career moves are made by taking into account one's environment, history and reason. But it's important to have a real choice of path. A person may have a vocation to become a physics researcher or a network expert. If no institution in your region offers such programs, you may have to uproot yourself at great cost, or change your plans. When substantial obstacles such as financial and family pressures are added, many individuals will force themselves to take a "reasonable" path. Because basic needs will always take precedence over dreams.
It's hard to ask the younger generations to already choose their profession in an increasingly uncertain world. Many of the jobs of the coming decades do not exist at the time of writing. The role of guidance counsellor therefore becomes essential, but the task becomes more complex. You have to be able to guide individuals as they set foot in a changing professional environment.
Yet you're in the best position to help them. Artificial intelligences are good at identifying future careers, but they don't analyze the whole person. Career counsellors have the ability to adapt to the realities they encounter. Some have multipotential personalities who want everything but to specialize; others will have precise criteria to which they will stubbornly adhere.
Because the younger generations no longer accept working for just anyone. They saw their forebears live to work; it won't be the same for them. They need an environment that shares their priorities. A few decades ago, the happiness of an employee within a company was virtually irrelevant. Nowadays, some have positions specifically dedicated to ensuring everyone's well-being at work.
Being in the "right place" seems an antiquated idea. Instead, we should be talking about a quest for meaning; workers and students alike go on a journey of self-discovery, experimenting with different environments and sorting out what they like and don't like. Some will quickly arrive at an ideal situation, while others will pursue their search tirelessly. In the end, what matters is respect for one's own values.
Happy reading!
Alexandre Roberge - [email protected]
