They need to build up a positive portfolio of skills showing they are reliable and trustworthy. Much career teaching has remained the same, says Linwood High School teacher and careers adviser Susan Allen. Students need to fit into a team and so social skills are still important. Qualifications, transferable skills, and contacts are still important when getting a job. She sees a spectrum of attitudes from students to future opportunities.
Some students have pressure from home to leave school and get any job that brings in money.
Others do undervalue themselves and will take any job. It seems they all want to be social workers because they are good at giving advice to their friends. Giving advice is indeed a growth industry, and as the richest and best educated generation in history enters the job market, it is crucial to us all that its members have the industry and skills to make the economy grow. The Press, Age of Dissent, Private Bag 4722, Christchurch.