Making a positive impact on the world by inspiring and helping others to evolve and thrive is my why behind what I do as a psychologist, podcast host, mentor, volunteer, advocate, and author. Today’s young people are struggling with record mental health challenges, self-confidence, sense of purpose, polarization, fear, and global uncertainty. Truly, this world is a challenging one, yet one full of opportunities, beauty, and love – if you look for it.
When I first heard about the book Being a Better Human Teenager, co-authored by four professionals and community leaders I truly respect, I was intrigued and grateful. As a mother of three teenagers myself, I’m trying to inspire them to make a positive impact through their talents and passions. I believe today’s teens get a bad reputation, yet can make such a difference in the world if they are given the right opportunities and mentorship. Keeping them busy and engaged in what they find meaningful builds lifelong skills and networks, as well as resiliency in the face of life’s challenges.
Cultivating or igniting the spark that resides in every young person is a worthy mission that this current book is all about. As someone who has worked with and contributed to helping youth in various ways throughout my career, I wanted to provide my reflections on cultivating the “spark” in our young people.
I will speak to this in a two-part blog from two lenses in my life. In this first part I speak as the Founder of Canada Career Counselling, where I have led a team since 2009 in helping thousands of young people figure out their career purpose and path. From this work, I have insights on how to ignite the spark through intentional career development.
Intentional Career Development
Let’s face it, schools typically do not have the resources to support career planning in young people. Yet how a young person makes a career decision, and ultimately what path they choose, has massive implications for their future. I’ve always said that two of life’s decisions that can make or break your happiness are your choice of: 1) life partner, and 2) career. Yet time and time again, these decisions are made with incomplete information, lack of time and feedback, and with immense pressure from others and society.
When it comes to career, I see firsthand that our clients at Canada Career Counselling (many of whom are in their 30s and 40s) wish they had career planning tools and insights when they were a teenager, as it would have sent them down a much better path. Some people say, “But kids change their minds all the time and university is a time of self-exploration, so they don’t need to figure it out this young.”. My response is that changing your mind is normal, but having a direction in mind and knowing how to make informed career decisions makes the pivots so much smoother.
To ignite the spark within a young person, it’s important they are exposed to as many different careers as possible. Talking to people about their own careers, whether neighbors, relatives or professionals they encounter, is so important. As adults, we can help make these connections for them. Far too often, a young person enters post-secondary education to study for a career which they don’t truly understand because they have not spoken to people doing that career. They don’t understand the “day in the life” and make assumptions about what’s involved. No wonder they end up needing to shift career paths later.
Volunteering for different causes is another powerful way to learn about your values and what moves you to action. Volunteer experiences have helped so many of my clients, as well as myself, to broaden connections and fuel the energy and passion to make a difference. I can’t encourage volunteering enough in young people, and ideally, it’s intentional and focused on the causes they most care about rather than doing it just for the sake of a line item on their resume. As adults in their lives, we can encourage volunteering for different causes and support them to put these roles into action regularly.
Conclusion
In sum, igniting the spark in our young people needs to involve intentional career planning and development. Leaving this important life decision to chance can result in unfulfilling careers and lack of meaning and purpose. Join me for part 2 of this blog next month where I share my thoughts on how the performing arts is an important way for many youth to develop their spark and confidence.
Dr. Laura Hambley is a thought leader on Career and Workplace Psychology, passionate about career development. She founded Canada Career Counselling in 2009, however has specialized in career development since 1999 through her Master’s research and counselling in different settings, including outplacement and career transition firms in Alberta.
Dr. Laura learned early on that effective career planning enhances wellbeing, confidence, and clarity in one’s work and life. Combining the expertise of Psychology with Career Counselling is what she sought to do as she founded and evolved Canada Career Counselling from Calgary to Toronto, Victoria, and Halifax, providing Career Counselling and Career Coaching to thousands of clients over many years.
Dr. Laura enjoys her work as a Career Counsellor and Career Coach to professionals who are in mid- or senior stages of their career, helping them navigate complex career decisions and pivots. Her extensive experience as an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, enables her to understand and address the challenges faced by individuals, leaders, teams, and organizational cultures. Having consulted to a wide range of organizations since the late 1990s, and becoming a future of work thought leader, has enabled her to help individuals and organizations navigate the latest trends impacting today’s organizations.
Dr. Laura fulfilled her dream of having her own podcast in 2020, called Where Work Meets Life™, where she interviews experts globally on topics around career fulfillment and thriving humans and organizations. She is a sought-after keynote speaker for organizations, associations, conferences, and events.
In addition to her Master’s in Counselling Psychology (1999), Laura holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (2005) from the University of Calgary. She is a Registered Psychologist with the College of Alberta Psychologists, as well as a member of the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta and the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). She also contributes to teaching, supervision, and research as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of Calgary.
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