Happy New (School) Year! Today is September 2nd! This week and the following are the weeks of new beginnings and change, more so than ever in our crazy new global pandemic world.
This is the time children start school for the first time, move from infants to juniors, from juniors to senior school, or young people move from GCSEs to A-Levels or leave school altogether. School leavers might depart on a gap year, set sail for university, start an apprenticeship or a job.
September means a natural sea change for every young person – change from one school year to the next, one milestone to another, or leaving one port for the next. They are equipped with their provisions: new school uniform, shoes, pencil case, and haircut indicate a fresh start.
In September, the carefree summer comes to an abrupt end. School busyness and activities start when routines change, friendship groups alter, travel itineraries and timetables transform – a new chapter of the adventure. And this year, young people will be navigating a socially distanced world too. Your empty-nester friends – or friends without school children are jetting off on their special offer holidays or enjoying their staycations, and it is this time of year that different life stages become more apparent, and social media really emphasises this. Each September, your children become more independent and rely on you less and less as the academic years roll by. Children experience and embrace this change, and we sit on the sidelines, cross our fingers, and hope it all goes OK – feeling slightly out of control …
As a parent, grandparent or carer, you will need to help young people navigate these changes and look to the next horizon, be ready for when the conditions change or the course might need to be altered. But what about you?
LET’S FOCUS ON YOU!
Something about the start of the academic year remains with us as adults – whether or not we have children. As an adult or parent, buying the new school uniform or pencil case might be replaced by moving from a summer wardrobe to an autumn/winter one and resolving to be more efficient. Still, it seems like a new start, and it is a great time to think about your long-term work/career plans. Especially in 2021, have you heard about the Great Resignation? The global pandemic has changed many career priorities, and depending on how your employer treated you in lockdown, it might be time for a change. Maybe it’s time to launch that side gig; perhaps it’s time to explore other opportunities in your current organisation or outside? Sometimes, it’s not about jumping ship; it’s about tweaking things in your current role. Perhaps more flexible working could bring a life and work you love.
September seems like a good time to take stock and focus on our own provisions and equipment, take the time to reflect on the new horizon. September (usually) still has warmth; we might even be more rested from the longer days and finally being able to leave our homes more.
As we drive from the school drop, back into the rhythm of our own working lives, we consider how this September compares to last September and what new resolutions, goals or points on the horizon we are aiming for ourselves. It can be an ideal time to start a new resolution, perhaps more conducive than January after Christmas’s joyous but crazy time.
With the New School Year approaching, it is time to think about kickstarting your career. Please come and join us for our exciting Kickstart your Career Workshop on Wednesday, September 22nd 2021.
You will leave with an understanding of what motivates you and where you want to go work-wise; you will meet some great like-minded people and get to know the local work landscape, and it will be an excellent outcome for a few hours of investment on a Monday morning.
Join our free Be Inspired Get Hired groups on Facebook or LinkedIn for more career advice, motivation, and fun!
Further Info
You can follow #BeInspiredGetHired on social media
Sarah started her career in fmcg marketing working as a brand manager on Clover and as an interim manager on Clover (twice) and Quorn. She founded a start-up interim management company in Gloucestershire and that business changed the percentage of women and diverse talent in senior marketing and HR roles. Sarah specialises in attracting, onboarding, developing, engaging and retaining diverse talent into forward thinking businesses to improve productivity, performance and profit. Flexible working and wellbeing play a large part. Since covid-19 wreaked havoc on the job landscape, Sarah has a created an innovative programme to get senior experienced professionals back into work or fine-tune their current role so that it makes happy.