Every single time I introduce myself to someone, I always hear, “I wish I had known you when I was in high school!” OR “I wish I had known you when my kids were in high school!”
Why are they saying this? Because they spent years drifting through college and life trying to figure out what to do. They would start one path, realize it wasn’t the right fit and start in a new direction. Then that wouldn’t work, and they would pivot again. Many young adults redirect several times until they, hopefully, find a job that really excites and motivates them. I know people in their 30’s who are still pivoting.
You could say all this meandering is part of life and growing up. However, there are some downsides to this. Here are just a few:
- Student loan debt that may take 30 or more years to pay off.
- Several false starts that prolong their financial and independent success.
- Your retirement plans get put on hold because your kid is still living with you in their 20s.
- Your kid is feeling increasingly depressed. Maybe they have a hard time getting up in the morning. They just can’t muster the motivation to find work because they don’t want to go down another wrong path.
As a parent, I am sure you want to avoid these downsides at all costs. How can you do this? Here are some tips:
- Have conversations with your teen about what they want to do after high school.
- Find out what careers they have considered and connect them with someone in that field to learn more about it. Maybe they can job shadow for a day.
- Research the education needed for their career interests. Review what courses are required. Do the needed classes motivate or demotivate them?
I know it’s hard for teens to think about their future while in high school. Tell them it’s not about figuring out what they want to do for the rest of their life. It’s about finding out who they want to be and what they want to do for the next 5 – 10 years.
We make this process easy for your teens and get them excited about their future. As one of our teen clients said, “You have taught me a process that I can use for the rest of my life.” Sign up for a complimentary College Assessment Plan call where we can discuss you and your teen’s goals, what’s getting in the way, and the best path to get there.