Transcript of Advice for Parents podcast
In this podcast Kate Hasson of Careers Scotland gives advice to parents on how they can help their children with their career choices.
Parents want to help their children as much as they can when it comes to choosing a career but they are not always sure of the best way to go about it. What advice can Careers Scotland give to parents?
You might not believe it but research shows that parents have most influence on the career choices their children make, so we are very keen to work with parents. Parents need to know how to help their child make good career decisions. They need to be well informed about the options available in employment, training or further study. In Careers Scotland we have developed a range of resources especially designed to help parents.
That sounds OK but a lot of parents wouldn't know where to start?
The Careers Scotland website is a good place to start. There is a section with information especially for parents and carers. There are activities which give you ideas on what to talk to your child about to help them to start to think about choosing careers. The activities can help parents identify the key issues around career decisions and how they can help them make the best choices.
Is it not the case that young people don't always want to take advice from their parents?
Just at the time when young people may need most advice they are naturally keen to demonstrate their independence. That's why parents need to be well informed. They can't simply base their advice on what happened to them when they left school. The activities on the website can help to focus on the things they need to talk about when looking at career options, not let other issues get in the way.
So are you saying you shouldn't talk about your own experiences of leaving school?
No, not at all, it can be a good idea. It can help parents talk to their children about what they are going through. It lets them know that what they are going through is not unique and it's OK not to be one hundred percent sure of what they want to do.
So what would you say are some of the key points where parents have a role to play?
Often the first time parents start thinking about the careers their children might apply for in the future is when they are choosing their subjects in first or second year. Help is available from both the school and Careers Scotland. In Careers Scotland we work very closely with the schools. Most schools will hold information evenings for parents where it will be possible to talk to subject teachers and get their advice on the progress that children are making and their potential for further study in the subject. It is often possible to speak to a Careers Adviser at these events as well. The Careers Adviser will be able to give advice on choosing groups of subjects and the career options they could lead to. They'll also be able to advise on the subjects required if children have a particular career in mind already. They can also advise on new options that are available such as skills for work courses that are now available in some schools.
In first or second year, depending on when subject choice is made, every pupil should receive a helpful magazine produced by Careers Scotland. It takes them through all the points they need to consider when choosing their subjects. It's available in schools every year round about January. You can also read it or download it from the Subject Choice page in the Parents Section of the Careers Scotland website. The information in this section is also useful for 4th year pupils who plan to stay on at school.
OK, every year there seem to be more and more options available to young people when they leave school, you can understand why parents find it really difficult to give advice to their children, it all seems so complicated?
Yes there are so many options now that didn't even exist when you or I left school. With the developments in technology, industries have changed, new types of jobs have been created and jobs are continually changing. For example we are now seeing new green jobs for protecting the environment. In Careers Scotland we can help parents to keep up with these changes so that they can help their children to make the best choices.
But how do you make a good choice?
Parents can help with this by getting their children to think about where their strengths lie and how they relate to jobs. What subjects do they enjoy in school, what other achievements do they have, what are they involved in in their spare time. Parents need to keep an open mind and support their children in researching a wide range of jobs.
You've mentioned that the Careers Scotland website as a good place to start, can you say a bit more about that?
Yes, there are a number of areas on the website which are useful for researching career options. For instance the Which Career section would be a good starting point to help them think about what they want and need from a job and what would be worth considering.
Now for many parents it is a long time since they left school and they may feel out of touch with the various options available, once their son or daughter has decided what they would like to do what is the next step?
For young people leaving school the next step could be through the more well known routes such as going straight in to a job, or going to college or university, it could be a modern apprenticeship or other types of work based training. The important thing for parents to realise is that nearly all options will involve continuing to learn and work towards qualifications. In fact this is more and more the case throughout working life, few jobs stand still as staff in the workplace need to constantly learn and develop their skills as technology develops and new ways of working are introduced.
Again the Careers Scotland website is a useful starting point for young people looking at their options and making applications.
In the Research a Career section you will find links to hundreds of different jobs with information about what's involved, the skills and qualities required and any qualifications or training that you need to complete. Many of the jobs have video clips you can watch if you register on the site.
Another important section is the one on Education Options, it has lots of information on going to college and university and how and when to apply. There is also helpful tips on the things you need to think about when you complete an application form for college or the application process for university. For people applying for jobs and going for interviews there are lots of pages with help and advice. For example if you need a CV for applying for jobs you can use our CV Builder. From our site you can see vacancies for Jobcentre Plus and make online applications.
So there is lots of useful information available and lots of things you can do on your own, but what if you want advice from a Careers Adviser, how do you arrange this?
There is a Careers Scotland Adviser linked to all the secondary schools run by local authorities. The Careers Adviser will go in on certain days to see young people in groups or on a one-to-one basis. The Careers Adviser will help them to draw up a career plan so that they know what they are going to do when they leave school and how to apply. Pupils can get in touch with the Careers Scotland Adviser by filling in a Contacting Careers Scotland in School leaflet, it asks for some details so that the Adviser can decide how best to help them. Just click on the Contact Us section of the website for all the other ways you can get in touch.
That's great, but what about Mum and Dad, what if they want some careers advice for themselves, can Careers Scotland help them?
Yes, people of all ages can contact Careers Scotland for career advice, not just school leavers. Adults contact us for careers advice on returning to study, changing career or returning to work after a period of unemployment or a career break perhaps to look after children or family. Many of the sections of the website we've talked about already are also useful for adults. One we haven't mentioned though is the section called Develop Your Career. It's a good section to look at if you're considering changing your job role, developing your existing skills and experience in your current job or if you are thinking about applying for promotion. It has practical steps and activities and you can go at your own pace and select the sections that are most useful to you.
And if they want to speak to an Adviser?
You can also contact an Adviser if you would like to discuss your options in detail. To get the details again visit the Contact Us section on the website, you can phone and speak to an adviser or just call in to your local Careers Scotland Centre, you don't need an appointment.
