Anouk from Vogtland: Freedom over work – my plan for the future!”

Anouk from Vogtland: Freedom over work – my plan for the future!”

In an increasingly complex world of career choice, 18-year-old Anouk Awtukowitsch from Vogtland is an impressive example of the desire for individual freedom. With her own ideas about life, she decided to take a break after school to break away from the responsibilities of studying. “As long as I get up in the morning and know what I'm going to do, I'm fine,” she says. This attitude reflects what many young people feel when it comes to the question of career orientation. According to Freiepresse, Anouk often hears sentences like “Normal people just learn a proper job”. Despite the pressure, she ignores such voices and instead pursues her own goals.

Deciding on a career is not easy for many young people and can be viewed as a “choice of fate” that shapes their identity and often even entails several career changes. BWPat.de describes the career choice process as a complex network of cognitive, emotional and social factors. Life history, social expectations and family influences have a significant influence on decision-making and individual career planning.

The process of choosing a career

According to Lexikon, choosing a career is not only a rational decision-making process, but also strongly influenced by emotional needs. The central dimension of career choice includes an individual's self-concept, which is shaped by their own perception and assessment of their abilities. Anouk is a great example of this dynamic, as she not only puts her personal desires first, but is also willing to reject societal pressure.

The course of the decision-making process in choosing a career is divided into four phases: triggering, reflecting on the possibilities, reflecting on the criteria and ultimately the application of these criteria. Anouk has already looked intensively into her options and shows that the decision-making criteria consist not only of professional aspects, but also of individual wishes and needs.

The role of support

Support from parents, schools and career advice centers is essential to overcome the often overwhelming process of choosing a career. A survey by the opinion research institute iconkids & youth shows that 73% of young people count on the support of their parents and 55% of the student population rely on the help of their schools in order to sensibly narrow down the large selection of options.

However, the reality is that many young people, like Anouk, do not want to be guided by traditional expectations. They are looking for a life that corresponds to their own ideas, even if that means temporarily leaving the path they have chosen. With her unconventional perspective, Anouk makes it clear that individual freedom is just as important as the social pressure to choose “a proper career”. Her decision to take time and explore her options without stress could be a valuable guide not only for her, but for many of her peers as well.