My future profession When they leave school, millions of young people begin an independent life. They can start a working career, go into business or continue schooling to receive a higher education. There is one institute or a few institutes in nearly every Russian city. There are dozens of them in Moscow and St. Petersburg. If you want to get a professional training you can enter a technical college. They say that there are over 2000 professions in the world so it is quite difficult to choose and make a decision. Some follow their own choice and some follow their parents advice.
I have asked myself a lot of times: «What do I want to be when I leave school?» A few years ago it was difficult for me to give a definite answer. As the years passed I changed my mind a lot of times about which science or sphere of industry to specialize in. It was difficult to make up my mind and choose one of the hundreds of jobs to which I might be better suited.
What are the main reasons for choosing your future profession? First of all it should seem interesting to you. An exciting job that you really like is an important component of happiness in life. Then you should consider the problem of earning a living. The most fascinating job will bring no satisfaction if you starve. And there is the very up-to-date problem of unemployment: you should choose a profession which will produce a job.
A couple of years ago I wanted to become a doctor. I thought it was a very noble profession. I was good at biology and chemistry in the 8th and 9th forms. I wanted to help people who had problems with their health. I know that a doctor should be noble in work and life, kind and attentive to people, responsible and reasonable, honest and prudent. A doctor who is selfish and dishonest can’t be good at his profession. I tried to do my best to develop good traits in myself.
Now I have already decided what to do. I’d like to be a teacher. I know that it is very difficult to become a good teacher. You should know perfectly the subject you teach, you must be well-educated and well-informed. An ignorant teacher teaches ignorance, a fearful teacher teaches fear, a bored teacher teaches boredom. But a good teacher develops in his pupils a desire for knowledge and love for truth and beauty. As John Steinbeck once said, — «a great teacher is a great artist and you know how few great artists there are in the world». Teaching might even be the greatest of all the arts. It is a great responsibility to educate children. I think that’s the reason why teachers are deeply respected.
More and more people realize that every educated person should know a foreign language. That’s why I’m going to become an English teacher. I liked English when we first started learning it, and it is still one of my favourite subjects. There are many English authors and they are so different and so interesting. We have had some Shakespeare and other British writers in Russian in classes of literature and I would like to read them all in the original. I will try to enter the department of foreign languages at the University.
You study 5 years at Russian universities. After your final exams you are a qualified teacher of English or interpreter. University education is deep and many-sided. Some students like a post-graduate course to follow an academic career. Most university graduates take up teaching and re¬turn to school. I know that a teacher’s job is quite difficult. A. teacher can’t say that he knows everything in his field. He goes on learning his subject during all his career to be able to answer any question. He should be an example of competence. My Plans for the Future This year I’m leaving school. I have already decided what career to choose. I would like to be a psychologist. I want to help people to solve their problems. I want to help them to understand their inside world, to help them to be confident. I love working with people and children.
I think it’s a difficult job, because one should love people, take care of them, support them.
This profession is rather new and hence very interesting. Psychologists work with people from different layers of society.
I realize that my dream can come true only if I work hard. The end of school is the start of our independent life and the beginning of the most serious examination we have passed. In order to do well at this examination it is necessary to choose the right road in life which will help us best to live and work for own good and for the benefit of our country.
Many broad ways will open before the pupils when they leave a secondary school. Everybody will have a chance to develop and use knowledge and education received during the school years.
There are a lot of different trades and professions, and each one must choose the occupation in which he or she can best develop one’s own talent and abilities. Our society needs well-educated people. Nowadays the profession of an economist has become one the most useful, modern and interesting.