How Can You Help Your Children Choose a Career? “Go for it, but remember it's just a hobby; don't waste your points!”
to avoid saying things like, "Sure, go for it, but just as a hobby, don't let your hard-earned points go to waste!" They highlight the importance of jointly exploring questions that can ignite a child's curiosity instead of settling into such dismissive attitudes.
Assist. Prof. Dr. Ayşen Köse, from the Guidance and Psychological Counseling Department at Yeditepe University's Faculty of Education, sheds light on how parents can engage in meaningful discussions with their children about choosing professions and planning for the future. She delves into strategies for preparing kids to navigate the ever-evolving world of work and careers, ensuring they're ready for what lies ahead.
Get to Know Your Child Better: Parents can offer more support to their children as they become more familiar with their talents, skills, interests, values, and personality traits. By finding answers to the following questions, you can get to know your child better:
- What topics or concepts does your child enjoy discussing and want to learn more about?
- Which subjects do they enjoy and excel in at school?
- What extracurricular activities do they find enjoyable?
- What do they say about the lifestyle they want in the future?
- What are their favorite movies, books, magazines, and social media channels?
- Who are their role models?
Getting to the heart of these questions brings you closer to understanding your child's world and equips you to guide them more effectively toward their aspirations and dreams.
Their wishes may change: It's crucial for children to know themselves when making choices. However, talents, skills, interests, values, and personality traits can change over time. Career planning processes should be flexible and continuously updated based on students' current characteristics while being open to potential future changes. This approach ensures that their career paths can adapt as children grow and evolve, reflecting their developing aspirations and abilities.
Do not impose your opinions: Research shows that teenagers are highly influenced by conversations with their parents about future plans and that parental influence plays a significant
role in career choice. Therefore, in discussions on these topics, parents must encourage their children to explore the world of work rather than imposing their opinions. Exploring answers to some questions together can ignite a child's curiosity. For example, you might ask:
- Are there typical personality traits that describe people in this profession?
- In what types of work environments is this job done?
- How might this profession change in the future?
- What are the essential skills and talents needed for this job?
- What are the different career paths this profession might lead to?
- Who do you know that works in this profession?
Such questions help your child reflect on their interests and abilities and enable them to think broadly about their future in the context of the evolving job market.
Success Stories Can Inspire: Encouraging children to learn about individuals who have succeeded in the professions they are interested in can inspire them. Parents can assist their children in getting a closer look at careers within their areas of interest by seeking internships, job shadowing, or volunteering. School counselors can be a valuable resource for support in this endeavor.
What is the “Real Job”? There are also attitudes parents should avoid during this process. For instance, sometimes parents may discourage specific careers, such as those in the arts and theoretical fields, by not considering them "real jobs" and suggesting they should remain hobbies. Phrases like "I'm not saying don't do it, but do it as a hobby" are the most clichéd examples of this. Parents should not guide career choices based on gender stereotypes. They should avoid pushing for specific paths with statements like "You've scored high on the exam; don't waste your points; why not go for medicine?" The obligation to continue the family business or profession should not restrict the child's career choice. Balancing the benefits of extra financial gain with the happiness of loving one's job is essential.
Job Guaranteed Occupation: It's completely understandable for parents to guide their children towards careers that offer job security. However, with the rapid advancements in technology, artificial intelligence, and automation, professions are changing quickly. Even traditional careers thought to have job security are undergoing significant transformations. It's not just technology; political, economic, and geographical changes are also altering the nature of professions. In short, the job market and occupations are in constant flux. Therefore, a career that offers job security today may not provide the same assurance in the future. Parents should consider this factor when steering their children towards a profession they perceive as having job security.
How do we cope with uncertainties? Answering this question is more complex, but theorists considering this issue suggest that certain traits and skills can be significant assets for young people on their career journeys in this uncertain, unpredictable, and complex world. For instance, according to Professor John Krumboltz from Stanford University, there are five essential skills for career success:
- Being curious.
- Keep going in the face of challenges.
- Being flexible when unexpected situations arise.
- Having a positive outlook.
- Being willing to take risks.
It's crucial for the education system and parents to support the development of these characteristics in children. Research shows that individuals possessing these traits are much better at handling career-related uncertainties and difficulties.
Media: Gazete Pencere | Haberler | Son Dakika | DHA | AA
