UNAIR NEWS – Planning a career from an early age is important for students to prepare for their future. In addition to focusing on academic activities, career planning is also important so that after graduating, they have a clear mind of what to do.
According to Lestri Kusumah, S.Psi., CBC., the absence of clear career planning and goals can have several negative impacts and even cause a quarter-life crisis. Quarter-life crisis itself is a term that refers to emotional states such as worry, doubt, and confusion to determine the direction of life, which usually occurs in the age group of 20 to 30 years.
“Although almost everyone experiences a quarter life crisis, clear career planning can at least prevent it properly,” she explained in a webinar entitled “Planning Your Career Path” organized by DPKKA UNAIR together with Redy Indonesia.
Negative impacts
Lestri mentioned five negative impacts if we do not have a good career plan in our life. First, we will experience confusion about what to do after graduating. Moreover, not all students feel that the study program they have taken suits their passion. This confusion can eventually lead to feelings of anxiety.
“The anxiety means we are worried whether the job we are currently taking is suitable for us or not, whether the future career path will be good or not, and so on,” she explained on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.
According to the Founder and CEO of Psytalk Indonesia, the third impact is the choice to give up. According to her, when we feel uncomfortable and have our own pressure when carrying out work, we will give up easily. Furthermore, this condition can result in bad mental health, burnout or prolonged stress conditions, and loss of motivation.
“Well, the burnout problem may make us want to resign from our job. However, we will have no other idea about what to do, and there is no more motivation in us due to the stress,” she said.
How to determine career paths
Lestri said there are two ways to determine what careers are suitable for us and our future goals to prevent some of these negative impacts. First, we have to know what we want. According to Lestri, this desire is dynamic, so it can change over time.
After knowing what we want, the next step is to do what we are capable of. This means we can apply for internships, volunteer, or even interest and aptitude tests to prepare ourselves before reaching our initial goals.
“By doing internships and similar activities, you can understand whether a certain field is indeed suitable with your passion or not. After finding your passion, it will be easy for you to make the right career plan,” she concluded at the end of the presentation.
Author: Nikmatus Sholikhah
Editor : Feri Fenoria
