Blindly Preparing for the Future of our Careers

We recently received the following submission:

“Jobs aren’t your 9 – 5 anymore, and consistently job hopping has become nearly an obligation in STEM. With our futures no longer being clear cut, it makes it very hard to plan and prepare accordingly. Because of this ambiguity, it feels like I’m never fully prepared or good enough. There’s just so much pressure and competition now!” (20, Sydney)

This made us think about the nature of the current job market. Not only in STEM, but in every field. Bob Williamson – chief scientist and research director at CSIRO – states that our jobs of the future are changing so rapidly that “many will become obsolete or are yet to be created.” He states that Australians will have to adapt to constant technological changes to new skills that will be required.

So what can the millennials generation do to keep up and be ready for the technologically-driven jobs ahead of us?

Williamson states that first, studying anything technology-related will help, no matter the field you’re in – such as coding. The transferable skills you gain from such skills are not only highly valuable, but very highly regarded by employers (check out CodeAcademy to learn coding for free!) Second, skills such as creativity and teamwork are becoming increasingly important. A report by the Australian Council of Learned Academics states that in the last 3 years alone, there has been a 212% increase in jobs demanding digital literacy and a 65% rise in those wanting creativity. Even though the nature of the job market is changing like never before, honing transferable skills will help you prepare for any field you’re going into. So keep studying and working on what you’re passionate about, and pick up some new skills – like coding – on the way!

– Leonie

 

(Peacefully) Fighting back with Mindfulness: Mental Health Awareness Month

In light of Mental Health Awareness Month and the abundant articles we’ve written about the pressures and high expectations imposed on the millennials generation to have their life together make it clear that the issue exists, and is widespread. But what can we to about it to mitigate the stress associated with it? A 2010 study conducted at Harvard University in Massachusetts found that mindfulness increases happiness. But what is mindfulness? Reachout.com explains that ‘mindfulness’ “simply means paying attention to the present moment. Practising mindfulness can help you to cope with everyday life and deal with tough times.” Mindfulness is often associated with meditation. Whilst meditation is a valuable practice for eliminating stress, mindfulness can be achieved in a variety of ways – the most important part is to remain acutely aware of yourself and your feelings. Reachout advises to concentrate on what’s happening around you. Think about this right now as you’re reading:

• What sounds can you hear?
• What can you smell?
• Are you hot? cold?
• Are you hungry?
• How are you breathing? Think about each breath you take. In, and out.

That is what mindfulness feels like.

To learn more about (peacefully) fighting back your stress with ‘mindfulness,’ read more on Reachout!

– Leonie

A life worth living.

“I think we often underestimate the importance of our wellbeing and happiness in what we do. Our generation has been brought up in an environment strife with competition, encouraging us that success means doing everything you can to get that well paying job. Wellbeing and happiness suddenly takes a step back. But how is that a life worth living?”

(19, Sydney)

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EC

“I’m 25 and still figuring things out”

Finding Diosa Taylor’s article online on Gradtouch has been an absolute blessing and a pleasure to read. She seems to perfectly encapsulate everything the #NoDeadline cause is about. We’ve managed to sum up her article in 3 little points:

1. Don’t build up ages as deadlines. Reaching ‘milestone’ ages often makes us think that we should have achieved specific accomplishments. As Diosa states, “[25] a milestone age we look to and set deadlines for: “by the time I’m 25 I’ll have a house/career/long term partner/my life together” and so on. So when you get there and haven’t quite got everything figured out, it can feel like a failure, or like time is running out.” This applies to other milestone ages like 30. Forget them. The achievements you dream of don’t have a deadline or an expiry date.
2. You do you. It’s a weird age. In our 20s, we’re in the middle of being too young and being too old at the same time. Everyone around you is at completely different stages in their lives, doing completely different things. As Diosa states: “we are the chameleon age where just about everything is OK.” So don’t worry if you seem to be doing something different from those around you. Everyone is following their own path, and no path holds more value than another.
3. You don’t suddenly “become a grown up” – There is no number attached to that title, so don’t bother trying to reach it. It is impossible to reach something that doesn’t exist. Instead, enjoy your 20s. They are a time in your life you should enjoy. Don’t waste it worrying about what everyone else is doing and whether you’re good enough. Travel, spend time with the ones you love, do what you love, and life will somehow reward you.

– Leonie

Comparison & Social Media: The downfall of the 20s

The advent of social media has created a social climate previous generations never had to cope with. Psychologist Melinda Rak states that social media is a significant contributor to why millennials experience a tough time with such high levels of the stress.

It’s a well-known (but often forgotten) fact that we only post the highlights of our life on social media. This has the consequence of leaving us constantly comparing us to that high standard. 95% of people in Australia use Facebook, and people in their 20s most frequently use social media (literally, every day). So every single day, every time we’re scrolling down our Facebook and Instagram feeds, we are faced with a wave of content featuring celebrities with perfect bodies, our friends constantly travelling the world and our peers showcasing their dream jobs. So when you suddenly combine the issue of comparison with the sheer scale of social media usage, it’s no wonder that it plays such a contributing factor in making us feel inadequate. Melinda emphasises that “Being angry, sad, frustrated, anxious etc. are all normal and acceptable emotions. However social media distorts this assertion by equating positive emotions as acceptable and expected, and thus more valued.”

For anyone who is seeking advice in how to cope with this, we’ve collected two quotes that are valuable to keep in mind – we hope you take them to heart like we did.

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is that we compare our behind-the-scenes with every one else’s highlight reels.” (Steve Furtick)

“Educating people on emotional literacy and their self-talk can go a long way to building resilience and coping skills. In addition, understanding how the lens of social media used to view society is currently out of focus, and that developing skills to reframe how one’s self-worth is not dictated by a photo.” (Melinda Rak)

– Leonie