Al-Qalam 
Career coach Farhana Hassam engaging matriculants during a career guidance session
By Neelam Rahim
With Matric finals approaching, learners are entering the final stretch of a demanding year, often carrying the weight of academic expectations, university applications and uncertainty about what comes next.
Speaking to Al-Qalam, career coach and strategist Farhana Hassam said many Matrics are already mentally and emotionally exhausted after months of prelims, extra classes, tuition and workshops.
“Rest is not wasted time,” she said, encouraging learners to prioritise sleep, healthy routines, manageable study sessions and short breaks rather than feeling they must study every waking hour.
She advised learners to break their workload into realistic goals and focus on what they can control: their preparation, effort and wellbeing.
For those struggling with anxiety or fearing they may disappoint their parents, Hassam said such feelings do not mean they are incapable or unprepared.
“Learners should remember that their results are a reflection of their performance in a particular period, not a measurement of their worth, intelligence or potential,” she said.
Hassam also urged parents to create a calm and supportive environment. Rather than repeatedly asking how much their children have studied or what marks they achieved, she suggested asking how they are feeling and how they can help.
“Avoid comparisons with siblings, friends or other learners,” she said, adding that practical support, including ensuring children eat, rest, sleep properly and have a quiet place to study, can make a significant difference.
While Matric results can influence which opportunities are immediately available, Hassam cautioned against viewing them as a final verdict on a learner’s future.
“There are many pathways into further study, employment and career development,” she said. These include alternative programmes and institutions, qualifications, learnerships, skills-development opportunities and opportunities to redirect one’s career later.
For learners uncertain about what comes after school, Hassam recommended making informed rather than panic-driven decisions.
She encouraged learners to consider their interests, strengths, values, subjects and the type of environment in which they would like to work, rather than choosing a career because it is popular or because their friends are pursuing it.
University, she noted, is only one pathway. Depending on individual circumstances, learners can also consider TVET colleges, learnerships, skills programmes, employment, entrepreneurship or taking time to explore their options.
“Careers and life is not linear. There is also no single definition of success,” she said.
Hassam, who has more than 12 years of experience in recruitment and talent-focused roles and over four years of full-time career coaching experience, supports high school learners with career guidance, subject choices and post-school planning.
Her message to Matrics facing the final exams is simple: “You are not running out of time, you have your whole world right in front of you.”
