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It is a common belief among young people today, especially teenagers, that the minimum is all we need to do in order to sail through life.
It’s either that, or they think that simply ‘trying your best’ is enough. How about striving for more than the bare minimum? Instead of putting in that 99% we all know we are capable of, how about 100%?
I say this as we are becoming relaxed, not only as a nation but as an international community. It isn’t hard to spot, especially when learning that the UN believe we have 12 years to limit climate change before ‘irreversible damage’ will occur. We need more young people within society to grow up and become proactive individuals to help combat this pandemic, and many other challenges we face today.
A year ago, I realised that I would never become one of these proactive and contributive members of society unless I took every opportunity offered to me. This realisation hit me when I looked at the (very successful) head girl of my school and compared myself with her. What was she doing in order to be a straight A* student with an impressively enriched lifestyle that I wasn’t? She simply looked for, and then took, every opportunity available to her. I believe she is now at a very high calibre university studying medicine, destined to help people in the future.
I believe it is important to take every opportunity as this expands the range of experiences you have as a young person. The more clubs you engage in, the more events you attend, the more people you talk to, the more enriched your life will become. With overall attainment becoming more and more impressive, it is these people that primarily stand out due to their ‘can do’ attitude, which employers and businesses yearn for.
Another reason why enriching your extracurricular and academic lifestyle is so essential is that it prepares you for failure. Those who never face rejection will never learn how to receive criticism, making them an ineffective player in the workforce. Being able to partake in constructive conversations, reflect and adapt are all standout qualities of these individuals.
The ultimate goal for us teenagers is to eventually find a job that we enjoy and feel valued for on a day to day basis. Having a wide variety of experiences to use as a reference, we will be better placed to understand our own likes, dislikes, and future goals. It will help us to realise what we want from a job, as opposed to only what our employers want from us.
From recently attending a recruitment day for teenage girls at a leading accounting firm, I saw that there are so many other people who want what I want. Hundreds of hopeful jobseekers compete for the same job these days. What can you do today to make yourself stand out?
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