How to Help Your Teen with Their Career Choice

Choosing a career is one of the biggest decisions your teenager will make. Here are some tips on how you can nurture their passions and help them make their own career choice!

Whether it’s art or math or music or cooking, every teenage boy and girl has a passion. And, while some passions can bloom into a full-time profession, they require time to succeed! Many parents have career choice ideas in mind for their teenager and it can be hard to hold back. However, one of the most important things you can do as a parent is to help them follow their own dreams. So here are ways to get involved without doing the legwork for them.

As a student, there can be a lot of career choice anxiety that makes choosing an occupation seems impossible. However, there are many ways you can find a professional path that’s suitable for you!

For example, any experience at a job can be a great way to determine your skill set at a young age. Whether you work outside or at a desk, it will give you a sense of education prospects. You may even be curious about starting a side business or part-time job before college, whether it’s yard maintenance or writing projects.

If you simply want to dabble in something different, volunteerism can be a great way of determining your passions. Whether you volunteer with animals, at the hospital, or with kids, giving back can give you a possible future path!

As a parent, it can sometimes be hard to separate ourselves from our children and their career path. If there’s a family business or your child has the same talents as you do, you can offer career choice help.

However, it’s very important to know, when assisting your child, that they are not an extension of you and that your job is not, by all means, necessarily the best for their career. Your teenager is their own person with their own talents, no matter how much they remind you of yourself. Instead, we as parents need to help our children foster their own sense of confidence and identity so they can choose their own path. As adults (even though they're young adults), they can choose a future education and occupation. So, help to guide, rather than force them along in their unique journey. You can also communicate your ideas for helping your children on FamilyApp!

There are plenty of ways you can help with career choice coaching for your child. If you’re looking to help them succeed, try the following!

• Take a Test – A career choice test won’t tell your child everything they need to know about their passion. However, something like the Myers-Briggs test or Enneagram can help them determine what their natural inclinations are. While it doesn’t necessarily narrow down certain options, it can help them direct their talents. If you have any assessment ideas, share them on your favorite family app!
• Get Your Child Involved – There’s nothing like trying out a variety of activities to find out what really gets your child engaged during their teenage years. If they’re curious about sports, take them to a team tryout or, if they like art, buy them a paint set. By understanding their interests, a child will have the opportunity to develop skills and aptitude!
• Be a Role Model – One of the most important parts of helping your kids with their career options is being a great example. That means that you should be doing, or working towards doing, a job that you love! If your children see an adult doing something they care about, they’re more likely to avoid a major dilemma when choosing a career.

Helping your teenager follow their skills can be one of the most rewarding parts of being a parent. And, while you can certainly help them plan their career path, it’s important that the choice is there’s to make.

Do you have tips on how to help your children with career choice criteria? Share them with other parents in our comments! Many parents have ideas for their children’s future, but the best choice will be the one they make for themselves.