One word professions

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Being a grown up, at that age, seemed like a long time away, and something that would obviously distract you from playing in the sand box at recess. It didn't seem like fun, but it was inevitable and, as such, you had to start preparing for it. The first step in that preparation was deciding how you would spend your working life, and the options were relatively cut-and-dry.

It may be presumptuous to suggest this, but your ideal job was probably something similar to what your parents or an authority figure in your life did. If that wasn't the case, it was most likely similar to a profession you read about in one of the many books in your school's library. Maybe you had a secret crush on Bob the Builder and thought that if you became a construction worker, your unrequited love would materialize in some sort of fairy tale fashion. Or, maybe you were obsessed with Miss Frizzle, and thought that becoming a teacher would allow you to take your students on magical adventures in a shape-shifting, humanoid bus.

 Jobs or careers were based on what you witnessed in your everyday life – doctors, teachers, professional athletes or even lawyers: one word descriptions for far more complex professions.

As University students, you probably came to the realization somewhere along the line that things are not so black and white, and that what you thought you wanted to do when you were still learning how to count is probably not what you want to do now. It would not be completely off the mark, either, to suggest that you're still not entirely sure what you want to do, or even that the field that you are currently studying in will secure you your dream job.

While the following data is somewhat outdated, it proves to be a strong indication that entering the "grown up" world is a tumultuous journey. The Youth in Transition Survey (YITS), conducted by Statistics Canada, outlines young people's "movements between high school, post-secondary education and the labour market", in 1999, 2001 and 2003. The YITS concluded that nearly three quarters of the individuals in the study went through a transition – either between high school and post-secondary education, or between their studies and the workplace. The YITS saw a steady increase in the proportion of young people from 22 to 24-years-old who went in to post-secondary education from the start of the survey: "In 1999, 62 per cent of young people had gone to a post-secondary institution at some point. By 2003, over three-quarters (76 per cent) had done so".

While this number is certainly encouraging for the young population of Canada, the YITS also found that as of Dec. 2003, about one out of five of those 22 to 24-year-olds was still pursuing post-secondary accreditation and had yet to graduate.

For reference, if the majority of individuals enter post-secondary education at 17-years-old, and a typical university degree takes four years to complete, most individuals would ideally be graduated at 21-years-old. This is assuming everything worked out perfectly, or said individual isn't just going to university for the sake of going to university.

What is more likely the scenario, however, is that those 22 to 24-year-olds hit a few bumps along their education path that lead to a change in their course of study, or a potential over haul of what they wanted to accomplish. While coming to university with the child-like mid-set of "I'm going to be a teacher/doctor/professional athlete/lawyer/etc." may have been the case for the first year or so, finding out about all the other career paths that are possible often derails ones aspirations, resulting in a "what the hell am I doing with my life" kind of scenario. There are thousands of professions out there that you never even considered, and there are a handful of ones that you think you would be good at, or would like to try.

If you are still trudging along on your path to be the one-word profession – good for you, your will-power and determination is an inspiration to us all. For the rest of you who have just completed graduate school applications, who are considering a post-graduate program, who are looking into diploma options, or who are simply dusting off the ol' resume in hopes of finding a job: your life will change even more now that you are steps closer to being a real grown up, and it's not the end of the world.  

    -Katherine Gottli