What’s in your blood?
In a world full of opportunities, there are more paths than ever to embark on when choosing your profession. But for some, too much choice makes it difficult to determine the ideal career path, leaving many lost in the big world.
But does the answer lie in our blood?
An expert from the University’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Science has been taking part in a new series on S4C, Yn y Gwaed, beginning Thursday, 12 September at 8.00.
The series aims to help a handful of young people discover their calling. Professor Tim Woodman will compose a psychological profile of the individuals in order to assess their psychological strength. , while others assess their family history to identify the skills and talents that lie in their blood. Historian Eilir Ann Daniels in Aberystwyth will shed new light on the family history of the individuals. By marrying their psychological makeup with their family history, they will then suggest ideal areas of work for that individual.
"It's very difficult for young people to choose their career at the beginning of their lives," says Catrin Heledd who presents the series alongside Ifan Jones Evans, "years ago, when I was young, the world was a lot less complicated. I feel so old talking like that, but it's true!"
Catrin added: "Everyone needs money. But the reality is that you are going to be doing your job for a very, very long time hopefully. So, having a job you enjoy is just as important as the money coming in. Hopefully, Yn y Gwaed will help young people to find their ideal, potentially life-changing, area of work."
Tim has spent years researching what people need to succeed. To understand how to make better decisions for our future, it is important, according to Tim, to be more aware of who we are.
Tim said: "People can end up in careers for 20 years and then ending up just burning out because they’re not doing what they really want to do. They’re not doing what is really in their blood.
"When we talk about what’s in our blood, we’re really talking about who we are. We are very much a product of our past, our genetic components, our nurturing and our upbringing.”
In the first episode of the series, the team will help 21-year-old Catrin McLellan from Abergwili, Carmarthen, and 20-year-old Llyr Hughes from Caergeiliog, Anglesey. Both are lost in their careers and are looking for a helping hand to lead them to their ideal career path.
Catrin McLellan said: "I have no idea what I want to do in my life. I know there are bigger and better things out there, and I'm ready to find them."
Agriculture, nursing, engineering, mining - there is a lot of history to discover in each family tree, and as each individual embarks a personal journey, they discover more about themselves as they dig deep into their mind and into their family history.
Watch Yn y Gwaed, every Thursday night on S4C.
Yn y Gwaed
Thursday 12 September 8.00, S4C
English and Welsh subtitles available
On demand: S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer and other platforms
An Avanti production for S4C
Publication date: 5 September 2019