When you eventually complete matric, you’ll likely feel exhausted and up for a much-needed break rather than thinking about work readiness and upskilling yourself. After all, you’ve just finished 12 years of school, and with the added stress of completing the most important final stages of the marathon during the times of COVID! The thought of jumping straight into the working world and landing a job or starting your own business might be totally overwhelming at first, but fear not. You CAN do it!
It’s all a matter of changing your mindset, staying inspired, and improving your work readiness – particularly throughout your final year of school.
What is work readiness?
Work readiness refers to everything that you need to be fully equipped to find and hold down a job, or to successfully start and sustain a business of your own. Consistent upskilling is a huge part of work readiness, and it’s vital that you focus your energy on honing specific skills, including discipline, time management, people skills, and communication skills.
How to upskill?
There are a number of ways to upskill in an effort to build on your work readiness. For starters, you could consider seeking out a mentor to guide you and teach you the ins and outs of the working world.
Another option is to volunteer at a charity or non-profit organisation, or to find a part-time job within the industry that you’re hoping to break into in the near future. Job shadowing is also a fantastic idea to get a better feel for the skills and knowledge required to excel in your dream career.
Finally, it’s also worthwhile to take online courses – many of which are free. For example, now is a good time to register to upskill via the SA Teen Entrepreneur Learning Academy. You’ll have the chance to learn valuable business and entrepreneurship skills by yourself, with friends, or with your school, and, most importantly, you’ll earn while you learn! Click here for more details.
