Though education should be about the process of gaining knowledge and eradicating ignorance, in today’s day and age after westernisation globally, education is equated to a career that is attached with salary tag that student run after mindlessly.
Source: https://www.moneycrashers.com/5-great-career-fields-for-the-future
Every action has to have a meaningful purpose and parents need to inculcate this in children. A career path that students take should earn them enough to lead a balanced life but this does not stop at just the income. The career should be meaningful and has to be something that they feel passionate about; otherwise, it will take a toll on the mental and physical health which will eventually lead to detrimental effects.
So, how can parents help identify their child’s career interest after all?
Here are some ways!
ONLINE ASSESMENTS
Apart from educational qualifications, career choices are heavily dependent upon the personality of the individual as well. Not everyone would be well-suited to be a teacher, for example. In order to be a tuition teacher or a school teacher, one has to have the passion for sharing knowledge, a tutor should always keep learning and keep himself updated and should be patient with students as well.
Photo by Vlada Karpovich from Pexels
Similar to how there are online personality tests, there are some online career interest assessments as well (for example, careeronestop). This may give some sort of an approximation as to what kind of career pathway can be followed.
TALK IT OUT
Parents should communicate with their children and ask them about what interests them and what doesn’t. Sometimes children may not have given much thought to it as they may feel that there are still many years before graduation.
Parents need to observe their children’s thinking process, they should talk to them about the myriad of career options out there and they should encourage tutors to talk to their private tutors about this as well.
EXPLORE THE OPTIONS
The obvious does not always present itself in front of our eyes; we have to be in search for it. Exploring what’s relevant now and what may become obsolete a few years down the road is essential. Keeping yourself up-to-date is crucial these days as with rapid globalisation, lots of career options are losing their relevancy as artificial intelligence is able to replace them.
Source: https://depositphotos.com/stock-photos/explore-your-options.html
As companies are moving towards more sustainable and cost-effective methods to run their businesses, machines are replacing man and thus students have to aim for more skilled jobs that machines could probably not replace them in the next 5 years or so.
INTERSHIPS
Being a student is starkly different from surviving in the corporate landscape. It will be helpful to great extent if students could sign themselves up for internships and work in companies to gain an experience. This glimpse of work life will enable students to make much more informed decisions in future and there will be lesser chances of making the wrong choice.
Source: https://www.naceweb.org/job-market/internships/the-positive-implications-of-internships-on-early-career-outcomes
Some jobs may seem less complex than it sounds and some may be much more complicated as opposed to what we think of it!
ASK THE EXPERTS
We all have relatives, family friends, tutors and well-wishers all around us who are ready to guide us and give us advice as well their offer their perspectives on matters that they are aware of.
For example, if you ask a doctor in your family as to whether medicine may be the right path for your child, he or she would tell you the pros and cons of being a physician, about some things that you can expect and about the things that your child might have to sacrifice.
Asking the experts in the field itself will give you clarity and this will enable you to guide your child in a more holistic way!