In this VUCA world (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous), many Emerging Adults (who are entering the workforce after school) are challenged when it comes to making career decisions. They face disruption in where they will work, with the lack of decisive post-covid workplace decisions, the impact of automation and AI on jobs during the next decades, the impact of disruptive industries, etc.

They have a sense of what they want to get from jobs and careers. They want to meet their needs for:

·   Passion:  What skills and talents do you really want to engage in and master?

·   Purpose: Is the culture and mission of the company consistent with your better-world value system?

·   Engagement:  Am I working with teams and projects that produce Flow, positive relationships, and professional growth?

·   Income: Am I reasonably compensated?

·   Growth: Is there an opportunity for future professional and personal growth?

One solution is to ask older adults with more experience and expertise when it comes to the coming industry changes. This includes parents, relatives, teachers, career counsellors, Human Resource experts, and many of the members of the Age Brilliantly community. 

Esta Pratt-Kielly’s recent article, How to help my young adult find their purpose, provides interesting perspectives.  Jane Horowitz, a career coach for young adults says that young people don’t yet know what their passion is. “They don’t have enough experience yet to really figure it out”.  Jennifer Tanner, a development psychologist and co-founder of the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood, says there are millions of ways to make a living but “the missing piece is purpose. How are you going to contribute yourself, your gifts, your passions, your interests to the world? This feeds their intrinsic motivational need for autonomy, belonging and competence.”

To guide your discussion, you might want to use Pratt-Kielly’s set of questions that address the four key factors (i.e., passion, purpose, vocation, and profession). We recommend using the Age Brilliantly definitions for the career factors, as identified above, as they make clear distinctions that facilitate action steps.

Then, join the Age Brilliantly community and our career forum. Ask peers of all life-stages, experts, and service providers questions in order to receive further guidance. Also, offer your experiences and insights to others!