How to Lead a Teen to a Career Path

Figuring out a solid career path may be the last thing on a teen's mind. Hanging out with his friends and figuring out who he's going to ask to the prom may be taking priority over his career search. The following steps will help you to approach the topic with your teen so that you can lead him to a career path that he'll be motivated to follow.

Instructions

1. Take your teen out to a fun dinner to discuss her interests, talents, skills and personality type to help her get an idea of what types of careers may be a good fit for her.

2. Help him to research different career options and the type of education that would be necessary to follow the various careers paths that he's interested in.

3. Aid her in the search for schools that have strong programs in the fields she's considering.

4. Set up relaxed meetings or dinners with friends or family members who have experience in the career fields that your teen is interested in exploring so that he can ask questions to find out if any of those potential careers would be a good fit for him.

5. Advise your teen to meet with her high school guidance counselor frequently throughout high school to further explore her career and education options.

6. Encourage him to get good grades and to work hard now so that he'll be able to go to a good school to train for whatever career path he ends up deciding on.

7. Let her know that it's alright to change her mind throughout her teenage years. Continue to help in her exploration of many potential career fields and educational options so that she feels confident about deciding on a career path when it comes time.

Tips & Warnings

• Promote career exploration early in his high school years so that he has time to think and change his mind before settling on one specific career path.

• Don't force your teen into the career path that you want her to take if that isn't really what she wants to do with her life. By not allowing her to make her own decisions, she may begin to resent you and rebel against the career path that you've set for her.