If you could go back…
If you could go back in time and speak to your younger self, what would you say? Ironically, it’s a timeless question. After all, living with regrets is part of life – but does it always have to be?
Young people today – myself included – are constantly bombarded with information. School, parents, social media, the internet, the television and the radio all have something to say in our lives, all day every day. It can be hard to find a direction when you’re coping with all that noise. That being said, people whom I know personally say they want to be lawyers, doctors or engineers for high-flying companies. They have their direction already. Why?
It’s a short answer: money. Despite everything that’s facing them – the work, the competition, the stress, the dry hours spent in the library – that’s what they want. It’s blinding. It’s irresistible. It’s unhealthy. I was the same before I realised that wasn’t where my heart was, but how many others like me won’t realise until it’s too late?
So, if we want to open the next generation’s eyes to a range of opportunities, where do we start? I’ve found work experience to be useful. I chose Heritage Lincolnshire and, during my week-long placement, I’ve able to experience the multifaceted sector of local heritage. My experiences have been both inside the office and in the field, spanning many disciplines from archaeology to marketing and beyond. The Heritage Lincolnshire staff have been nothing but welcoming and enthusiastic, and I’m hugely lucky to have picked a workplace with such genuinely passionate employees. I can only hope that one day, by pursuing my true ambitions, I might find myself in a similar working environment.
Having said that, I can’t do it alone. I’ll need support from all the sources I have open to me – school, parents, social media, the internet, the television and the radio. So, instead of thinking about what you might say to your younger self, instead think about what you can say to the young people around you. Make the difference to them that you can’t go back and make for yourself.
Hope Sidebottom