How To Choose A Career: A Presentation During The Baptist High School Parent/ Teachers Association’s End Of Year Meeting, held On Wednesday 7th December, 2022, at The School’s Multi-Purpose Hall, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
By Igbotako Nowinta
Media/Research Consultant@ Nigeria Good Governance Research Centre; Serial Author@ Amazon; Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution Scholar; lnternational Columnist/Nigeria Bureau Chief @ Alltimepost.com, an online newspaper (based in Boston Massachusetts, USA); Frontline human rights/pro-democracy activist; Former Chairman, Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Edo State, 1995-1999), etc.
I am standing on existing protocol.
” The future depends on what you do today”
– Mahatma Ghandi (renowned Indian Nationalist Leader)
Introduction
My father inspired me to develop interest in literature
I like to begin by saying that my biological father: who is presently the Otota (Traditional Prime – Minister of our community, in Delta State, inspired me to develop interest in literature.
My father who was taught by English teachers at the then prestigious, Saint Patrick’s College, Asaba, till tomorrow is a super class in spoken English, even today at the age of 92 years.
When l was in primary school (class 4) in Western Nigeria, precisely in Oshogbo, now capital city of Osun State, my father threw one large book that contained several stories, at me to read. The book was authored by Jonathan Swift and titled: Gulliver’s Travels.
The wonderful stories in that invaluable book thrilled and intoxicated me greatly and endlessly; l read it thoroughly, even after l had left primary school.
It is not surprising that l have grown over the years to be not only a book worm, but a professional writer, a very successful one for that matter; even though l read Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution in the university.
Parents must show absolute interest in their children’s educational growth
It is very clear that parents have a great role to play in influencing but “not dictating the career path” for their children or wards.
As parents we must watch out for the following as the children progress in their academic activities:
* What sparks and hold their interest?
* What do they do well?
* What kind of personality do they have?
*What is really important to them?
Factors to consider choosing a career
* Talents & skills of our children (one of the first indications of career path)
*Education & Training (we must sacrifice money and time to train them)
* Consider Their Long time Goals and Purpose in life
*Employment Opportunities
* Their Work Life Balance
Never impose your will or choice in their career path
The consequences of forcing a child to read or study a particular course in the university is grave and dire, mostly when that child is not interested; we must never try it.
Just let them choose for themselves, your job is to always encourage them to study very well at any point in time.
I know of a parent that forced his first son to go and read Medicine, but the boy did not have the interest in that direction. The boy at a point accused his parents of desperately forcing him to read what did not fancy him at all.
As l speak the boy is reading Engineering, and he is picking up now, not after spending some wasteful, debilitating, and terrible years, trying to fight his way back to where he had wanted to be professionally.
What of many children who got lost, swallowed and ‘rebelled’ at the ‘choice’ of their parents for them, and ended up as nonentities and ‘school dropouts’; many because of the overbearing or uncompromising stance or influence of their parents?
We must influence or encourage our children to study whatever they fancy, but please never force them against their will or mind set.
It is working for me
I never forced my children who are currently in the universities to read the courses they are doing now. They indicated their own interests in choices of subjects in secondary schools, and ultimately in JAMB subjects; and they are doing well.
Interestingly, none of my children have shown interest in my line of profession, except the one in SSS 3 now, preparing to do JAMB in 2023; she decided not to follow her seniors doing core sciences at the universities now.
So, l will say that my not dictating for my children career wise is working for me.
Who should take the role of monitoring children’s educational activities in a family?
In my own case, l am the one taking responsibility for monitoring my children’s educational activities, largely because l write and read almost every day because of the nature of my work.
So, each family should look inwards to delegate such absolutely important assignment to one person, either the father or mother. The point l am trying to make is that someone must at least take comprehensive and supreme responsibility in this regard; this is not to say that the other parent or partner will not play complimentary or advisory role in the whole educational process of the children.
Follow up with prayers
For me prayers is the key in everything l do. So, l earnestly encourage us to take even the career path of our children or wards to God Almighty in prayers.
Pray for your children perpetually, so that God’s will and purpose will always prevail in their educational pursuits and life generally.
Conclusion
According to one of the greatest leaders and philosophers in human history: Mahatma Ghandi, who led the Indian nation to political independence from the British colonial masters; he said: “The future depends on what you do today”.
So keep struggling, keep sacrificing, keep praying very hard for your children, because, the future of your children or wards depends on what you do for them educationally today.
I repeat, never dictate career path for your children; never do it; but always monitor and guide them always; the consequences of forcing your children or wards against their wish and interest might be too regretful or disastrous.
Thank you for having me!
God bless all of us!
