Gauteng Youth Magazine, now in it’s 2nd year of publication, is Gauteng’s youth Career Guidance magazine. It is a monthly magazine featuring further education, learning and career options available to school youth. The editorial content covers education and career guidance, presented in an accessible, engaging, youthful and informal style.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

By Kenneth Mhlongo

* How do we really want to spend our days?
* What choices should we make?
* What can we do that will fill our lives with meaning and bring us the adventure and rewards we seek?
* How do we know we’ve chosen the right career path and proper goals? We shouldn’t take these questions lightly.
We must keep our options open and plan for our future wisely. Many people allow their parents, teachers, or friends to choose their career - or let the prospects of earning money decide. The first step towards planning a meaningful future is by being true to yourself. The next step is to realise that your future lies in your hands. Gauteng Youth Magazine will help you in your self analysis so that you can learn as much as you can about yourself and the world around you. Gaining knowledge is a lifelong experience, not a collection of facts or figures. Not long ago, what you learned in school was largely all you needed, you could rely on that knowledge for the rest of your life. This is no longer true. In this world, with so much more to know we must develop a new attitude towards learning. We must continue learning outside the classroom as well, by absorbing new ideas, experiences and knowledge. A love of learning comes from understanding. This will spring from wanting to know more than just the facts, having a natural curiosity, and understanding how and why deepening your understanding of YOU - the most important person in your life.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND JOB SEEKING SKILLS.

By Nthatile Chaane

IT is important to realise, a degree or diploma does not guarantee employment. Competition for positions is stronger than ever before. The key to the career decision making process, whether you are just starting out of later in life, is having accurate information about yourself and the world of work. We make very few irreversible career decisions in out lives. The nature of human beings is such that our personalities develop as our interests, aptitudes, skills and values evolve, we gain perspectives on life and work. It is important to realise that our goals are sometimes shifted or amended by changes in the environment around us. The unpredictability in the economy and the ever-changing nature of the job market will often force us to redirect our careers and learn to make sound choices among alternatives Always bear in mind that career planning should be approached as a series of interim decisions - a continuous process - rather than steps to a final, irreversible end. For many job seekers, it may be necessary to compromise their career goals, at least temporarily, so that they can utilise opportunities that could serve as stepping stones to greater things. This may specifically be the case if the job search process becomes very drawn out. Remember that no experience is ever wasted. Our values reflect the relative importance of people, objects, ideas and activities in our lives. Work-related values encompass attitudes toward financial reward, prestige, creativity, independence, altruism and more. If a job is not consistent with your set of
values, it could cause personal conflict and difficulty over time and lead to a growing sense of frustration. People vary widely in what they consider important, but, for all, an awareness of job-related values is central to a good job choice. Try and determine which are your four most important values and rank them accordingto priority.