Do they need encouragement?
Do students really need encouragement? Having travelled all five continents before they are 25, speaking 3 languages fluently thanks to longer stays abroad, being more competent than their university professors... Do they need encouragement?
I asked myself this question twice this evening. First, this was when I listened to another of these talks which encourage young students to be self-assurant, to say what they want and to demand their right on success, wealth and career. Is this useful? Is it really the thing that is most important for making a career? I can not remember that any of my bosses liked to hear the slightest hint that I want a training or to do less overwork or anything. When I was a nice girl, I was allowed to buy a book. At each of my jobs, I was asked to be modest. I was told that all my previous job experience was to be considered as null, because it is not relevant in this company or this university. Because here, everything is completely different than in the rest of the world. A clear clue on what hierarchical position I am expected to take, being a woman or being new or being shy or whatever.
After the well-meant encouraging presentation, we had a sponsored dinner. One of the students asked me what I have studied. Everyone asks me what and where I have studied and they want to talk with me about this. Well, boring topic. That was 20 years ago! Why don´t you ask me in which kindergarden I was? So, I told her even what I did after studies. Well, evidently, she does not like my CV. She told her fellow-student how a good CV must look - not like mine. What I wish her is that in 20 years she will think about me and about what she said. And she will wish that she would have been as successful as I have been. Right now, she seems to believe all this encouraging nonsense that in life you can decide which job you want and then you get it. Of course, you will never get to a dead end and never need to give up any dream. If you think positive... Uarg!
Do they really need encouragement? Or maybe, they rather need stories about hard work and evil, too. When my students enter the work life, they are less naive. They are warned.
I asked myself this question twice this evening. First, this was when I listened to another of these talks which encourage young students to be self-assurant, to say what they want and to demand their right on success, wealth and career. Is this useful? Is it really the thing that is most important for making a career? I can not remember that any of my bosses liked to hear the slightest hint that I want a training or to do less overwork or anything. When I was a nice girl, I was allowed to buy a book. At each of my jobs, I was asked to be modest. I was told that all my previous job experience was to be considered as null, because it is not relevant in this company or this university. Because here, everything is completely different than in the rest of the world. A clear clue on what hierarchical position I am expected to take, being a woman or being new or being shy or whatever.
After the well-meant encouraging presentation, we had a sponsored dinner. One of the students asked me what I have studied. Everyone asks me what and where I have studied and they want to talk with me about this. Well, boring topic. That was 20 years ago! Why don´t you ask me in which kindergarden I was? So, I told her even what I did after studies. Well, evidently, she does not like my CV. She told her fellow-student how a good CV must look - not like mine. What I wish her is that in 20 years she will think about me and about what she said. And she will wish that she would have been as successful as I have been. Right now, she seems to believe all this encouraging nonsense that in life you can decide which job you want and then you get it. Of course, you will never get to a dead end and never need to give up any dream. If you think positive... Uarg!
Do they really need encouragement? Or maybe, they rather need stories about hard work and evil, too. When my students enter the work life, they are less naive. They are warned.
AndreaHerrmann - 21. Feb, 20:22
