Guest Blogger: Reading For Pleasure: Is it Really Able to get you a Better Job Later in Life? by Lisa Palatino

Reading For Pleasure: Is it Really Able to get you a Better Job Later in Life? by Lisa Palatino

 

 Reading For Pleasure: Is it Really Able to get you a Better Job Later in Life?

Sociological studies looking into teenagers who read for pleasure, have recently come to the conclusion that teens who choose to read in their free time, are much more likely to attain a desirable job later in life. It has been suggested that reading holds a huge array of benefits for teenagers, and though it may not be the sole reason that children go on to University and good careers, it definitely has many influences for gaining a successful job. Therefore, reading as a teenager acts as actually reading for your future. All young children are encouraged to read, from being read bedtime stories to elementary schools inviting children to challenge their reading abilities. At some point however, much interest in reading is lost, so maintaining that interest and realizing reading’s benefits is essential. 

What do you Actually Learn From Reading?

There are so many skills that you gain from reading for pleasure that will transfer with any career you decide on. It turns out that most importantly, reading can quite simply make you smarter. Apparently those that read have higher GPA’s, intelligence and wider general knowledge. It can also boost your analytical abilities, due to the fact that reading can help you spot patterns quicker and allowing you to analyze things quicker. 

One of the most obvious benefits of reading is an increased vocabulary and improved spelling and grammar, and reading is even more effective with improving spelling and vocabulary than direct teaching. Books force us to often come across words that we are unfamiliar with, therefore causing us to consistently learn new words. Enhanced reading skills will also cause an improvement in writing skills also. Having a wide vocabulary and good spelling are essential, no matter what job you want to go into. These skills will enable you to sound more knowledgeable, intelligent and articulate; skills that any employer will be looking for.

Reading is to the Mind, what Exercise is to the Body:

Regular reading is just the same as regular exercise, as it stimulates the mind, keeps it active and challenges it. Hence, why we are advised to take just a little time out at least every day to dedicate to reading, due to the number of benefits on the mind that will last a lifetime. Reading often will help the brain stay mentally stimulated, keeping your cognitive abilities at their best and preventing the brain from losing its power. Reading is also an excellent form of relaxation, which for teenagers is imperative. With homework and exams piling up, reading a book will enable you to relax and allow tension to escape, while working your brain at the same time. Your brain will also learn many things, such as focus as it heightens its concentration skills. This will help teenagers to focus their attention, which will inevitably help them to focus more while at school and heightening productivity. When the time comes therefore, they will be able to focus their attention on looking for jobs, writing CV’s and applications and interview techniques. These benefits will obviously be transferred into later working life, so it is obviously worth starting to take some time out with a good book. 

You Don’t Just Have to Read Novels:
It’s not just reading the lofty classics that will enable you to widen your career prospects. Simply reading around the subjects that you’re interested in will still broaden your vocabulary and knowledge. So if you love English, then obviously reading some Bronte, Dickens and Shakespeare would be enjoyable and will help you get the best head start to an academic future in literature. However, for those who want to study and specialize in microbiology or the human anatomy, the classics of literature may be a little limited with what they have to offer. Obviously reading literary masterpieces will still aid vocabulary, spelling and boosting memory abilities, but more subject specific textbooks for topics from science to sport to art, will still heighten intelligence but just on more specific knowledge. As Wall Street Journal’s How to Raise Boys that Read suggest, boys often find literature taught in school boring and uninteresting, so getting them to read some non-fiction could be an excellent way to get them reading and focusing their attention on the direction they want their future to take.
So, alongside sports activities and playing musical instruments, reading for entertainment is a great way to get a well-rounded education by enhancing key skills that will improve your CV and increase your chances in a desirable career. With tough competition for the best jobs, it is best to get prepared now and reading for as little as one hour a day will boost the brain activity and have many positive effects, creating numerous transferable skills for your future.