When you ask a 5-year old what he wants to be when he grows up, some typical answers might be a fireman, astronaut, or baseball player, among others. When you ask a middle-schooler what he wants to do when he grows up, he may tell you a myriad of careers that he sees played in the media, or jobs his family members or adult friends may have. Even at the high school level, many students still cite careers from the same sources, knowing very little about career paths prior to graduation. For some students, going to some type of college is an expectation by the family, or even the student himself, but often what to major in is a complete unknown.
Certainly it is not a necessity to know exactly what one wants to be by the age of 18. However, knowing what some of the options are, will help in the decision-making. I recently conducted a workshop for parents of middle-schoolers, talking about planning for their children’s future. The emphasis of this workshop was how to help students plan now, for work or some type of post-secondary education. We talked about ways to introduce children to the idea of careers. Besides talking about their own jobs, parents suggested joining their children in TV viewing and discussing some of the occupations held by the various characters in sit-coms, dramas, game shows, or news shows. Parents could also discuss various careers when they visit the dentist, pediatrician, restaurants, museums, and grocery or department stores. Conversations should not just revolve around the manager, owner, or dominant occupation, but all the support people that keep the business, office, or organization going. Books that can help may include: A Day in the Life Of series by Liza N. Burby or Mary Bowman-Kruhm, Grow Up, Get a Job by Kerlin & Schneider, Career Match by Shoya Zichy, or the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor.
One program that has been around for 18 years, has made it their mission to introduce children to future opportunities of education, careers, and balancing work with family life. The Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Foundation has an annual day designed with interactive activities, to empower all children to dream of a productive future. This year’s theme was “Invent the Future”, with activities that revolved around math, science, social studies, language arts, and art. Check out their website at http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org to find out more about the organization and how you can participate in both national and local activities for next year.
By the time students enter high school, having an idea of various careers could be beneficial to choosing their courses, finding a summer job, participating in service learning or community service, and choosing their extra-curricular activities. One way to enhance a high school transcript or to prepare to write a college essay, is to have one or more passions or interests. The 4-year plan for a high school student should include courses that might introduce him to a career path. Through service-learning, community service, or extra-curricular activities, students can explore a career path, investigate an area of interest, make a commitment to an ideal, become an activist, or support an advocacy group. The typical summer job should be more than a way to make money. If possible, students should attempt to find paid-internships or jobs that will introduce them to future opportunities in education or careers. The school guidance office or career office should be able to help a student find such opportunities.
Another way to explore careers is to take a career inventory, guided by a professional. Sometimes career inventories are administered in middle school, students are given the results, but nothing happens afterwards. Students need guidance to understand the results, which often shows the student’s strengths and weaknesses, and the careers that would fit the strengths. There needs to be a discussion beyond the list, and a further exploration of what each career entails. A good inventory would follow up with a thorough job description and related occupations, education/training requirements, necessary skills, possible college majors, common work activities, potential salaries, and a career’s popularity within a geographical region. If you would like your high school student to explore different professions using a career inventory, Ruth Brodsky Consulting can help. Please contact me at ruth@ruthbrodskyconsulting.com or through my website at www.ruthbrodskyconsulting.com.
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