Hi there my name is Harrie and I am twenty years old right now.
And, Where are you at in your career right now?
I am in my second semester at Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland doing a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Hospitality Business. Sounds fancy huh!
Getting in to university today is easier than it used to be and a lot more people are going, but it's not as easy as you think. Good grades are an obvious, but there is more to it now. Universities are looking for other skills and experience - for people who have something extra to give and have already started building their own network of experience and contacts.
Right now I am doing my second semester (6 Months) of university and as part of our course we are sent on an internship to put into practice what we learned in our first semester. With the backing of my university I got the chance to go and work for Bvlgari in Dubai. University has opened so many more doors to me than I could have ever imagined and I am looking forward to seeing what’s behind them.
Are you where you want to be?
At the moment I am not to sure where I want to be and I think you will find a lot of other twenty year olds will say the same thing. I mean, I’m sure if most twenty year olds were answering this question they would be saying that they wish they were making more money or at least making some money.
I think it’s very rare that you find a twenty year old that knows exactly where their life is going or where they want it to go because there are so many options! Right now I believe that I am exactly where I need to be - in a bubble of support from university and family - absorbing all the information that I possibly can until I know where I want to be next.
What is the biggest challenge for you right now?
The biggest challenge for me at the moment (and I’m sure I have seen it in my friends to) is the constant juggle of school work, a job and my social life. University is a big jump from school and there is no one there to constantly push you anymore, so keeping your mind focused on school work is a must. But I also just gained the most freedom I have ever had in my life and I just want to have fun with my friends, because I know it won't always be this good or easy.
Alongside that, nowadays there is also so much pressure and competition to be the best and that is why we all feel the need to keep our social media accounts up to date and looking at their best. Because it doesn’t matter how hard you try - if your not posting three pictures a week about all the things you have been up to and convincing everyone how perfect you and your life are - then no one cares!
I’m definitely NOT saying that social media is a bad thing. I mean who doesn’t love Instagram and if you use it well it can basically be turned into a nice diary that keeps everyone in the loop. Social media can be a way to keep in touch with old friends, a way to keep up to date on what’s going on in the world and a weapon of a marketing tool as long as it is used not abused (which of course it is)
Is there anything you wish you'd done differently so far?
I suppose when I look back at the year off after school deciding if I even wanted to go to university or not seems like a bit of a waste of time. I decided to go anyway, and all I did by taking a year off was prolonging my future. However, I learned a lot about myself during that time and I learned to surf and even became a surf coach for a while and I really loved that. I met some great people and spent time in the lovely city of Dubai with the great company of family and friends.
Sometimes I also find myself dreaming of a different reality all together, one where I left boarding school at sixteen after GCSEs and went to an equine college and studied horses, which is something I would have loved to do but just wasn’t really in the cards for me.
Ultimately I have no regrets and try my hardest not too look back and to focus on what I can be doing.
Where do you want to be in five years?
In five years I will have finished university and would love to be living somewhere amazing running events for huge clients or building my own business.
Money vs happiness...where you at?
Personally, I find that money can bring happiness and if you strive for what you want and do well then you can be comfortable and happy.
For me, my animals make me happy, but to be able to look after them I need to have the space and the food, and to do that I need money.
But I would never put myself in the position to make money over being happy.
What advice would you give to someone younger than yourself?
I would say to take every opportunity that comes your way and go with it.
Try different things to see what you like, don’t just do what people are telling you is “cool”. Figure out what you enjoy doing and what you are good and work from there and slowly by a sort of trial and error technique you will figure out your own path.