How to Choose a Career Path with Your Graduate

Do you have a teen who is reluctant to talk about their future?  I do. I’m not sure what my teens are thinking some days.  No matter how much I remind them that their future is on the way, it doesn’t click.  They believe everything will magically come to them after they graduate. Meanwhile, I”m over here trying to show them how to schedule testing and application deadlines before they even tell me what it is they want to do with their lives. When the lectures are being ignored, how am I supposed to help my teens choose a career path.

How to Choose a Career Path with Your Graduate

First, stop lecturing.  They aren’t listening to us anyway.  Talk to your teen in a way that allows them to do the talking and you just listen. Ask questions about their interests, books they have read, or their favorite television show. All of these things help to paint a picture in what may be an interesting career field for them.

Next, do a little research together online. The Path to Your Dream Job infographic is a great place to start.  Have your teen choose their dream job and it will reveal the steps they need to take to achieve it!

Try inspiring them with hands-on activities and/or connect with someone who has a career with similar interests. Have lunch, tour businesses and college campuses, or join special interests clubs.  It is amazing how much a teen can be motivated about their future after they have talked with someone who shares their interests. My oldest, for example, loves technology and computers.  He is very skilled, much more than anyone else in our family.  Sometimes he tries to talk to us about what he has learned or read, and we don’t understand it.  We get a little lost, even when we really try to stay with the conversation.  But when he is chatting with other teens and adults who are skilled like him, he is alive; his eyes are open, his face is bright, and he is totally engaged.  That is when you know you are leading your child in the right direction!

Lastly, parents, don’t stress yourself (and your teens) out! Many students graduate high school or college with little to no idea about what they want to do. Keep providing your child with the opportunities to explore new fields and it will come to them in time. Continue working towards graduation, enjoy this time together as a family, and keep planting those seeds that will inspire THEM to find the job they will love.

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