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“I’ve Worked in Recruitment for Years. Here’s What I’m Telling My Own Children About Their Careers.”
Is “work hard and the rest will follow” still good career advice?
Something I’ve found myself thinking about more in recent years is how I can use my experience in recruitment to help my children and stepchildren find the right careers and opportunities for them.
And it’s made me wonder: what has actually changed for young people starting their careers today?
Is it genuinely more difficult? Or is the advice fundamentally the same as it was when I was young:
Work hard and the rest will follow.
I think hard work is still at the heart of it. But today, I think you need to add something else:
Strategy, it’s not just about how hard you work. It’s understanding why you’re working hard and what you’re working towards.
Simply passing exams and getting good qualifications isn't necessarily enough. My niece has recently finished university with a first-class degree and wants to become a lawyer. She could quite easily think: “I’ve got a first. I’ve done my bit.” Instead, she’s decided that the degree alone isn't enough.
She’s picking up the phone and speaking to as many people in the legal profession as she can. She’s asking questions, learning how the industry really works and then putting that knowledge into practice.
I think there’s a big lesson in that, qualifications can get you through certain doors, but knowledge, relationships, curiosity and determination can help you find the right doors in the first place.
So, after years of working in recruitment, what advice would I give my own children about navigating the modern world of work?
Work hard, learn the skills the world is going to value, including how to use AI effectively. Talk to people who are already doing what you think you might want to do. Ask questions, build relationships.
Decide what you would like to try and then go after it relentlessly. Build a level of knowledge about your chosen field that gives you an edge and don't give up at the first setback.
Perhaps, when I think about it, that's not actually that different from the advice I received when I was young.
The opportunities and technology have changed; the competition may have changed. The way we find jobs has certainly changed, but the fundamentals probably haven't.
Work hard, have a direction, be curious, build relationships, keep learning and create your own opportunities rather than waiting for them to arrive.
Looking back, I was fortunate to have parents who wanted the best for me and helped give me opportunities when I was young.
Perhaps the best thing I can do now is try to do the same for the next generation, while helping them understand the world they're entering is very different from the one I entered.
