During his few short years of ministry, Jesus spoke many words and performed many miracles. People were amazed and astounded by his authority, power and radical perspective.

However, after visiting his hometown of Nazareth Jesus was met with skepticism, scorn and rejection to which he sharply observed, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” (Mark 6:4).

Last week our senior students were invited to listen to a presenter from Elevate Education who gave insight and practical tips on time management and acing exams. Students were encouraged to prioritise activities and relationships they love, reward themselves for disciplined efforts, collaborate with their peers and work 'smarter not harder'. The advice was awesome. It was practical. It was achievable. It was definitely worth listening to...But it wasn't new.

As I listened to and reflected upon both the advice offered to students and saw their receptive responses, I was struck by how often we as teachers and parents speak these very same words to students with a very different response. A lacklustre response. A doubtful response. A skeptical response. I was reminded of the encounter Jesus had with those people that were 'all-too-familiar' with the carpenter turned traveling preacher. The Bible indicates their hearts were hardened to the message Jesus offered and they missed precious opportunities to learn, grow and be blessed through him and by him.

We can be so hungry to listen to external voices that we fail to take notice of the voices that surround us every day. The voices that know us, care for us and want the very best for us. This can be true too for career decisions and exploration. Parents, I encourage you to actively expose your children to new voices in the career realm as they will provoke questions and thoughts that might otherwise go unheeded. Students, I challenge you, by all means, to listen to those 'new and exciting' voices of influence that have come from afar, but don't blindly ignore the wealth of experience that is near. It may just be a voice of sense and reason that helps you find your way in this big, wide world.

I’d love to chat about this more with students and/or parents. As always if you have any questions about this or you or your child’s pathway to the world of work I’d love to hear from you!

Carly Brouwer — Pathways Coordinator