You know how it goes : one survey shows that eating chocolate is bad for you only to be contradicted by another survey in which in the results prove that, yes, eating chocolate is actually beneficial for your health. Welcome to the information age.
The chocolate may simple make you shake your head in amusement. But when information crucial to your choice of career does not make sense, you are left not only feeling confused but also paralysed by fear of making the wrong choice. What does it mean, then, to make an informed career decision?
“The secret lies in verifying the career information that you may have gathered from the various sources available, “says Natalie Rabson of Boston City Campus and Business College. “Learners nowadays are fortunate to have access to loads of information about careers.
Boston, for example, offers career information and advisory services free of charge and with no obligation to enroll for a course. ‘You can find out, among others things, what a career entails, whether your personality is suited to that line of work, what the study requirements are, what the job prospects are, and what salary you can expect to earn.” Once you have the basic information, your move is to verify the information by speaking to:
“Your family, teachers and lecturers also play a role in influencing your decision but never lose sight of the fact that they may have a limited perspective,”Rabson points out. “They may not have first-hand experience of the industry you’re interested in or they may have their own reasons for encouraging following a specific career instead of another – which they often do unintentionally.” It makes sense to choose a field of work where there are job vacancies and where the pay is good – that everybody agrees on. But when you start looking at statistics and surveys, everyone seems to have a different opinion of what constitutes good job prospects and good pay.
Are you one of those confused people wondering whether it’s a good idea to follow a career in hotel and tourism? This month there’s been much talk about the World Cup and the job opportunities in hotel and tourism. The consensus seems to be that the event created jobs were of a temporary nature. Now, say the naysayers, its back to reality.
“Reality is not that back, “says Rabson. “It is true that many hospitality, tourism, and entertainment jobs were of a temporary nature. It is true that chefs, for example, have dropped from 6th place in 2010 to 10th place in 2011 on the list of jobs most in demand compiled by employment services company Manpower SA.
“These statistics make perfect sense seeing that there was an inflated need for catering specialists last year as a result of the World Cup. “The wonderful thing, however, is that chefs still appear on that list of jobs most in demand.” Our country is presently not abuzz with tourists around every corner as it was this time last year, but many 2010 tourists already have or are planning to come back to our shores on holiday.
During September, SA’s official tourism month, the minister of tourism is expected to reveal facts and figures about the state of tourism during 2011. “Facts and figures are important bits of information to add to your other determination factors,” Rabson adds.
“Consider that eco-tourism is in its infancy and developing steadily all over the world as awareness of the environment grows. “Consider the research that shows you need to be happy and have a passion for a career in order to succeed in it. “If you feel excited at the mere thought of working in hotel or tourism industry, if being surrounded by people the whole day long is your idea of fun, if you love pleasing others and have lots of energy and enthusiasm, chances are you will do well in hotel and tourism if you have the relevant qualification and hands-on training.”
Students that apply for admission at Boston City Campus & Business College will get a response to their applications within two working days. And those that apply long in advance for their 2016 studie…
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