Employment challenges of a young person and outlook of the future

Many young people struggle to visualise their career path, trying to figure out what they want to be at a young age, and of course, many of us change our minds over the years. During my last year of school, there was a degree of pressure indicating that the only way to be successful, allowing for a well-paid job, was to attend university. I disagreed.

I had the feeling that university life wasn't for me. I wanted to get on and work and pursue other interests without the obligation and debt of university. I started a small business, working for myself and enjoyed my success and experiences.

Bumping into one of my old teachers, I found myself disheartened by our conversation; and her overall reaction to the fact I continued my pursuit of a different path to the one she had placed upon me. For a moment, the teachers' response made me feel unsupported by my decision.

With the pressures of life and the traditional norms, it is increasingly hard for young people to find work. The lack of or the wrong experience to fit a specific job role is often the barrier young people encounter. However, with the help of 'set your worth,' young people are inadvertently recognised for more than just their skills and capabilities, meaning new opportunities and fairness.

I believe this will give young people the chance to be paid their worth in a role that can show off how incredible they are.

'Set your worth' does not discriminate against individuals, which I like. They put the power, for want of a better word, in the employee's hands, which allows them to reach their full potential and self-worth. I certainly think this will benefit many young people as they'll get on the employment ladder easier and be rewarded more fairly.

It’s all too easy for the stereotypical negatives of getting older to preside in social opinion and it’s well documented that people over a certain age face greater barriers in the job market. Acts, policies and procedures abound to prevent it, but what about promoting the advantages of a multi-generational workforce.

Let’s look at what actually gets better with age and why these attributes are a positive force in the working environment.

Decision-making – Research suggests that you make better decisions as you get older, that our minds better understand the ‘weight’ of each decision. Experience gives us understanding about the ramifications and implications of a decision. Much is made of the impetuous nature of youth and whilst the drive to put ‘your head above the parapet’ can be admirable, there are situations where a more considered approach leads to a better outcome.

Self-confidence – As you age, you become more comfortable with yourself, less likely to compare yourself to others and try and be someone you are not. Much more likely to understand that some people will only like you if you fit in their ‘box’. As you get older you are much less afraid of shoving that box….well you get the idea…

Memory – Contrary to popular opinion, some forms of memory actually improve with age; semantic memory, which is your knowledge of the world, experiences, facts and figures, resists aging. The ability to retain and recall key information is an invaluable skill in virtually every sector.

Empathy – Some research has suggested that late middle-aged adults demonstrate more empathy than other age groups. The more empathetic we are, the more likely we are going to understand a situation and be able to assess and decision make off the back of it. This is surely, a hugely underrated skill in the workplace.

Positive mindset - Less stress and worry. Various studies have illustrated that older people focus on the positives rather than the negatives. Therefore, having a multi-generational workforce, creates a balance that could be skewed to the negative without it.

Wisdom - Is something that only develops with age, immortalised in the quote by Robert Frost

The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.