Ever since we started the Young Professional Program, it has not only attracted the attention of many Young Professionals but also students and jobseekers. With this, we have decide to conduct a brainstorming session for this group of sign-ups. We were interested to find out about the primary reasons that caused the students and jobseekers to be stress when looking for a job. During this brainstorming session, many interesting topics were brought up by these participants and I will like to share them with you.
We often have the misconception that jobseekers nowadays seem to prioritize the amount of salary they get over their working condition. But through this session, we have realized that it is actually otherwise. Young jobseekers today tend to focus more on landing themselves a “nice” job rather than a well-paying job. And in this case, a “nice” job could mean looking for a job that they are passionate about, or doing something that they like to do at work. In short – the dream job. However many do not realize that through this, these young jobseekers are actually indirectly inflicting more stress on themselves. While searching for a job the first question that we will ask ourselves will usually be “what do I really want?” or “what do I want to do”. But jobseekers nowadays are swamped with choices, and these choices many cause some young jobseekers to be more confused. Many start off with the mentality that this first job will determine their future jobs, hence causing themselves unnecessary panic. This may eventually cause some young jobseekers to postpone their decisions and putting more stress on themselves.
As a young jobseeker myself, sometimes I think that we may be too strict to ourselves. Apart from living up to the expectations of our friends and families, we now have to live up to that of our bosses as well. Living up to expectations at work sometimes means competition among your peers. Everyone wants to strive for the better, and everyone wants to be on top. Inevitably, we start to compare ourselves a lot more with our peers or colleagues. Especially with the increasing use of social media, these unhealthy mind sets are being enhanced.
We were sheltered and spoon fed by our parents and seniors when we were much younger. We could seek advice and ask for support from them for every step that we take. But as we progress, we realize that we don’t get this kind of treatment anymore. Which may cause some of us to feel lost and confused. We should sort out our thoughts and find out which are the values that we think are most important to us, and follow your heart. We should always be reminded that we can actually do more than what we think we can. Place emphasis on area that you think are important to your self-development, and when you put in sufficient effort, you will see returns.
If you are interested to find out more about self-development, or simply pick up some skills that can help you in the areas of communicating more effectively or to make decisions for yourself. Feel free to join us for a workshop. Details stated below.
Tuesday 18 November 2014 from 17.00 to 21.00, Amsterdam. Topic for this workshop will be “Stressless to a job”
Written by: Nanniek van der Wel
