Jennifer Scott-Barrett, Branch Sales Representative at the JN Financial Services in Catherine Hall, has the captive attention of students at the Herbert Morrison Technical High School during Career Day.
“Don’t let anyone, or anything, crush your dreams of becoming what you want to be in life. Pursue your dreams even if no one else believes in you,” cautioned Jennifer Scott-Barrett, Branch Sales Representative at the JN Financial Services centre in Catherine Hall.
Mrs Scott-Barrett was addressing a group of approximately 50 students in Grade Nine, with interest in business, during Career Day at the Herbert Morrison Technical High School, recently. More than 150 other Grade Nine students also participated in Career Day, which was themed: “Your Career, Your Choice.”
“Your career choice should not be based on what your friends are interested in or because your parents want you to pursue it. You probably won’t do well in a career which others choose for you, as you may not have the passion for it,” she said.
She urged students to ponder the things they enjoy doing, what kind of skills they already have, and their work style to help to determine their career path. “It is important to choose a career which matches your main interests. There is a saying: ‘Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.’ In other words, your career should be so fulfilling that you won’t see it as being work,” she emphasised.
Mrs Scott-Barrett also pointed out that persons do well on the job, when they enter a career field requiring skills in which they have already demonstrated high levels of competence. In addition, she also advised students how to gain work experience.
“You can acquire work experience by choosing to volunteer. By volunteering, you will further develop your appreciation for the job you want to master. Also, talk with older relatives or friends, adults who work in your area of interest. Through those conversations, you will discover aspects of the career that you may not have considered and whatever you learn will guide you as to what to expect.”
Anna-Lee Lawrence, a Grade Nine student, who was among the students with consumer science and technology interest, found Career Day beneficial.
“It was good. It improved my knowledge about what it takes to be a lawyer, and it will assist me to choose my Grade 10 subjects, to help me to matriculate into university,” she said. “First, we had a lawyer. He was amazing. We received a lot of information, about the different courts, the rankings of lawyers, and the requirements to become a judge,” she added.
Similarly, Akilah Tyson, a Grade 11 student, related that her participation in Career Day was beneficial while she was in Grade Nine, as it helped to cement her career choice of becoming a forensic scientist.
Guidance Counsellor at the school, Denzil Dickson, pointed out that Herbert Morrison Technical had a robust career development programme, which is geared to prepare students for the work world.
“Career Day is just one of the activities in our overall programme. We start the programme at Grade Nine, during the transitional period when students start to focus on their career,” he related.
He further explained that, students are exposed to careers that are aligned to their personality and are encouraged to research their chosen career and explore realities, such as salary and benefits associated with that career. They are also required to interview three professionals in the field, to obtain additional information, and identify the college or university where they can matriculate and ensure that they acquire the necessary subjects to do so.
