Written by Karoline Gore
A 2018 survey showed that 31% of high school students believe that they need to figure out their career path before graduating high school. Among these students, 75% of them are most likely to be influenced by their own parents when it comes to deciding what they want to do in the future. Whether they want to become artists, take vocational courses on construction, or go to medical school to become doctors, young people would always need the support of adults. As a parent, here are some of the things you can start doing to help your teens in deciding their own career path.
Talk to Them
The first thing you can do is to ask them about what they want to do in the future. Check if they already have a plan or if they are still figuring things out. Make sure to listen, and try to ask them questions that will help them narrow down their choices. For instance, talk about their expectations for the future. Ask them specific questions, such as how much schooling are they willing to do? How do they see themselves financially in the future? If they want to be a doctor, are they willing to spend years in residency and training? What help do they expect from you in reaching their goals? Knowing these will help you guide them in laying down specific actions that they can take to be on the right path for the career that they want.
Engage Their Interests
If you're teenage child is undecided about their career choices, try engaging their interests. You can do art with them or get them interested in science through activities such as exploring or visiting a museum. Encourage them to take classes or extracurriculars that spark their interest instead of focusing on finding subjects where they think they can easily get a good grade. Although grades are important, it's essential that they know that they will benefit from learning something that they actually like. Aside from learning subjects that they're interested in, they can also try to apply for part-time jobs. Being a working student has a lot of advantages for their personal growth, such as gaining transferable skills that they can use in their future careers. Some can even build their network from working part-time in high school.
Help Them Find Their Strengths
Helping them find and realize their own strengths can aid them to make a decision about their career. As their parents, make sure to notice the areas where they excel more and which areas they need to improve on. Some teens tend to follow the crowd when it comes to decision making. This is why it is important to show them that taking a different path from their peers may benefit them in the long run. Give them compliments and encouragement to show that you will give them your full support. You can also help them build their own portfolio so they learn how to present their strengths.
Teenagers are trying to figure out many things on their own as they transition from being kids to being adults. Through these changes, parents should be able to give them the right support when it comes to securing their future. While supporting them, don’t forget to give them enough space for self-discovery so they can make the right decision about their career life.