How would you advise a young person research different job options or career paths to better understand what they might want to do?

One of the biggest mistakes that young people make is trying to choose a career before they've actually taken the time to understand themselves. So the encouragement from my end is to firstly, before even researching anything, identify what you're into. What are your interests? What are your strengths? What do you hold really dear or close to your beliefs or values? That will give some sort of direction around the kind of work you'd want to be exposed to or environment that you'd want to see yourself in. The selection of careers is not simply about choosing a job title or position, but more a career that really should align with who you are and what motivates you.

Then I think a bit of a hybrid approach works best here. After that initial self-assessment and introspection, I would recommend moving on to online research, but also directly engaging with professionals. So this could be people who are referred to you by your lecturers, perhaps, or by your family members. Talking to other people who are already in the working space is equally, if not possibly more important than online research. Reaching out to people gives you the opportunity to combine what you've researched with the real world conversations.

What would you say to someone who has changed their mind about what they want to do?

I was looking at some research that shows most professionals will have multiple careers, not just multiple jobs throughout their working life. So it's completely normal. Rather than worrying about changing direction, I think I'd actually just encourage young talent to focus on what they've learned along the way. It's better to change direction after gaining whatever information you've gained in what you've been doing, than to stay on one path and really not be excited or be challenged in whatever you are in.

What makes a really stand-out application from someone who hasn’t worked before?

The one thing that young people should understand first and foremost is that a lack of work experience does not mean a lack of value. A very strong application demonstrates curiosity, initiative, responsibility, and a willingness to learn. Showcase these qualities through academic projects, leadership roles in student organisations, and in your personal space. Are you volunteering maybe in community projects? Are you a member of the choir in church, or perhaps on a sports team? Do you volunteer your time? Do you have any entrepreneurial activities? They don't have to be huge.

Then one other thing that catches employer's attention is genuine effort. Candidates who have researched the company, who have understood the role and can clearly explain how they fit into it, as well as how they would contribute or fit into the company culture - these people really stand out because it shows initiative, it shows that you are interested. Potential, attitude and learning agility will far outweigh any experience when you start your career.

Can you talk a bit about what professional communication in the workplace looks like?

Very important when it comes to professional communication is listening. You need to listen to understand, not to merely listen. That's active listening and it's something that you develop over time, the more you interact and the more you communicate in the workspace. I know a lot of people focus on speaking well, but professionally, you need to be skilled at understanding others before responding.

Finally, why is it important for people to invest time in themselves, building their capabilities, and working on their own self-development?

I think the most important thing to understand around self-development is learning never ends. In the space that I'm in, the skills that were considered the skills of the future in 2025 are nowhere to be found in the list of skills that are considered for the future of human capital in 2026. So that just gives an idea around the evolving and rapidly changing world that we're living in. Skills have a way shorter shelf life than they ever did. Technologies are evolving, industries are transforming, and that also means employer expectations are continuing to change as well.

Whether you're moving into the world of work with an employer, or working independently, you can never stop investing in yourself. And this is actually the best part about it, because it's something that's within your control. A lot of people tend to rely too much on their employer to drive this. But really every course you complete, every book you read, every mentor you engage, you're the one driving that self-development.

So my message here really is straightforward and simple. Your career is your responsibility. You must continuously invest in your own growth. Technically it'll be the best investment you will ever make in yourself because it's one asset that appreciates over time and it can never be taken away from you.