When I grow up, I want to be … a politician! We hear from four politicians about their journey, and found out that not everyone intends to have a career in politics. It’s an election year! For some of you, this may be your first chance to vote… or you might just be missing out this time Through elections, we get the chance to say who we think are the best people to collectively run our country – arguably one of the most important jobs there is!
Grant Robertson Labour MP for Wellington Central The first job I can remember saying that I wanted to do was to be a Police Officer. I was about eight years old and the Police had come to our school to talk about keeping ourselves safe, and how they helped people. That sounded like a good thing to do. Later on I wanted to be an actor or a lawyer. Now I am a politician I get to do all those things! I don’t think many people end up doing exactly what they planned to do for a career. And we know that it is likely that in the future you will change jobs and careers many times in your life. In those circumstances what is really important is building a broad base, and taking the opportunities to keep learning and training throughout your life. In the last couple of years I have led a project for the Labour Party called the Future of Work Commission (www.futureofwork.nz). We spoke to thousands of people about what the world of work will be like with automation, robots and artificial intelligence growing in importance. There are two lessons from that work that have stayed with me. First, is the importance of life-long learning. That is why the Labour Party has decided that if we are elected to government we will fund three years of free post-secondary school training and education. We will start with the first year in 2018 and then roll out the others over the next few years. It will not just be for school leavers but also for people who are working who have not had the chance to study beyond school. The second lesson, and the most common thing I heard from employers, is that the skills and attributes they are looking for are creativity, collaboration, problem solving and empathy. As the Chief Executive of one large company said to me “I want to employ decent human beings.” Even if you are really interested in a particular subject, say engineering, it is a good idea to do something completely different that is creative, either as a subject or as an extra-curricular activity. We know that many of the exciting jobs of the future will be ones that you create yourself rather than working for somebody else. So, start with a broad base, never stop learning and remember that working together always makes us stronger. Good luck!
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But who are these people? How did they become politicians? NxtStep had the chance to hear from politicians from National, Labour, NZ First and the Green Party to try and understand how they became involved with politics.
Louise Upston National MP for Taupo I always planned to be a Member of Parliament from the time I was in primary school. I wanted to help people and I thought being an MP was the best way to help as many people as possible. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get there so I made a plan. The problem with plans is that they don’t always work out the way they are meant to, which is why, if you have a goal, always be prepared to make adjustments to get back on track. I went to Waikato University with the intention of studying law. Sadly, my B+ average was not good enough to get me accepted so I studied English literature, politics and women’s studies at Auckland University instead. But I dropped out of university because my mother died, and studying was just not an option. I started my own business when I was 19 and, I have to say, I had no idea what I was doing. Someone suggested it to me and even though I didn’t know how I was going to achieve it, I seized the opportunity. I offered book-keeping, secretarial services and event management. I also did some business papers at night school and enrolled in AUT’s Bachelor of Business part-time. By the time I was 26, I was a solo mum on a benefit, and still no clear career path. I had skills though and I moved into project management while juggling work, study, and raising my family. I finally gained an MBA from Waikato University in my mid-30s and became an MP at age 37. I have reached my goal, and it is great to climb to the top of the mountain and look down at the path you have travelled while marvelling at how you achieved it despite challenges. My advice to young people would be to approach your career as a jungle gym, not a ladder. You can travel up, down and across, from one thing to another, it does not always have to be one long grind up to the top. It is important to stay true to yourself and do what is important to you, even if that means taking a step down or moving in a direction you hadn’t originally foreseen. Have a plan, and be willing to adjust that plan when you need to, it doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you are taking the sensible option and doing what is best for you at the time. There will be obstacles, there always are. But it is how you overcome them that counts.