Sounds familiar?
Sounds familiar?
Being ‘up for it’ and wanting to make a good job of it may seem obvious first steps in decision making, but all too often we can be put off for one reason or another. It is even more important for young people to want to get involved in their own career planning and to be willing to take responsibility for their future.
How ready and able is your child to make a career decision?
Have you heard any of the following and what might it suggest? How might you respond? What could you do to get them started?
Find out what a Careers Adviser would say. Click on the statement for more information!
"Something will come up. It usually does."
"It’s a long way away. I don’t have to make up my mind yet."
"I know I’ll end up going to College or University. All my friends are going there."
"Everyone else in my class seems to know what they want to do"
"I don’t need to worry. Dad says he can get me a job where he works."
"It’s scary. You’re talking about decisions for the rest of my life!"
"Mum is always saying I would make a good nurse/teacher … but I’m not sure."
"I know I have to make up my mind soon, but I honestly don’t know where to start."
"I really enjoyed my work experience and that’s helped me to know I’d like to do. … I need to find out more about it first though."
"I want to be sure that I make the right decision. After all, it’s about my life."
"I’ve done quite a lot of careers research on the internet, but need to narrow down my choices before I decide."
"Something will come up. It usually does."
Is this an effective way of making a decision? Whose decision is it? Taking the time and effort to become involved in important decisions can lead to genuine personal benefits. Opting out or leaving things to chance means you can’t very well complain afterwards if the results are unsatisfactory.
"It’s a long way away. I don’t have to make up my mind yet."
Timescales can be different for teenagers! Are they right about the timescale? Even if a decision is not required right away, there is nothing to stop you starting to look at how you are going to set about it.
"I know I’ll end up going to College or University. All my friends are going there."
It sounds as if this is simply going with the flow. "Ending up" in University seems rather fatalistic. Does he realise how many students fail to complete a course of Higher Education or wish they had chosen their course more carefully? Being clear about what suits a person is likely to increase the chances of success.
"Everyone else in my class seems to know what they want to do"
Is this really true? Career planning may not seem to be the most important topic of conversation for teenagers, but research has shown over the years that employment and choice of career is a concern for many. Knowing how to plan can be reassuring.
"I don’t need to worry. Dad says he can get me a job where he works."
Does Dad know anything about this? and is it still the case? This approach appears to be based purely on choosing from what’s available and not necessarily on what might be suitable.
"It’s scary. You’re talking about decisions for the rest of my life!"
Major decisions can be scary; but at least this youngster recognises the personal importance of the decision. Prioritising and having a logical method for decision making can help give confidence.
"Mum is always saying I would make a good nurse/teacher … but I’m not sure."
Parents can be very helpful in identifying strengths (and weaknesses) in their children. Linking this too closely to specific jobs can be another matter. In this case, a certain amount of healthy independent thought has taken place. Some discussion of the evidence Mum is using to back up what she is saying could be helpful. What do the rest of the family say?
"I know I have to make up my mind soon, but I honestly don’t know where to start."
Acknowledging the importance and value of a good decision, and that there should be a logical process to it, is a start in itself.
"I want to be sure that I make the right decision. After all, it’s about my life."
Again there are signs here of ownership and a feeling that taking the time and effort to make a good decision will bring its personal rewards.
"I really enjoyed my work experience and that’s helped me to know what I’d like to do … I need to find out more about it first though."
This young person seems to be taking the logical first steps towards making a well informed decision.
"I’ve done quite a lot of careers research on the internet, but need to narrow down my choices before I decide."
Again there is evidence here of wanting to make and carry out an effective decision.
Note: There can be many personal reasons for someone not being ‘engaged’ in their career planning. There may be other substantial issues to overcome in their life; they may be scared at the prospect of making the wrong decision or feel that there is little point.
For many however, the main reason for not starting is simply not knowing how to set about it in the first place.
For more details of this, go to the Career advice section of the website.
