Ramadān - Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada

So What Do You Wantto Be When You Grow Up?Dr. Ijaz A. Rauf – National Secretary Ta‘līmPart IGeneral AdviceAnd everyone has a goal whichdominates him; vie, then, withone another in good works.Wherever you be, Allāh willbring you all together. Surely,Allāh has the power to do allthat He wills.(2:149)Do you know where your lifeis heading? Are you on track,implementing your plan, orwaiting for someone else to tell youwhich direction your career shouldtake next or are you just lettingopportunities and offers come yourway hoping they provide what youtruly desire in your life?As students approach high school,they start to set their sights on thefuture. Career development, formost people, is a lifelong processranging from educational, skillsdevelopment and employmentopportunities. Every processis influenced by many factors,including their environment,personal aptitudes, and educationalqualifications. A major turningpoint in students’ lives is the careerchoice they make while in highschool. Generally, it is viewed byfamily and community as a merestart of professional life; however,this decision plays a major rolein establishing a career path thatopens as well as closes a multitudeof opportunities.The interdependence of family,school, and community cultureplays a critical role in shaping ouroccupational choice. The economicand social circumstances of thebroader community also colourand influence our perceptions ofappropriate career choices. It isalmost impossible to reach ourgoals without a destination. As weuse a map to find our way to a newdestination, a map for our careeris just as important. Without anaddress and directions, you willend up lost. Some teenagers failbecause they have no plans. When ateen wishes to have a specific careerin the future, he is much likely tograduate compared to someonewho has no plans at all. At highschool, through interactions withthe family, school, and communitywe live in, we learn about andexplore careers and make choicesthat can ultimately transform usto useful contributing members ofthe society. Parents usually wishtheir children to become successfulbut in many situations it is difficultfor children to become what theyreally wish to be. For this reason,parents, community leaders andcareer counsellors are there to help,of course with the help of prayers.Many students sometimes thinkthat high school is too early forthem to decide their ultimate career.They tend to forget that planningtheir future during high schoolwill have a big impact on makingdecisions in their life especially intheir future careers. As a student,you must have a forward visionabout your future. Believe it ornot, if you are in high school rightnow, you are at a great point inyour life. You have your whole lifein front of you. And now is a goodtime to start thinking about yourfuture, to make some initial plans;just remember that plans can beeasily changed. Remember too, thatexperts predict that the averageperson will change careers -- notjust jobs -- more than five times inhis or her lifetime. Now is the timeto pursue your dreams! And asyou start thinking about potentialeducational and career paths hereare some useful tips:Study hard and get good grades.Academic progress is the firstkey to have a good future career.Education is very important ifyou want to have the best careersomeday. Having good gradesin high school and college willmake building your career easier.You can do this by going to studysessions, reading books and beingat the top of your class. Academicachievement is your greatest tool torealize a dream career for yourself.Getting a University degree or anMBA, for example, someday is anadvantage when you apply for ajob. So make the most of your high30 So What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?