What Do You Want To Be?

"And what do you want to be when you grow up?" Freckle-faced heroes aspire to be firemen or astronauts. Softhearted little girls dream of veterinary medicine as a career. When my own children were small, their career choices were; own a horse farm, be a famous inventor, play the piano and to be a motorcycle stunt driver. Each still #1. loves horses, #2. tinkers with ideas as a hobby, #3. plays the piano for pleasure, and #4. rides anything with wheels, but earning a living at them is another story. The time between childhood and adulthood is when choices are made for the future For many teens and their parents, figuring out a career path early on has become increasingly important.

Tough economic times and the skyrocketing cost of college tuition has put the fire under many parents to help their kids' figure out career goals. A plan helps insure they don't waste a ton of money in college and gets the graduate on the road to making a good paycheck in their early 20s. Trust me. You don't want your twenty-something living in their old bedroom because they can't find a job or can't live independently on their salary. A plan now with your child alleviates a whole lot of potential problems in the future.

College is expensive. I know. We are on the last of our four children and will definitely be doing the Happy Dance when he walks across the stage in Norman. It is a sacrifice my husband and I were glad to make, but as parents, you definitely want to make sure the time and money is well invested and well planned for your student. Well-planned because ultimately, the goal of a college degree is (and I cannot emphasize this enough) is to get a job! No longer can the majority of students with 'any' degree find an easy match to specific career or management training programs. For the first time, a college degree no longer guarantees a job.

One of my favorites, Sean Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens-"As the global marketplace evolves, suddenly our kids are not just competing against neighbors for good jobs, but competing against someone in China and India. Often, kids 13 to 18 don't listen to their parents, and a counselor can help set them straight. I think it can hone their plans."

Teens often have a hard time connecting what they are doing now with what they are going to do in the future. Career counseling not only discovers talents and passions, it helps a high-schooler realize why a challenging curriculum and committed leadership is important today for what they want to do tomorrow. A plan in high school helps a teen get a head start. Getting a better understanding of their natural gifts can only help them get on the right track.

Not only are Career and Aptitude Counselors available, there are free or less expensive online tests that could also provide some valuable information. (Check out JobHuntersBible.com for some options.) There are also a score of books on the subject. Explore Amazon or your local book store for all the titles.

After a teen develops some ideas of what he wants to do, both parent and child need to sit down and figure out how different professions jive with the economy and whether it's a wise decision to pursue a job that is say, becoming extinct! There are lots of lists that pinpoint "hot" careers and up and coming ones. Kids should talk to people who do work they are interested in. Job Shadowing is a good idea. Attending conferences that feature careers like medicine, science, law or leadership are a great opportunity to not only explore possible careers, but also to meet new people, travel and gain a wider perspective.

High School needs to be seen as a starting off point for a successful future. Treading water just does not cut it anymore. Any methods that help a young man or woman succeed should be explored. If your child seems less than focused, perhaps Career Counseling is a tool you should explore. Most of us don't have a driven 14 -year-old that already knows his/her passion. As parents, guiding our child toward a successful life is one of our most important jobs.