16 Jul
Posted by kari.petroschmidt
I think a lot of us experience this anxiety surrounding the end of our University careers and what we should become. All these titles – ‘designer’, ‘banker’, ‘director’, ‘writer’, ‘artist’, ‘entrepreneur’. I’m beginning to wonder whether we’re approaching it in the wrong way. We’re thinking in boxes. University shouldn’t just endow you with some meaningless badge – a degree and a label. It should be about giving you skills. Whether that’s through your degree/s, your extra-curriculars or the jobs you acquire along the way. Once you leave maybe finding an ‘occupation’ isn’t the point, rather it’s looking for opportunities which fit with the abilities you’ve developed. So long as these prospects involve a vision, passion, change, and doing what you love, the title and even the exact area are kind of irrelevant. It’s a more open and adaptable approach in this dynamic, ever-changing world we live in. And basically, that’s what starting-up and indeed what Audacious are about. Whether you win a prize in the competition or not. Whether you ultimately ‘fail’ in regards to your start up or not. The journey is about facilitating that skill development; from the more abstract characteristics of fearlessness, energy, determination and lateral thinking to substantive training in promotions, the use of social media, net-working, managing staff, public speaking, business plan writing, market analysis, copyright and tax law and more.
Basically, forget the labels. I, for instance, am not a ‘Writer’ or an ‘Events Manager’. I write and I manage events. I’m not a future ‘Lawyer’ or ‘Curator’/’Art Gallery Director’ – I have knowledge of the Law and Art History and ability in the skills related to those disciplines. These are the things I do, and though they’re a part of who I am, no one of them can completely encapsulate me as an individual. Adopting a superficial badge in this way is a particular brand of pretentiousness and why bother? Our abilities, our interests and our potentialities are so much more than what can be surmised in a word and why would we want to limit ourselves?
Funny. Once you get over the fear of not knowing exactly what you want to do with your life, the future starts to look rather exciting.
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16 – Jul – 2012 |