For example, say your child is interested in singing. Try asking questions like, “Would you want to do something with singing for a career? What kind of work do you think you can do with singing?” You can think of practical careers, like being a music teacher, while also considering pursuing more challenging paths, like singing professionally.
Talk to them about why you chose the path you did. For example, say you became a lawyer after witnessing a local scandal where a lawyer in your home town successfully advocated for worker’s rights. Let them know what experiences and interests led you down your career road. For example, maybe being on the swim team in high school led you to become a PE instructor professionally. Hearing how you chose a career will help your teen find concrete ways to fuel their interests into a career. Encourage your teen to ask family members about their career stories as well.
The answer your teen gives will reveal something about their passions and interests. This can be helpful when it comes to choosing a career path for your teen. For example, maybe reading a particular book was very defining for your teenager. If a book had a huge impact on your teen’s life, maybe they would love to work with literature. Talk about careers in editing, publishing, or teaching literature professionally.
However, let your teen know they can work on developing skills they feel they’re lacking, especially if such skills are required for a career that interests them. Never discourage your teen from trying when identifying their strengths and weaknesses.
For example, you see your teen is extremely invested in their science fair project. Ask them if they’re interested in science as a career. Ask about the specifics of the project. What are they working on? Maybe it’s a project involving food sciences. Your teen may want to work in food sciences professionally after graduation. Explore colleges where you teen can get a relevant degree.
For example, if your teen wants to live in a particular type of area, like a city, talk about job opportunities in that area.
Call your school and request you and your teen have a meeting with the student counselor. The two of you can talk about potential career paths, and practical ways your teen can achieve their goals. Ask the career counselor how you can be supportive as a parent. There are probably many things you can do to assure your teen gets off to a good start with career planning out of high school. You can also ask counselors to put you in touch with relevant colleges and college recruiters. This can help your teen pursue the right education for their potential career.
Talk to a librarian and let them know you’re looking for books on career planning. Librarians are trained to help people find the right resources to meet their goals, so take advantage of the librarian at your teen’s school.
Many career assessment tests also provide databases at the end of the test highlighting potential careers, including information on career paths. These tests ask your teen a variety of questions about what interests and inspires them. Then, the tests will provide a list of potential careers. Make sure you’re using a legitimate career aptitude test. There are many fraudulent or unreliable tests online, so ask your teen’s career counselor for recommendations.
For example, say your child is interested in engineering. Maybe a friend’s spouse works as an engineer. See if that person would be willing to meet with your teen to talk about the field. Meeting a career professional can help your teen figure out whether a career is right for them, as they’ll be able to ask questions about what it’s like to work in the field. It can also help them develop a solid plan to pursue a particular career. Many community colleges also have career advisors who can meet with high school students individually as well.
This is also something to discuss with your teen’s guidance counselor.
Acknowledge it when your teen does something well that reflects responsibility and dependability. For example, “I’m glad you got up for school this morning on your own without me having to ask. " Praise your teen for raising their grades, emphasizing how this can help with a career. For example, “I know chemistry is not your favorite subject, but I’m glad you studied so hard for the test. Good grades can help you get into a solid college. "
You can always call a professional you know and ask. If your teen is interested in becoming a vet, contact your veterinarian and ask if your teen can shadow them for the day. Many companies and organizations have programs in place where teens can shadow professionals, so ask directly. If your teen is interested in medicine, for example, reach out to a local hospital to see if they have any programs in place for a teen interested in being a doctor or nurse.
Many businesses and organizations have internship programs in place for teens. You can usually find information for this on company websites. For example, go to your local library’s website and see if they offer summer internships for teens if your teen is interested in a career in literature. You can also make another appointment with your teen’s school counselor. A school counselor can help your teen do things like write a solid resume in order to apply for internships.
For example, say your teen is interested in animals. Encourage them to volunteer at a local animal shelter, animal rescue, or veterinary clinic. Your teen may find they enjoy a particular aspect of working with animals. For example, your teen may enjoy the science behind veterinary sciences. This may encourage your teen to become a vet.
