Help Your Child Make Career Decisions

How Can I Help My Child Experience Careers?

While your child is in middle and high school, he or she can participate in many career exploration activities.  These activities may include:

Informational interviewing.  Encourage your child to call people who work in his or her chosen career.  Your child should let each person know the purpose of the call and determine how much time the individual has to talk.  Important questions to ask include:

• What daily activities do you do on your job?
• How did you decide to choose this career?
• What kind of training did you need to enter this career?
• What do you like most about your work?
• What do you like least about your work?

Career fairs.  Take every opportunity to attend career fairs with your child so he or she has the chance to learn more about various careers.  Career fairs are often offered in high schools, local colleges or by the local chamber of commerce.

Job shadow experiences.  The more your child sees people in the work environment, the more informed he or she will be about possible careers.  Check to see if programs such as "Take your Child to Work Day" exist in your community.

Internships and work-based learning.  These programs sometimes allow your child to gain high school credit while exploring his or her career interest area.  Internships and work-based learning may be paid or unpaid experiences.

Volunteer work.  Encourage your child to volunteer for a business organization that provides jobs in his or her career interest area.

Vocational classes.  If your child's high school offers vocational classes in an area that interests him or her, encourage your child to take those classes to get hands-on experience with the tools and skills used in the career area.

Field trips.  Field trips are another way for your child to see workers in many different careers.  Before your child goes on a school field trip, ask him or her to watch for different types of workers and careers while on the field trip.  Then discuss those careers with your child afterwards.  You may also arrange a field trip, just for you and your child, to a business or organization that employs people in your child's chosen career.

Remember that career choice is a personal decision.  Do not try to steer your child to a particular career because you think it is something you might like.

Your child may change his or her career interest as a result of increased exposure to careers.  Continue to encourage your child as career choices change - the more informed he or she is about careers, the better his or her career decision will be.

For more information:

The following resources provide you and your child with important information regarding career decision-making.

U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook.  Find it at your local library or online at: http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network (O*Net) can be found online at: http://online.onetcenter.org/ and click on "Skills Search."