Parenting Teens

Have you talked with your teenager about career choices? Regardless of your teen’s age, it’s never too early to, at least, think about what they will do to make a living. Researching career choices can be a fun and rewarding experience for teens.

If your teen has a certain career in mind, he/she will probably enjoy finding out more about the education and qualifications needed to pursue the career, the types of work and tasks which go into the day-to-day practice of that career, the places where jobs are available and how much money they might expect to make.

Will your teen’s career choice involve college? What type of school? Two year? Four year? Graduate school? A technical school? Although college is highly touted in today’s world, and many careers require at least a four-year degree, there are still careers out there that can be pursued by attending two-year colleges and technical schools, rather than a more long-term school commitment.

One good place for teens to research careers is at Career Zone. This site has a number of interesting resources for students who are looking into the type of career they want. One feature allows teens to do an assessment of themselves by choosing their top three areas of interest and then providing a list of jobs related to those interests. They can then click on a particular job and will be provided with a description of the job, the areas of interest it involves, a list of tasks which the job requires to be performed, and the skills, knowledge and education required for the job.

Students can also enter a search time to look for a particular career. There are links provided to other research areas. The site has a “Featured Career”, which changes regularly. At the time I visited, the career was Physician’s Assistant.

The best feature of the site is “My Portfolio”, which allows them to list and keep track of many things, including their interests, their skills, the classes they have taken and need to take, etc. It also lets students keep a journal, build a resume, and build a career plan, among lots of other things. Check out Career Zone and pass the web address onto your teenagers.

Don’t forget that your teen’s high school counseling office can provide a wealth of information on careers and choices to your student. They can also offer interest assessments and abilities assessments, which can point your teenager to careers. It’s never too early or too late to begin talking with your teenager about the career they’d like to pursue.

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