Emphasizing the Importance of Career Guidance:
Helpful Hints for Parents of Elementary, Middle, and High School Students

As parents, all of us want our children to be prepared to become productive citizens who can support themselves. We want our children to do better than we have. However, most of us do not know how to help our children prepare for a career. Career guidance is just as important as academic preparation.

Did you know?

• 48 of the 50 fastest growing jobs in the U.S. require some type of education beyond high school.
• People who don't have post-high school training are three times more likely to be unemployed than those who do.
• People who have some training after high school make more money and have better opportunities for career advancement than those who have only a high school diploma.
• Freshmen who don't have a career goal or academic major when they enter college are more likely to drop out.
• If your child has a solid plan before graduating, his or her chances for success in postsecondary education increase.

Elementary School Children

• Tell your child about your job
• Tell your child about the jobs of relatives, neighbors, and friends
• Talk about what your child would like to be when he or she grows up
• Take your child to work with you to spend some time watching you work

Middle School Children

• Discuss the course selections that the high school offers with your 8 th grader before he or she registers for classes
• Ask your child what he or she would like to do when he or she gets older
• Have your child identify activities that he or she likes to do
• Discuss which careers match your child’s interests
• Begin talking about what your child needs to do after high school to prepare for his or her career

High School Children

• Identify the career or field in which he or she would like to work.
• Discover the skills needed for his or her chosen career.
• Get as much education and experience related to his or her career field as possible while still in high school. This can be accomplished in many ways, including elective classes, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, job shadowing, internships and part-time jobs.
• Obtain information on dual enrollment and joint enrollment
• Collect information on the post-high school training needed to fit his or her career plan.
• Find the schools or colleges that provide the best training for your child's chosen career.
• Look beyond just starting a training program, set a plan for how to finish the program.

One of the most important jobs of a parent is to prepare his or her child for the future. Your child will probably change career goals many times before he or she decides on one career path. It is perfectly normal for children to explore a variety of careers before they find the one career that is a fit for them. However, it is better for a student to have a plan than not to have a plan at all. Plans can change as the children grow and mature. The discussion with parents about career options, however, is vital to the success of your child.

If you would like more information about middle and high school student initiatives and enrollment at Sandersville Technical College, please contact Michelle Strickland, STC’s Education and Career Partnership Manager, or Tess Chapman, STC’s Stay in School Coordinator, at (478) 553-2098.

Information used in this article was obtained from America’s Career Resource Network.

(2008, Spring Quarter Issue). The Fall Line Connector, p 11.