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Our parents generation (the baby boomers) have ingrained in their minds that the key to ‘success’ is financial security and most importantly job security. In fact many parents encouraged five key professions; doctors, lawyers, accountants, dentists and engineers. All great professions, not easy to get into and credit to all in those professions. I am sure they are all earning good salaries and living comfortable lives, so the hard work paid off. However, were these the only career choices out there?
Of course not and looking around you what is the one booming sector? Tech, yet parents rarely encouraged their children towards becoming tech geniuses in the past and part of the reason for that was there was no such thing as technology in their world and with the rise of technology came infinite opportunities and those that unlocked the code early were the big winners.
However, it was not this alone that was enough, the innovative minds and forward thinking approach is what made the impossible possible. A laptop or a connection to billions around you was merely a fantasy at one point but someone dreamt it, learnt the art of coding things and created laptops, games, apps and so much more, even new currencies like Bitcoin.
Many who have witnessed this have also shifted what they perceive to be the most valuable industry and how they will guide their children and no doubt tech is on the top. Of course we still need doctors, lawyers, engineers and teachers but innovation and a forward thinking approach is key. You could still be all that but couple it with tech and you have opened a whole new world. Talking about using AI to perform surgeries is becoming the new norm, legal advice over zoom is happening maybe coding mechanisms can be explored to establish guilty from the non-guilty based on evidence. The point is possibilities are endless.
However, the future remains unknown and just because the here and now is tech, the big trend in future might be something completely different. So, is a pre-defined idea of success really what should be used to shape your future or your children’s future? Of course not.
Success comes in many forms. The millennial generation hops from job to job and if job security was all about joining a reputable firm and staying there until retirement then that notion no longer exists. To begin with, no firm offers job security, redundancies are more common than ever before, consumer demand changes and the type of services offered will change with time. Not all organisations will survive and skills are transferable. If anything the more varied the experience the more the individual is able to demonstrate the ability to learn new things and think differently.
The idea of success has changed from what it once was. Businesses, entrepreneurs, forward thinking individuals are the ones who will make tomorrow a better place. Don’t pre-define this for your children, nurture their talents, teach them leadership and allow them to grow into something that interests them. With the right encouragement they too shall be successful. Don't be a people pleaser or crowd follower, as cliched as it may sound, carve your own path.
