‘We choose career paths to serve society’

A number of children interviewed in Accra have said that the professions they aspire to pursue in future are mainly chosen by them and not foisted on them by their parents.

Most of the children said they took the decisions because they wanted to be of service to society and be fulfilled as proud citizens of the country.

Fifteen-year-old Mavis Okai, a JHS graduate resident at Pokuase, near Accra, said she has chosen to become a nurse because she wants to help the sick in the future.

“Many people are falling sick these days and I believe the best way to serve society is to help people recover from any illness they suffer from,” she said in an interview.

She also said that she admired nurses, particularly because nursing as a profession commanded respect among members of society.

 “I selected Science as the course I want to pursue in senior high school and I hope to study hard in order to make my dream come true,” she stated.

For her, Sarah Arthur, 15, who attends Educ Care Montessori at Oshiyie, Accra said she wanted to become an actress in future because she loved the fame associated with the profession.

“The fact that I will be appearing on screen and wherever I go people will recognise me as a movie star fascinates me greatly,” she said.

Sarah said even though she had not informed her parents about her career choice, she hoped they would accept it.

“I urge parents not to impose careers on their children, since we may not have interest in those subjects they want us to pursue,” she pleaded.

Nicholas Kwabena Boateng Baiden of Starward Preparatory School said his decision to become a teacher one day stemmed from the fact that he wanted to impart knowledge to others and said he would be happy if his parents supported him to achieve his dream.

In an interview, the Counsellor of Accra Academy, Mr Kweku Poku Odum, advised parents not to impose careers on their children.

“If a child is forced to pursue a career he or she is not interested in, it is likely the child will not excel in that profession,” he warned.

He said what parents should do was provide their children with enough information on what the professions they were interested in entailed in order to enable the children to decide whether those were what they truly wanted to pursue. 

He said parents could also create avenues for their children to meet professionals in the disciplines the children had chosen.

Mr Odum said selection of careers based on the captivating way professionals in those fields dressed was wrong and parents should advise their children against that.

“Career choice starts when children are born and as they grow and begin to express interest in a particular career, that is the time parents should begin to brief them on the profession, so that they will learn more about it and be sure that is truly what they want,” he advised.

He encouraged more career days to be organised in schools to help children know more about the careers they had chosen to pursue.