For today’s teenagers making decisions on study and career direction can be a sizeable hurdle. With numerous and rapidly changing career choices, hampered by inadequate information and exploited competition for their or your educational dollars, it can be a minefield. As parents we want to avoid the futility of years of study plus thousands of dollars wasted on a degree that’s not used or gives zero employment opportunity. If you are a parent asking, “How can I help my son/daughter make this decision?” Here are some practical things you can do to help.
Acknowledge the situation.
Most colleges have a low ratio of career guidance personnel to students, therefore little time is available from the careers person to give your children the information they need and want.
Television incorrectly shapes our children’s career perceptions, for example a lot of people are studying criminology at present as programmes such as CSI look exciting. It is highly unlikely there will be enough jobs available for all the graduates.
Universities have two key drivers (a) We need students for revenue. (b) We want students to excel to enhance our reputation. Many times I have heard, “It doesn’t matter which degree you do as long as you do one.” This is like saying, “You need some clothes but it doesn’t matter what size they are”.
Careers are changing fast. 30 years ago there was not an IT industry; now it employs millions of people. It is anticipated the average college leaver will have 5 major career changes, and an estimated 85% of the jobs college leavers will do, have not been invented yet.
Teenagers do not have the full information to make a sound career decision. They may think they know lots; reality is most lack information to make the right career decision.
Many professions have vastly diverse positions. Nursing has over 27 different types of careers, legal careers also vary widely. It is not adequate to know “I want to be a nurse or a lawyer” – they need to know what type of nurse or lawyer.
70% of New Zealanders do not like their work.
Looking at the above list one could easily despair in finding the right career. The good news is that it’s not only possible to identify the correct career direction, but feasible to qualify careers that your teenager will both excel in and be passionate about. For most people their career is the main source of income in their life. Being in the right career will bring improved advancement, better income, greater fulfilment and accomplishment. We succeed with less difficulties, and go further when we are doing what comes naturally. Spending a little to get it right is one of the best financial investments you will ever make.
Measure what fits your teenager.
When buying yourself clothes you would only want garments your size. Likewise, when choosing a study or career direction, knowing what fits is imperative. You wouldn’t go into a clothing store and keep trying on garments without checking size. One wrong garment purchase may cost hundreds of dollars – one wrong career choice will cost thousands and may impact confidence, self image, motivation and quality of life. Focussing on helping your teenager to known the person they truely are will make career or study decisions accurate and easy.
What to measure?
– Aptitudes
Aptitudes are by far the most important measure in determining the right career or study direction. If you can only use one measurement in career guidance then Aptitudes is the one. They take longer to assess but provide the most useful tool with the greatest longevity. Fully developed by 16 years of age, Aptitudes change little through our working life. This once in a lifetime assessment will give clear and decisive study and career direction for both now and in the future. Knowing your teenager’s aptitude pattern not only gives a career compass but shows how to be more successful. Assessed by Worksamples, Aptitudes are not limited to what your teenager knows about themselves. Aptitude patterning gives a definitive measure of careers that fit. With over 70 years research, we know the aptitudes pattern required in each career
– Personality
Select a reliable personality indicator. Free online personality tests are unlikely to have the depth you need for such an important decision. Good personality tools will show information on how we are energised, the way we relate to others, how we take in information, our decision making processes, the way we like to live life, planned or spontaneous. These factors have greater or less significance with different careers. Personality alone is not sufficient, you need to know the strength of a preference, and clear indication is different from slight. Be sure the personality indicator you use has comprehensive career information.
– Interests
Are easiest to measure but beware. Find a list of careers and get your teenager to go through them rating how much they would like each career. Cross out the careers that are a definite “no” then ask what it is about the remaining ones that really appeals to them. Then get them to research the careers to check their understanding of what is involved in that work. Research position descriptions and have your teenager read them through to qualify their understanding of that type of work. The pitfall, is that most probably that they have been heavily biased by partial information. Television usually gives a stance of careers based on the acting part liking or disliking the work. Careers shown to be exciting will only be so if aptitudes, personality and interests all match. People we know can shape opinions of careers and as 70% of people have been shown to dislike their work, your teenagers understanding of careers is most probably incorrect or at least heavily slanted.
The acid test if a career fits is the question “would you do this work if you were not being paid for it?” When the above three measures all match the answer will be yes. Using a career guidance professional who uses the above tools will equip your teenager with the knowledge to make the right choice. It takes the stress out of the process and will probably save you thousands of dollars.