The life of an adolescent isn’t all roses. There’s so much to care about: projects, assignments, exams, competitions, and the million-dollar question of which career to pursue.
While some teens know exactly what they want to become, a lot of adolescents are constantly perplexed and find it tough to choose a career. A lack of clarity about career choices, combined with peer pressure and societal expectations creates tremendous pressure on young minds.
In the absence of proper guidance, teens may not be able to choose a career that aligns with their interests. They may pursue something their peers are doing and end up feeling dissatisfied. Parents and educators have a huge responsibility on their shoulders to help children find their calling in an easy, unrushed manner. If you have noticed your child mulling over how to choose a career path as a teenager, it’s time to be their friend, philosopher, and guide.
How to help your child choose a career?
While the decision of choosing a career lies primarily with the child, parents must work to provide an open environment for the child to feel comfortable and confident in asking questions and simply talking about their thoughts. Many adolescents may show that they don’t need any help, but parental guidance and support is extremely crucial at this important juncture of their lives. Here are some tips how to help your child choose a career:
- Guide them with the groundwork: The most important thing to do when children can’t decide on a career is to research their ideas. Parents need to play an active role in exploring career options, digging deeper into fields children are interested in, and researching avenues of employment. When guardians and teens explore career pathways together with an open mind, there are greater chances of coming to a better understanding of the same. Often, teens want to pursue a certain career but they are not sure how to go about it. Under the guidance of parents, they can make an informed choice.
- Explore their interests: A conflict between parental choices and adolescents’ interests may confuse children even more. Many parents tend to influence their children’s decisions based on their own assumptions, experiences, and expectations. They prioritize certain careers over others that they believe are less lucrative or unworthy. This might lead youngsters to believe that their choices and passions are not good enough, or make them feel that they can’t possibly make a livelihood following their dreams. Parents must let their children explore their passions to be able to figure out what works best for them. Teenagers should be given a fair chance to follow their interests. The role of parents is to gently nudge children in the right direction, keeping in mind their capabilities and skills. Your child may want to pursue a career that doesn’t appear to be lucrative in the beginning, however, if the child is confident in their choice you should try to explore viable options in the field. Expose your teen to various careers and guide them toward a field that interests them.
- Understand the evolving career landscape: The career landscape is changing very fast and it is tough to keep up with it. Today there are a plethora of career avenues that didn’t even exist a decade ago. Under such circumstances, it is all the more important that adolescents are made aware of the changing dynamics of the job market. They must know about emerging careers so that they can plan and prepare ahead of time. Encourage your teen stay up to date with the latest employment news, have a general sense of fluctuations in the career landscape, and have a high-level understanding of what most careers entail. Even parents need to educate themselves about the skills required in modern day careers to be able to guide their children accordingly.
- Respect their choices and support them: Gone are the days when children would agreeably follow in the footsteps of their parents, and have the same profession as parents. Today, children are bolder and more aware of their own passions. Though some teens may appear very confident about their career choice, in their heart, they would want that choice to be validated by their parents. It is extremely important to support your child’s aspirations so that they can walk on the path of their choice with their head held high. It can be extremely difficult to let go of control and let your child follow their heart. However, you must accept the fact that every child is different; therefore, their career pathways will also be different. Children who have their parents backing them turn out to be more successful than those who don’t.
If now that your child is growing up, they are unsure how to choose a career path as a teenager, you have come to the right place. Register with LaunchMyCareer to get access to comprehensive and custom career guidance for your child. The unique tools of LaunchMyCareer enable children to unlock their potential, to identify their interests, and to home in on their skills, thereby guiding them to make an informed career choice.
Choosing a career doesn’t have to be hard, and LMC makes the process engaging and fun. What are you waiting for? Register today!
