Do we need a career guide?

If your children are toward the end of their high school education, then you would probably struggle with them to select what major to study at college or university. In my case, the challenge was convincing my sons to balance passion with job security.

I was thrilled to find 'My Career, My Life' by Dr. Nagib Omar. This book in English can be used as a guide to help teenagers and their parents navigate a very important step in their lives.

The author shares his journey and reflections to select his career and he does that in a way that attracts the reader to indulge in the book.

Dr Nagib starts his book by highlighting the role of parents, teachers, and career coaches as guides for a person making career choices. He starts the first chapter by saying “Did you know that parents have the greatest influence on their teen's career choices?” This a very important statement since most teens understand that their parents have their best interests at heart and would know them better than anyone else, but it also shows how parents' attitude toward their children is essential in establishing self-confidence.

Sometimes people try to push their children to achieve the goals they were not able to achieve themselves which can be challenging to the young person who may not know what they want to do as a career and at the same time do not want to upset their parents.

This leads to misery and unhappiness when the young person realizes that he is chasing his parents’ dreams and not his own.

The book goes on to describe how to find the right career starting by identifying your hobbies, values, the type of life you want and what are you willing to sacrifice.

Medical doctors for example spend many years studying medicine then postgraduate training and specialising which means long hours of study and several exams to pass before becoming a consultant.

Many doctors work long hours around people who are experiencing pain and ill health, which can be emotionally, draining. Knowing this before choosing medicine is crucial.

In the following chapters, the author provides the readers with tips to discover their strengths and find a career fit, what courses to take at university before taking them through the process of applying to a university, and how to proceed with career development after graduation.

The author provides the readers with tips to discover their strengths and find a career fit what courses to take at university before describing the process of applying to a university and how to proceed with career development after graduation.

He also shares secrets of a successful career and how to approach carer changes as one progresses through life.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author’s personal experiences growing up in Kenya and how his parents had to work harder to support his education, which motivated him to reach his potential and help others around him.

In my opinion, this book should be made available for school students so they can have some insight into the journey awaiting them

I am confident you'll enjoy ‘My Career, My Life’ as much as I did. Happy reading!