Are You at an Inflection Point?
In the research for my book, In The Driver’s Seat: Work-Life Navigational Skills for Young Adults, I’ve identified four key decision-making points in a Gen Y’s life – the times when a young adult needs to take action to ensure his future.
Everybody already knows when these points occur, but somehow a lot of people get panicky when they come to one of these forks in the road. Just go to Brazen Careerist or any college or grad school prep site like Princeton Review or Kaplan for confirmation.
My book combines the perspectives of both a ‘Boomer’ and hundreds of Gen Y college grads aged 23-30. It details a specific process guiding students to combine opportunities for focused experimentation, further education and research so that by the time they graduate from college, they have decided on a field, a role and an organization that not only meet their particular criteria, but more importantly give them the highest probability of a successful career. The advice and the exercises in the book are also applicable to those considering grad school, or anyone in his 20’s who’s confused about career choices and needs somewhere to turn.
So on to these vulnerable points when a Gen Y needs to plan:
The Four Inflection Points
Junior Year in High School: For those on a college track, this is when applying to college becomes a reality and personal reflection and planning is needed for college applications.
Sophomore Year in College: This is the moment when a student needs to declare a major, regardless of how many times he’s changed his mind.
Junior Year until College Graduation: Hopefully the student has been focused on long-term planning, because the moment of truth is now here, when that student needs to find a job.
Three Years Post-graduation (approximately): Now working, the young adult must assess whether he’s in the right career and whether he should go to grad school.
Are you or your child at an inflection point? If so, it’s time to take control! Let me know if I can help.