If you find choosing a career that suits your needs is hard work, imagine what it’s like for your children! As a parent, we can flip-flop between encouraging them to have a career that is safe and encouraging our children to follow their passions. So what can we do to help our children navigate all of these essential decisions? 

Remember That Your Child Is Unique

We can all run the risk of projecting our dreams onto our children. The fact is that if you wanted to be a criminal defence lawyer as a child, and you are pushing this onto your children, this could immediately turn them away from any related career path. It’s important for you to resist the urge to tell your child to avoid a certain path as well. Just because it doesn’t interest you doesn’t mean that your child is going to feel the same about it. 

Help Your Child Discover Their Passions and Strengths

There’s a lot you can do to help here. There are tests you can take; the Myers-Briggs test, the Holland Code, or the Strong Interest Inventory test can all be beneficial in highlighting potential career paths. But it’s important to remember that taking a test doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to provide definite answers. Taking a variety of assessments and looking for some patterns among the results will offer an idea of what your child can benefit from. You can also brainstorm how your child can bring their strengths to that career profession. 

Exposing Your Child to a Number of Interests

Giving your child the opportunity to try new activities constantly will help them to understand what really makes them tick. If there are subjects they are curious about, you need to encourage them to learn more about these topics. The decision to choose a certain type of work is something that comes gradually as people explore their interests. Therefore, it’s your role to provide a wide palette of options so they can pick and choose. 

Set the Example

As parents, we always need to set the right example as your child is going to watch every move you make, so you should work on setting an example of doing things that you enjoy. If your child sees you in a career that you hate, they are going to have a similar relationship with their work. It’s important to remember that you are never too old to find time to do what you love. You may be working in a job that doesn’t stimulate you, but you can still do things outside that make a big difference. 

Be Patient

Your child has plenty of time to find out what they care about. What you need to do is encourage them to keep learning about themselves so they end up choosing things that align with their core beliefs rather than your child doing something just for the sake of it. In fact, this is something that we can all benefit from remembering on occasion!

Choosing a career is a major decision, so don’t rush into it. Take the time to sit down and think about what your child is good at. For many kids, this is something that they’re already aware of and can share with you. For others, it may take some digging to discover what your child likes to do best. Take the time to discover your child’s natural talents and strengths, and then match those up against different career options. This will help you choose the path that’s right for them, rather than making assumptions based on what you think is best for them.

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

Asking your child’s teachers and guidance counselors for advice can be a great way to think about a career path. But don’t be afraid to ask other parents as well. Talking to others who have made the same decision can help put your own concerns at ease. It can also give you a better idea of what other families are experiencing, which can help to ease some of your concerns if you’re feeling confused or unsure. For instance, if your child would like to become a lawyer, go directly to the source. Talk to great lawyers like Dennis Hernandez and encourage your child to maintain a connection with them.