I was heading to China last week and was going to connect flights at Hong Kong Airport. So, I broadcasted my flight numbers and asked whether there were any graduates from UNSW Aviation who may be available to do afternoon tea with me in the terminal while I was waiting for my outbound flight to China. Eventually, six former students turned up and we enjoyed catching up with each other on works, family and of course, complaining about works to each other.
Upon my departure, one student told me that:”Richard, did you remember that you failed my X course?” “What?” I responded with surprise. This student was one of my favourite students in that class and I couldn’t remember that I failed her. When I mark exam papers, I usually don’t pay attention to student names on papers. Due to a large class size (120 students), I usually remember students’ faces but not necessarily their names.
“Oh, I am so sorry, Jasmine (not real name)!” I responded with a bit sadness and embarrassed. “It’s OK, Richard. It was because of that failed course, I got to know that I didn’t like those mathematical programming, although I like you.“, Jasmine said.
I responded: “Jasmine, that’s great! At least you know what you don’t like in your life, and this is very important for your young career and long life ahead of you.“
Many of my students and clients don’t know what they like to do in their careers; many of them have ‘drifted’ along the journey of education and career. Some of my students landed on aviation because they love aviation (they really do!). Some landed because they had
drifted to this place and some had no idea about education.
Drifting is not a good thing in career development and also not good for developing your life. Without knowing what you want to do as a career is not too bad, if you know clearly what you don’t want to do! At least, you can choose to avoid those things that suck in your life. With this understanding, you life will ‘suck less’; not too bad.
Ideally, you shouldn’t drift in your career and life. No one becomes successful by ‘drifting’ in their career. This is the truth.
Dr. C. Richard Wu @ REEA Consulting.
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