Once upon a time, the career development path of almost every Malaysian secondary school student was, to go to university, or get a diploma from a college, then apply for a job online, find a good job, earn a salary, and then buy a car, buy a house, decorate a wedding house, get married and have children, get a promotion in a company, or jump into a nest to change jobs, Sometimes socially relax in a comfortable cafe, sometimes backpacking in a foreign country. Playing around, enjoying the petty bourgeoisie life, and then entering middle age...
At that time, young people, who were good at school, went to college. Those who are poor at school should go to a social university to hone them directly. At that time, if you graduated from college, you could not work in jobs that were generally regarded as mediocre and inferior by society, and parents and elders did not agree that young people graduated from college to start their own businesses. If a college student is selling at roadside stalls, working as a salesman, working in a fast food restaurant, or working in a low-tech occupation, his relatives will sigh and begin of all kinds of advice from various family members & friends, sharing their precious experience, and advising you some so call brighter path to future, as if you are wasting your talent and time, as if it is heinous for college students to work in these low-status industries.
As a result, of the two years of intermittent MCO, under the shroud of the COVID epidemic, these old concepts that were almost deeply rooted in the Malaysian Chinese community decades ago suddenly collapsed and shattered. Before the epidemic, these stubborn concepts that everyone took for granted lost the set ascending path. With the sudden MCO, students and parents suddenly found that there were many new obstacles on this path. The second MCO, how do you feel about this traditional ascending path? It seems to be broken, and it doesn't work. Until the third MCO, looking at the diplomas obtained by children through online classes, it seems that they no longer feel so precious, so promising and so dependable. The unprecedented general employment difficulties and economic difficulties have also made many adult parents' visions of their children's future become blurred with a load of uncertainty, and stimulate parents to ponder.
Insist on asking your child to follow the old traditional path. The picture of the imaginary child having a successful career, starting a family and giving birth to grandchildren has become blurred, and the road ahead...I can't see much, but is this the end? Is this the end? This epidemic has made people see a lot of things from a different perspective, feel a lot of ups and downs, figured out a lot of truth, and let go of a lot of unnecessary persistence. It is a great honour to see that this generation of young people who have experienced the epidemic has shown considerable resilience and stress resistance potential. I saw a lot of young people, clean, and polite and energetic, willing to lay down their posture & their superiority, go down to the streets to sell products, go to the random markets to open a stall to sell snacks, 3C products and drive the dining lorry to the crowded places to deal with strangers and do their business, Go to a restaurant to learn to cook or be a waiter, drive an e-hailing car or an e-hailing motorcycle to transport people to deliver food, earn their living from every ringgit and cents.
Behind those clean, energetic, sweaty faces, there are clever and creative heads within. They didn't give up, they didn't choose to lie down like youth in japan. Although the work might not be what they liked, they could see it. Their energy, their youthful energy makes simple work more efficient, perfect, and faster. Moreover, without the guidance and pressure of elders and relatives on career choices, young people are more open and have the courage to try often and experience some jobs like me who have been born in the 1980s and dare not try for half my life. . There are actually three things in a person's life: learning, experience, and creation. The post-70s and post-80s actually have a lot of dreams in their hearts, a lot of attempts that never happen. There are some things they want to do, but they are stagnant because of practical considerations that build along the upbringing process. After 20 years of graduation, they are still unable to take the crucial first step, to execute what they dreaming of for 20-30 years. They can only sigh to themselves. It's a pity to them and to me as well. These young people who are full of youthful energy are truly our future, our race's future and our nation future. As long as they don't give up, as long as they still hold on to hope, then tomorrow will definitely be better and brighter. Looking at the post-pandemic from a different perspective, isn't it an opportunity to break the inherent system and concept?
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