As a parent, you want the best for your child, and that includes wanting to help your child find a career path. But with so many career options available and changing job markets, it’s normal for young adults to feel overwhelmed when making these big decisions.
If your child is struggling to choose a career path, don’t worry, you can play a key role in guiding them. In this guide, we’ll explore practical steps you can take to help your child discover their strengths, explore career opportunities, and make informed decisions about their future.
Many young adults feel pressure to pick a career early, but career exploration is about more than just making a choice, it’s about discovering interests, strengths, and opportunities. Without guidance, many students end up choosing a career based on limited information, peer influence, or pressure to follow a “traditional” path that may not align with their skills and passions.
By taking a thoughtful approach, parents can help their children avoid frustration, career burnout, and unnecessary debt from pursuing degrees or training programs that aren’t the right fit.
Before jumping into career options, encourage your child to reflect on their interests, strengths, and values. Some helpful questions to ask include:
Encouraging self-reflection can help your child start seeing connections between their personality and potential career paths.
If your child isn’t sure where to start, career assessments can provide valuable insights. There are many free and paid career assessment tools that analyze personality, skills, and interests to suggest potential career matches.
Some popular career tests include:
These tools aren’t meant to determine a child’s entire career future but can serve as a great starting point.
Many students only hear about a limited number of careers growing up, doctor, lawyer, engineer, or teacher but in reality, there are thousands of career paths to explore.
Once your child identifies careers of interest, the next step is to understand the required education and training paths. Not every job requires a four-year degree, some careers may require trade school, certifications, apprenticeships, or on-the-job training.
Encourage your child to weigh the pros and cons of each path and choose the one that aligns with their career goals.
Helping your child doesn’t mean making decisions for them. Instead, serve as a guide and support system by:
Many adults switch careers multiple times throughout their lives. The goal is to help your child start somewhere rather than feel paralyzed by indecision. Encourage them to take small steps, gain experience, and be open to learning along the way.
Guiding your child toward the right career path is about exploration, not pressure. By encouraging self-reflection, exposing them to various career options, and supporting their journey, you’ll help them feel confident about their future.
If your child needs an easy way to explore careers, platforms like Orchard provide engaging videos and insights from real professionals to help them find a path that excites them. Career exploration should be a journey, help them take the first step today with 7 days of free access. Click here to get started!