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In January 2023, the World Economic Forum released "The Future of Jobs Report 2023." The report predicts that by 2025, artificial intelligence will eliminate 85 million jobs worldwide, but simultaneously create 97 million new ones, resulting in a net increase of 12 million jobs.
Today’s secondary school students face an unprecedented context for career planning. On one hand, profound societal changes make it difficult for parents to transfer their career experiences to their children. On the other hand, new technological waves like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things present students with more complex decisions regarding high school course selection, university majors, and career directions. We are witnessing a fundamental shift in career paths and success standards, along with a diversified labor market and more possibilities for individual career development.
Against this backdrop, the secondary school division of Beijing Haidian Kaiwen School hosted a major "Career Day" on March 20, bringing career planning lessons into real-world settings across various traditional and emerging industries, including technology, medicine, aerospace, diplomacy, media, and esports. Students from grades 8 to 12 embarked on unique career exploration journeys, pondering keywords like "career," "profession," and "job." After these real-world experiences, they gathered on campus to participate in the "Stanford Design Your Life" course and various industry workshops, using real experiences to start designing their own life paths.
Career Opportunities in a Changing Era
For this year's Career Day, teachers collaborated with the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to select 13 companies for student visits. These included traditional industries like aerospace, healthcare, energy, biotechnology, diplomacy, and media, as well as cutting-edge fields like intelligent industrial robotics and esports. These socially responsible and education-minded companies provided new scenes for students to explore their future careers.
According to Mr. Duan, a representative from the PTA, this year's Career Day was different from last year's. It featured "customized" site visits and workshop content. In the latter half of 2023, the PTA formed a "Career Day Support Group" to gather students' interests and design visit routes and activities tailored to their career aspirations.
On Career Day, the morning comprised 13 different visit routes and the afternoon featured 16 workshops, covering fields such as biology, technology, aerospace, mechanics, diplomacy, law, energy, healthcare, media, esports, public relations, IT, and education. Students gained invaluable insights at each visit, experiencing real-life work environments and understanding how different sectors contribute to society.
Peter, who visited an esports club, shared on the return bus that he found similarities between the business model of esports events and the NSL racing business competition he had participated in before. His career interests lie in business, and he plans to focus on business or science applications. Cecilia, who visited a dental clinic, reflected on her experience seeing the latest 3D technology used in dental care. In the afternoon, she chose workshops in VR/XR and energy technology, concentrating her career exploration on new technologies and applications.
"When I see the world more clearly, I can better design my future and my life," a student at Haidian Kaiwen School told the instructor of the "Stanford Design Your Life" course. This rational and open-minded attitude towards "life design" exemplifies how the school nurtures its students to thoughtfully consider their futures.
Personalized Life Design System
As we navigate the dual trends of emerging career opportunities due to technological advancements and the decline of traditional jobs, the role of parents and educators is to prepare the next generation. They need to ensure young people can adapt to new technological challenges while seizing opportunities, becoming strong competitors and contributors to the future society. Haidian Kaiwen School has developed a "Personalized Life Design System" that includes regular classes, college counseling, activity-based learning, home-school communication, and career assessments.
In the classrooms and student exhibitions at Haidian Kaiwen, you can see the students' deep interest in various subjects. This interest is cultivated by dedicated teachers who plant the "seeds of a career" through high-quality lessons. Additionally, these seeds are nurtured by the teachers' professional backgrounds and personal growth experiences. For instance, some students are inspired to pursue psychology simply because they admire their Harvard-educated psychology teacher. Such subtle influences form the foundation of the "Personalized Life Design System."
Building a life plan requires a solid educational foundation as well as diverse, innovative, and open activities. One such activity is the annual "Career Day" at Haidian Kaiwen, where students spend a full day exploring various professional fields of interest. This event creates opportunities to interact with experts, gather information, and develop real-world social skills. Listening to lectures like the "Stanford University Life Design Course" helps students realize that career planning can benefit from Silicon Valley's product design thinking. This integration of knowledge fosters creative thinking.
"Every student is a unique individual; every family has unique needs and aspirations." This motto guides the college counseling department at Haidian Kaiwen. The department provides personalized guidance and support in areas such as course selection, standardized test planning, major selection, college applications, and extracurricular activities. This guidance combines linear planning with dynamic, real-time follow-up.
Starting in 8th grade, students at Haidian Kaiwen begin to learn about the requirements for applying to overseas universities. The goal is to enhance their overall competencies and map out their academic paths for the next 4-5 years. From 9th grade to graduation, each family receives personalized college counseling. This involves not only the students but also extensive communication with parents, forming a tripartite dialogue between students, parents, and the school to develop a personalized college admission strategy.
In 2023, the middle school organized professional Kuder career assessments for 11th and 12th graders. During Career Day, these students used their assessment results to explore institutions like the Danish Embassy and Horizon International (Beijing) Medical Devices. These experiences allowed them to reflect on their true interests and consider how to leverage their strengths in potential careers.
Currently, one of the global education trends is using AI and other new technologies to support personalized and adaptive learning. Haidian Kaiwen's "Personalized Life Design System" aims to respect each individual's uniqueness and help every child confidently and strategically explore their life plans.
Driven by Passion in Career Exploration
Amid the ongoing reshaping of industries and job roles, a key concern for parents is ensuring that their children's education and career planning maintain lifelong competitiveness. Principal Li Yongyuan advises students to let their interests guide them, dedicating their efforts and energy fully to their passions, which naturally paves the way for their future paths.
Principal Li shared the story of Steve Jobs, who didn’t have a detailed life plan but followed his passions. By focusing his energy on what interested him, Jobs made every step count, leading to significant achievements.
During Career Day, Julia, a tenth-grader, visited Bo Tsing Technology, which specializes in intelligent special robots. She was deeply moved by seeing how a dedicated scientist, driven by passion and hard work, made significant contributions to the nation and its people by developing robots to protect welders from radiation and burns. Kristen, who visited an esports club, was inspired by a media professional who transitioned to an esports manager due to a passion for gaming. Kristen, interested in film, plans to apply to the University of Southern California’s film program. At Haidian Kaiwen, students' passions are being kindled into bright flames.
Conclusion
Career Day at Haidian Kaiwen is not just about exploring and discovering; it’s about actively taking control of one’s life direction. In a rapidly changing world, the ability to learn continuously, combined with skills in critical thinking, creativity, and interpersonal communication, is essential. This focus on lifelong learning and passion for one’s work reflects a deep respect for time and life itself.
Seeing the determined eyes and confident smiles of the students makes all the effort of the teachers and staff worthwhile. We look forward to even more exciting and enriching experiences at next year’s Career Day!