So, you are graduating. What are you going to do with the rest of your life?

Where to go? How do you decide?

Possibly, you just really feel somewhat aimless, drifting a bit. School was never your strong point. You know you need to earn some money, though. It is becoming a pressing issue.

You think you might want to come back someday, as a Bermudian to get your share of the success pie being dished out here.

Sometimes, life is what happens to you, if you let it.

Otherwise, you — yes, you — are what makes life happen for you. It is your choice! Either way, action or inaction, these are decisions only you can make.

How can you achieve what you want?

Focus on what you know about your Bermuda environment now. What do you know now and what will you really need for skills in the Bermuda job market — to not only survive, but thrive?

The answers are there. Warning, they may not — today — coincide with your dreams.

Right now, you need to be very practical in acquiring skills that generate money. Self-supporting money, right? Moms and dads are through with bringing you up. Now it is your turn.

Knowing which jobs can provide your career lift-off is critical to your future.

Bermuda Business Development Agency CEO Ross Webber knows what makes Bermuda international and local businesses successful. He gave an absolutely spot-on speech on the brilliance of Bermuda’s international finance community on Tuesday to the full-house Insurance Day Summit conference attendees. http://bernews.com/2015/06/ross-webber-ceo-bda-opening-keynote-speech/

Some of his statistical gems that clearly demonstrate Bermuda’s value to the world:

• “Bermuda is one of the top three insurance markets, along with New York and London — supporting global economies and an estimated 500,000 jobs worldwide.

• Bermuda innovation has generated a (Bermuda) market of “firsts” — the first captives, the first true excess liability carriers, the first property cats, and cat bonds.

• Bermuda’s value proposition to the (insurance) risk industry, and to international business is the supreme depth of products and people talent, sophistication, and access.

• A recent study noted that more than 15,000 residents of Bermuda are financial, business, legal and regulatory experts in transatlantic capital markets, banking, finance and insurance, mostly at the wholesale level.”

Who would not want to be part of this incredible success story?

You may need a dose of realism with your dreams. Finance may not be what you want.

Be brazenly honest in understanding your future job prospects. Do you know how many individuals are fully employed and have upward mobility prospects in:

1. Marine biology, social services, communications (newspapers, TV, social media, web design), interior design, retail, advertising, etc

2. Medicine, health-related fields, i.e. dentists, dental technicians, nurses, medical technicians, nursing aides, dietitians, pharmacists, pharmaceutical technicians, health insurance, actuaries, etc

3. Legal and related fields, particularly speciality finance attorneys knowledgeable in international law.

4. Taxation, international and domestic specialities.

5. Finance, banking, investments advisory services, and administration.

6. Regulatory and legislative policy processes.

7. Information technology.

8. Pensions, employee benefits, retirement, eldercare.

9. Accounting, auditing, forensic scientific discover, business valuation / investment specialists

10. And the very biggest, insurance and reinsurance, alternative investment structures, actuaries, statistical modelling

There are more categories. It is up to you to research which ones consistently employ and maintain going concern businesses. Also, research how many graduate students have returned to Bermuda, only to not find a job in the field of their choice. Career areas such as category #1 are very limited to the total number of people and firms that Bermuda consumers can support, while some industries are shrinking worldwide as demand for the product/service drops, or because they are not popular or are becoming obsolete.

This commentary is not meant to disparage any career-fields as such, but when you are starting on the employment road — remember the mantra.

Go where the money is.

Going where the money is requires research on your part. Where are the job prospects in our local, still struggling, Bermuda economy? Who can provide them? What are they?

In today’s environment, this means producing what people need, providing what businesses need. Further, in a down economy, very few people or businesses have the “discretionary (extra fluffy) income” to spend on superficial things if they want to survive.

Witness the line of luxury designer bags and Rolex watches (on consignment) at one of the gold/silver redemption shops in town.

So, you don’t like math — meaning insurance, finance, chemistry, geometry, statistics, science, etc?

Discipline yourself to learn at least the basics of math. Hire a tutor or use one of many free internet educational websites. Realise and count how many of those industries listed above use maths and science to succeed. They need you if you are willing to learn, acquire skills, are motivated to succeed, have a positive learning attitude, and come from the Island we call home.

You need these skills now and even later for your future dream-deferred jobs. How can you run a successful construction company or operate as an ancillary contractor if you cannot run a CAD (computer aided design) project, or calculate angles, squares, cubes, weight-bearing beam loads projections, concrete formation mix properties, overhead equipment burden, cost-overruns, weather patterns, custom tariff drawdown on profits, etc?

How can you cover your costs, provide exemplary services to your clients, have devoted employees that are rewarded appropriately for their commitment to you and make a profit in your superb spa salon if you don’t understand your company’s finances: math, overhead, return on investment, employee contributions, expansion allocations.

You all are smart graduates. You can do this. I have every confidence in you, as do your parents, your family, your teachers, your pastor, and your friends.

Go for the gold.

Good luck and God Bless on your unknown journey to a successful future.

PS: Please feel free to write to me if you need reference sources on industry topics and qualifications.

Martha Harris Myron CPA PFS CFP JSM, Masters of Law: International Tax and Financial Services. Appointed to the Professional Tax Advisory Council, American Citizens Abroad, Geneva, Switzerland. The Pondstraddler* Life™ Consultancy provides cross border financial planning for internationally mobile individuals and their businesses residing, working, crossing borders, and straddling ponds in the North Atlantic Quadrangle. Specific focus on residents of Bermuda, the premier international finance centre.

Contact: martha@pondstraddler.com