Importance Factors When Choosing A Career (simplified version)

A career is different from a regular job because a regular job is mainly a way to earn money. However, a career is a lifelong occupation which offers financial security, and also numerous opportunities for us to improve ourselves. Choosing a career is an unavoidable decision for anyone who wants to pursue his or her tertiary education. Therefore, it is very important to consider several factors carefully when choosing a career. In this article, we will look at four crucial factors to consider when choosing a career.

Firstly, we should consider satisfaction when we are choosing a career. If we can get satisfaction from a career, we will stay motivated and enthusiastic throughout the course of our career. However, if we are not satisfied with our career, it will be difficult for us to remain productive. In order to find out if we will be satisfied with a particular career, we should do ample research on the career that interests us.

Secondly, we should consider talent when we are choosing a career. If we have a natural talent in a field, we will find it more enjoyable and easier to do well in a career that is related to that field. However, we need more than talent to attain excellence. We need to be hardworking as well. To find out if we are truly talented in a field, we should give ourselves a complete and honest assessment.

Thirdly, we should consider prospects when we are choosing a career. Prospects refer to our chances of promotions and also increments in salary. It is pointless to remain in a career that does not allow us to improve because we have only one lifetime to use our potential and become the person that we wish to become. To find out more about the type of prospects that a career might offer, we should do ample research and talk to those who are already employed in the field that we are interested in.

Lastly, we should consider salary or income when we are choosing a career. This is because we should be rewarded fairly for our skill and contribution to the company that we work for. Furthermore, our salary or income should be based on our professional qualifications, experience, diligence as well as the amount of time that we contribute to the company.

Our career is a profession that would occupy a large portion of our lives. Therefore, we should be careful when we are choosing a career. To sum up, we should consider four factors when we are choosing a career. We should decide on a career which offers us satisfaction, chances of advancement, a reasonable salary and a way to use our talent.

Importance Factors When Choosing A Career

A career differs from a regular job in that a regular job is primarily a means to earn money and offers very little in the direction of our personal growth and development. On the other hand, a career is a lifelong occupation which not only offers financial security, but a host of opportunities for the actualization of our potential as well. Choosing a career is an unavoidable decision for anyone who intends to pursue his or her tertiary education. As such, it is of paramount importance to consider with care several factors when choosing a career. In this article, we will look at four crucial factors that should be considered when making a career choice.

First of all, it is wise to consider the satisfaction that we can gain from a potential career. The reason for this is simple. If we can derive satisfaction from a career, it is more likely for us to stay motivated and enthusiastic throughout the course of our career. Conversely, if very little satisfaction can be gained, we will find it immensely difficult to maintain the mental fortitude required to remain productive in a career. In order to find out if we will be satisfied with a particular career, it is advisable to do ample research on the career that interests us.

A factor that is related to satisfaction is talent. If we possess a natural inclination towards a specific field, it logically follows that we will find it more enjoyable, if not easier, to excel in a career within that field. However, it is worth noting that sheer talent alone is insufficient to attain excellence. One needs to combine talent with equal parts of diligence in order to be successful. To determine if we have the aptitude and flair in a certain skill, we should give ourselves a thorough and honest self-assessment.

The third factor that should be considered when choosing a career is prospects. Prospects pertains to the opportunities for advancement in a career. In this regard, it is pertinent to consider the availability of promotions and also increments in salary. It is pointless to remain in a career that stagnates us since we have only one lifetime to maximise our potential and become the person that we wish to become. To find out more about the type of prospects that a career might offer, it is worthwhile to do ample research and by talking to those who are already employed in the field that we are interested in.

At its most fundamental level, employment is an exchange of time and effort for monetary gain. Thus, we arrive at the final criterion that we ought to consider when choosing a career, which is income. The salary or income that can be earned from a career should be commensurate with our professional qualifications, experience, diligence as well as the amount of time that we contribute. Income should a deciding factor when choosing a career for the simple fact that we should be rewarded appropriately for our expertise and contribution towards the company which employs us.

Given the fact that our career is a profession that would occupy a large portion of our lives, choosing a career is a decision that should be astutely considered. To sum up, four factors should be duly considered during the decision-making process. We should decide on a career which offers us satisfaction, the potential for advancement and a financially rewarding outlet to channel our talent.

The Meeting

I woke up at 5.30am that morning, took a shower, got dressed and had a quick breakfast. As my mother was driving me to school, all I could think about was tomorrow; because tomorrow was the day I would get to meet Joe.

Joe and I met on the Internet. I keep a blog on the Internet and about seven months ago, he sent me an email. He told me he wanted to be my friend because he was very captivated by what I wrote. Although I was skeptical about the sincerity of his compliment, I was happy all the same.

I didn’t reveal my little secret to anyone, not even my mother. Although my mother and I have a strong relationship, I didn’t tell her for two reasons. One was because she has told me many times that she does not understand why teenagers love the Internet so much. The second reason that I didn’t tell her was because I know that she will worry about me.

On the day before I met Joe, I was on tenterhooks. I couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to meet Joe face-to-face. There were a million questions in my mind. I was thinking about what to wear, and whether I should secretly borrow some of my mother’s make-up. I thought about the things that I would ask and say to him because I wouldn’t want to spoil the meeting by saying something stupid. Mainly, I didn’t want to disappoint him. From the emails that we have exchanged, he seemed like a very interesting person. It also didn’t hurt that he looked pretty good.

Unlike some of my friends, I don’t make it a habit to ask for photos over the Internet. With Joe, I was willing to make an exception because I felt there was something different about him. When I first asked him for his photograph, he was reluctant. After a month, I managed to convince him. I thought he looked like a younger version of Andy Lau.

He told me that he was thirty five and worked as a consultant in a corporate sales company. I am not ashamed to say that I have a soft spot for older men. What made everything so much more exciting was the fact that he was actually interested in the inexperienced ramblings of a seventeen-year-old teenager. He made my day when he said that I am the most interesting seventeen-year-old that he has ever met.

On that fateful day, I put on my favourite pair of denims and my cutest Mambo t-shirt. I stole some of my mother’s lipstick and trimmed my hair before I went to the café where we were supposed to meet. When I reached the café, he was already there. I sat down and we started chatting. I thought he looked a lot like Andy Lau and even his body language seemed the same. After chatting for about forty five minutes, things started to go downhill.

It seemed that Joe couldn’t stop talking. What made it worse was the fact that he was a very opinionated person. He shot down most of what I had to say, insisting that he was right. At that point, I was beginning to get uncomfortable. I felt stupid and cheated. I wanted to leave. When I told him that I had to go, he began asking where I was going. I told him a lie and perhaps he could sense it. He retorted by asking me why I had agreed to come out if I was busy. He was becoming scary, so I got up and left without saying goodbye. Since that day, I never saw him again.

The importance of having a healthy diet

In this increasingly fast paced society, there are many of us who ignore our health. As a result of our hectic schedules, we lack adequate time to exercise regularly and eat properly. Besides regular exercises, healthy eating plays a crucial role in the maintenance of mental and physical health. As the famous saying goes, “You are what you eat”. Hence, it is our responsibility to understand the importance of having a healthy diet. In this article, we will look at the importance of a healthy diet as well as the food we should eat and avoid.

Eating balanced meals means eating meals that contain all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals which the body requires to function well. There are six classes of nutrients which the body needs: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. On top of these six classes, fibre is also an important element although it is not a nutrient per se. However, fibre is beneficial to our health as it helps to prevent constipation. It also improves our digestion.

We should eat balanced meals because eating imbalanced meals can trigger negative effects to our health which often leads to diseases, such as scurvy, obesity and osteoporosis. Scurvy is the result of a deficiency in Vitamin C. On the other hand, obesity is caused by consuming excessive fat and cholesterol while a deficiency in calcium leads to osteoporosis.

In order to maintain a healthy diet, there are several kinds of food that we must ear, These include grain products, dairy products as well as fruits and vegetables. Grain products such as wheat, rice and pasta are rich sources of carbohydrates while dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt are rich sources of calcium and protein. On the other hand, fruits and vegetables provide us with plenty of vitamins and fibre.

In order to maintain a healthy diet, we should also avoid food which contains high amounts of salt, sugar, fat and cholesterol. Food which is rich in salt includes fast food, snacks, preserved food and miscellaneous “junk food”. On the other hand, fried food contains more fat and cholesterol so we should choose food which is steamed, baked or grilled. Soft drinks contain high amounts of sugar so we should choose sugar-free fruit juices or mineral water instead.

The importance of having a healthy diet cannot be underestimated. Hence, we should try our best to eat nutritious food and avoid food that would damage out health in the long run.

Money (Brainstorming Sheet)

1. If I were a millionaire.

2. An invention that I cannot live without.

3. Money is the root of all evil.

4. Money does not buy happiness. Do you agree?

1. Money can procure other inventions or material possessions, either

• for use
• for pleasure
• for social status or symbols of wealth

Questions for Brainstorming

1. What are some of the things that your parents must buy, or spend money on?

2. What are the things that you or your parents buy for pleasure?

3. What are the things that people buy for social status or to show that they are wealthy?

B. Money can procure the power over other people, in terms of

• employment and labour
• controlling a workforce

Questions for Brainstorming

1. Why do people work?

2. What is the basic relationship between an employer (boss) and an employee (worker)?

C. Money can procure

• rest and relaxation
• the fine things in life
• luxury and the good life

Questions for Brainstorming

1. What does rest and relaxation mean?

2. Why do we need rest and relaxation?

3. What, in your opinion, are some of the fine things in life?

4. Why, in your opinion, do people want to buy luxury goods?

5. What are the two main money classes? How are they different?

D. Money can cause problems such as

• crime
• greed
• unhappiness
• a need to make sacrifices
• envy/jealousy
• decadence
• self-destruction

Questions for Brainstorming

1. How does money cause crime?

2. What is greed and how does a greedy person satisfy his greed?

3. How does money cause unhappiness?

4. In your opinion, what are some of the sacrifices that an adult must make for money? Think about your parents, your teachers, or the adults around you.

5. What is the difference between envy, jealousy and admiration?

6. In your opinion, why does someone become envious of another person’s wealth?

7. In your opinion, why does someone become jealous of another person’s wealth?

8. In your opinion, when does someone admire another person’s wealth?

9. What is decadence, and how is it related to money?

10. How does money cause self-destruction? If possible, show some examples.

E. There are some things that money cannot buy. What are they?