Hanne
The Your Career, Your Story led by study and career counselor Hanne Mäkinen, offers a space to pause and reflect on your own career path and skills. The group discusses together which direction you would like to go and why. We interviewed Hanne about the topic.
- What inspired you to teach this subject?
I have previously worked as a classroom teacher, and I am interested in learning new things and updating my own skills in a broad range of areas. While studying to become a study and career counselor, I became more aware of the fact that my own teaching skills are about walking alongside and guiding learning, because often the potential and skills are already within the person themselves. In those cases, all that is needed is a little nudge and guidance to help the person move forward.
- What surprising things can you learn on the course?
That it is never too late to pursue a new direction in your career and a better working life. Nowadays, careers are not straightforward, and few people know what they really want to do when they make their first choices. Only by working do you gradually learn what kind of work suits you and what work means to you in general. For some, it is a way to finance their free time activities and they don't need any more challenges, while others seek challenges and a sense of meaning from their work.
On the other hand, during the course you may also notice that your current job is suitable for you, and you can increase your job satisfaction with small adjustments to your work, such as working hours or the working environment.
This course also offers the opportunity to receive the National Basic Skills Competence Mark, or KAPOS Mark, as a small bonus , which makes your competence concretely visible.
- Who is the course suitable for?
The Your Career, Your Story career guidance group is suitable for anyone of working age who wants to stop by a peer support group this fall to consider their own options. You can be at the beginning of your career or already further along. It would be desirable to already have some experience in working life.
- What is the best moment you have experienced as a teacher?
The best moments are when a client/student/apprentice realizes something new. It could be knowledge or a skill, or it could be an insight into themselves or their own competence.
Children are naturally excited about learning new things and don't yet think that something is impossible for them, but for us adults, a certain perception of ourselves as learners is already ingrained. The best moments with adults are when the preconceived idea has been that I'm not up to this, but oh well, learning does happen.
- Why is this skill important in life?
Awareness of one's existing skills and one's own way of learning are the basis for all self-development. They are the lowest layers of the foundation on which lifelong learning is built. I personally like the concept of competence identity, which refers to this broader understanding of all the skills that have been accumulated during one's life, both at work and outside of work, as well as the awareness of them. When one's own competence identity becomes clearer, it is easier to think about the next step.
This autumn, I will also be running free basic skills groups related to this theme for people aged 18–35. The groups for young adults are part of the Kappas Kaposta project (OPH 2024-2026), where I act as project coordinator and teacher.
The first group at Aurala is starting on September 10th with the theme Let's cook and learn together!, so it's worth checking out the information here bit.ly/kokkaillaanjaopitaan .
📍 Read more about the Your Career, Your Story course and register: bit.ly/SinunUrasi
