Top Ten Tips for Parents Giving Career Advice to Their Teenagers

1. Discuss your teenager’s hopes and visions for the future with them and any ideas they have about work or study.  Talk about their hopes and visions for the future and any ideas they have about work or study.  Listen to what interests them. 

2. Remember that people tend to excel in things that they really enjoy doing.

3. Don’t push your teenager into a career you ‘think’ will give them better opportunities.  Consider your teenager’s suitability for different jobs and help them identify their abilities and experiences.

4. Learning what your teenager doesn’t want to do can be as important as learning what they do want to do.

5. Don’t steer your teenager away from a job or industry because you don’t like the idea of it.  Keep all options open to avoid closing off any opportunity.  Your teenager could be in their career or industry for the next 20 years or more, so it helps if they enjoy it.

6. Discuss your own work and life experiences, the decisions you made and the paths you took to get where you are.

7. Talk to your teenager about the kinds of occupations they are interested in and then encourage them to find out more about the career they are interested in.  Help your teenager to research job opportunities (e.g. via the internet), or talk to someone in the industry.  Talk to your friends about their line of work.  You might know someone who has the occupation your teenager is interested in and can provide an insight into the job or industry.

8. Don’t project your missed opportunities onto your child – it’s their career not yours.

9. It’s a good idea to look at the subjects your teenager really enjoys at school, but it’s not all about the subjects they have chosen.  It’s also wise to identify the activities your teenager is involved in outside of school, such as sports, social activities, debating team, hobbies, casual jobs or volunteer work.  They may just have a special skill or talent that would translate well to a particular career.

10. Don’t just focus on salary – happiness is priceless!