What Will You Be Doing 7 Years From Now?

This is a special article written by Augie Mendoza and re-posted from Bob Proctor’s Insight of the Day. This story connects to graduating high school students of today. As you will read, Augie graduated from high school in 1972. Read the story to get some insight into how career planning was addressed “back in the day”.

by Augie Mendoz,
I graduated from Brazosport High School in Freeport, Texas in May 1972. Not dressed in white (honors), but I graduated.

That summer like the previous summer, I worked as a longshoreman loading corn, flour and corn sacks weighing 50 to 140 lbs. and 900 lbs. caustic soda drums on freight ships bound to other countries at nearby Brazos Harbor and Dow Chemical A2 Dock.

This was one of the better paying jobs in the area. It was grueling, hard, heavy work, but I loved it at the time. My father had been doing this job most of his life since it paid well.

Fall came around and I had already decided that I did not want to make my living as a longshoreman. Work was inconsistent and when it was there it only went to the ones with the most seniority, unless there was too much. There was very little opportunity for a better job when you got older.

I had always heard that a college education would get you a better job and decided to find out. So I went to nearby Brazosport College and set up an appointment with a counselor.

I got to his office at the appointed time and he asked me what work or profession interested me the most. I had taken Auto Mechanics I & II during my junior and senior years in high school and asked him if Brazosport College had an auto mechanics program.

He said “no.” I asked him if they had anything similar to it. He said that the Machine Tools Technology program was very similar and described the program to me.

I was very interested and asked him how long it would take if I went full time. He said “4 years.” I said I couldn’t go full time since I am working (whenever work was available).

I asked how long would it take if I go part time? He said “7 years.” I was shocked. I said, “Man, I’ll be old then, I’ll be 25 years old. I don’t thing so.”

He asked me, “what did you say you did for a living right now?”

I told him again that I worked as a longshoreman throwing bags and manhandling drums. Then he bent over his desk and looked me square in the eye and asked me the most significant words I will never forget in my life:

“IF YOU DON’T TAKE ANY CLASSES. WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING 7 YEARS FROM NOW?”

These words hit me like a ton of bricks! I sheepishly told him that I would be doing the same thing. I signed up for the classes right then and there.

These prophetic words have inspired many of my relatives and friends. The sun will rise and fall 365 days a year. What you choose to do in between will determine many things in your life.

This story alone has inspired relatives and friends to realize an age-old truth: Time will go on regardless and it waits on nobody.

Years later, I told a co-worker this story. He got inspired enough that he went on and got 3 different degrees in computers in less than 7 years! He said afterwards, “7 years ago I would’ve been saying to myself, ‘If only I had the opportunity.'”

TIME WILL PASS REGARDLESS!
Augie Mendoza

My impression is that there are millions of Augies graduating this year – in 2010. Yes, some kind of career planning efforts are going on in high school. Yes, career interest assessments are being offered. Yes, the Internet has opened an entire world of opportunity to all students. Do college admissions counselors care today, yes, very much. Based on job satisfaction surveys, people are very effectively getting college degrees and going into “jobs” but too few are finding their passion. Finding your passion and immersing in that passion is like getting a 50 point boost in your IQ. Are you engaged in your own career planning?

So how is today’s career planning different than it was “back in the day”?
Let’s put it this way. If you are wanting to learn how to cook would you go to your local certified mechanic or would you look for a culinary class. Receiving career counseling from teachers and counselors in high school is certainly a good start. Receiving educational advice from a college placement office is also good to do. But if you want to seriously explore careers and create the plan that positions you for success, wouldn’t it be best to utilize a career coach who has extensive knowledge and experience “outside the academic world”? Career Coaching for Students™ is delivered by professional career coaches that have a passion for helping students and the right expertise to help you to create a strategic career path that leverages your passions. The program’s internet resources save considerable time finding the information that is most useful for you. To see what a career coach looks like, check out the Career Coaching for Students™ Career Coaches Profiles.