Teens should look into or try job shadowing to see if they like it and would like to pursue it as adults. I have seen too many times young people that finish a four year degree and either can not find work in their field or are not interested in pursuing it once they are graduated. I see a lot of college graduates working retail and telemarketing. So, I think it is a good idea to try the job on before you pursue the education to do something that you may not end up doing anyway. Here are some things that you need to investigate.
1. Don’t train for a job just because the money is good, most of us who have been in the workforce for a long period of time can tell you that being happy in your job is very important. Your job affects more than your job, if you are miserable at work, you will be miserable at home. You will dread going to work everyday and are more apt to call off. Take an interest profiler test to find out what you are truly interested in.
2. Do you have what it takes to get through the training and other expectations of the job? Be realistic with yourself, I once had a guy wanting to work on cell phone towers because the money was good, problem was, he was scared of heights, not a good match, doing something you fear or just simply can not do will only add additional stress that you don’t need.
3. Try the job on, go to a company and ask the human resource person what it would take to do some job shadowing, you may find that the job is just not for you or you may find that you absolutely love it. This is a good way to analyze your goals and give you some guidance on what you need to do to get there. You will be with the guys/gals doing the job, they can answer any questions that you may have right then and there.
4. Be open to entry level, you may be able to jump into the job with out going to a technical school and college. Find out if the job has some volunteer opportunities that will let you feel out the atmosphere. The example that comes to mind is most hospitals have candy strippers, what a better way to see if you like that work environment than to actually experience it first hand. You may want to be a nurse or a doctor, but that is years away, you can get into the network of things by going in entry level.
5. Make your own choices after you have done all your research, as much as we as parents love you, sometimes we have our own agenda, we really do think we know it all because we have experienced life and want the best for you. Don’t be afraid to express yourself if you don’t like our little life plan for you, we do that naturally because we care.
This is very interesting, I see how this could happen to a young person, you graduate high school and you are going into the real world, it is a confusing time and you may tend to go with the flow, if you notice you will see groups of kids doing the same things, a whole group will go to the same college and study the same major, some succeed some don't.
I think this is a good idea, they have the take your kid to work days and career days at school these days, may be the guidance counselors should consider working with the human resource people to set up these job shadowing activities and give them credit for the effort if they show up and do what they are supposed to do.
This is a great idea, but I think the kids need the backing of an adult to let the companies know that they are serious about the opportunity.
Good I find this post really great. You have given many important points which we actually overlook and ultimately land up in the wrong job. Job satisfaction is truly important and that is because as human it is next to impossible to survive in a job that you are doing just for the sake of doing it without any interest in it. Teen age is the time you decide life and career. It is essential to be aware of the openings that your field of knowledge provides you with. Job Shadowing is a great option for people who do not go for interns.
I think the take your kid to work day is a really good idea, but what if your teen does not have the same interests as you and what if you absolutely hate your job? What is this going to show the kid? How miserable you are, so that is why I think that if you can get out of them what they are interested in then you could help them write a letter to a company and try to get them in for even two weeks in the summer, I really think that a lot of companies would go for this, companies are worried about the amount of people retiring, there are a lot of statistics out there that show the work shortage in America.
I think it is very important to get in there with your kids, show some interest in their futures and help them reach their goals.
Laura, you are doing a great job with your sister, has she expressed any interests to you yet, I know that she is still quite young, but they start thinking about their futures much earlier than we sometimes give them credit for. Just was wondering.
You bring out some real good points there good, what if your job is not your dream job, what if you are not happy there, in this case you probably should not take your kid to work with you, lol.
I think getting in touch with some community managers in your area would be a good place to start with this type of program. The department of education probably won't hear of it, unless the government tells them that they have to do it. I think community managers or representative would be able to bridge the gap between the school and the company that the kid wanted to go work for awhile. I like this idea of a summer internship or just for a week or two so the kid gets a real taste, I don't think a day is enough. The community managers have staff in their office, maybe if you guys brought it up to them, they could set this up as a good deed program, think the companies would buy into it quicker if they were involved too.
I think this should be part of the guidance counsellors duties to set these up, as this could be a very specialized program according to industry. If a student wanted to get into management, then what type? This would really need to be narrowed down and the student could do all the research on the field that he/she was interested in. This is a good way for them to jot down all their concerns and questions if they do prior research on the job and then they could narrow it down to the local companies that do the jobs they are interested in that are around their area. From this point the guidance counsellor and the student could make a joint effort to contact with the human resource department of the company and see if some type of job shadowing can be done there. I think if it comes from both at the same time the company may take the offer more seriously, then the guidance counsellor could use this same point of contact again in the future for another student.
Great idea, wish we could come up with some creative ways to make it happen, lets kick some more ideas around and see what we can come up with?
It could be a great project for the community leaders lunchtime, you are right, guidance counselors should be involved too. I am sure they have enough staff in their offices to take this and run with it. They are always talking about wanting to keep young people in the area, this maybe part of the solution. I think this would have to be a group effort of all those involved, if you really want to see this happen in your community you should approach someone, either guidance office or you local representatives office, they are always interested in hearing what their community members have to say.
Job satisfaction is truly important and that is because as human it is next to impossible to survive in a job that you are doing just for the sake of doing it without any interest in it. Teen age is the time you decide life and career.
I totally agree Laura, where I work we see people that are very unhappy with their present employment, but don't have any skills or education to move into something better or different.
So if we start working with kids at a younger age, before they make it to adult hood it may give them many more opportunities to succeed in a job that they would enjoy doing for a long period in their lifetimes, we could be putting all the right information in their hands, such as what if any training is available at the job site, or do you have to obtain it somewhere else first? What is in the career ladder, can I start at entry level and work my way up to where I really want to be? This would be a great opportunity for both the kids and the industry, it would give them a general idea of what the future holds, what they need to do to achieve their goals and how they can come together to achieve those goals, kind of a mentoring program.
teen careers
i think there are way to many teens that are plane lazy there should be rules that set age limits for people to be on welfare teens now days think its thier parents job to keep them.im not talking about all teens but there way to many of them ive delt with a lot of kids begging for a job and then quit after a few days or a week by first pay at least. parents are not responsible after they are 18 and theyshould not expect thier parents to keep them forever.
A teens approach depends on how they have been brought up. I am sure if a teen is behaving lazy then it is the older ones who are responsible, they might not have taken enough initiative to build the child. I understand that a child can be really good only if his or her rearing has been fair enough. If you neglect your child you cannot crib about it later because it is you who has given the chance and courage to the child to do that.
A child is a parents responsibility and I can say that because I am rearing my younger sister who is 11 years younger to me...so i am her acting her mom that way. It is not easy to mold a child the way you want. I realized that I have to change myself if i want to develop a child. The initiatives, the understanding, interest in various fields come once a child during his or her developing years watch the seniors doing so. A child always keeps a role model and it is our responsibility to pave their way. It is not that I am boasting just the experiences that I have been through. If I lead a chaotic, indisciplined life then the child growing in the same environment learns the same. So if the same child grows up to be an indisciplined individual it is only me that I can blame. It is always my duty to instill the right understanding and give the right direction to my child if i want her to grow the way I want.
teens
thats not always true i know some kids that were raised with the best parents you could want careing loveing and more than understanding, but they just seem to think thier parents owe them and one actually said her parents brought her into the world so they owe it to her to see she makes it. i would of sent her on her way but her mother says she will grow up someday, but she is so disrespectful to both her parents.
Hello Goodnatured,
I hear you on the distraut graduate seeking jobs. I graduated in a degree that I loved but it just seems that you go for things you love to do whether it pays well or not or you do something you dread just for the money. Preferably I would rather do what I dread for the money because I at least I would be financially secure however, I find my self doing something that is not for me and not making money...wow double yucks ha! In the end it will work out my friend until then take care.
ps-they do mandate job shadowing in high school seniors as well as college seniors. Sometimes 1 or 2 days of shadowing do not cut it, I suppose.
Thats the main thing guys. Most of us LOVE THE JOB BUT HATE THE WORK WE DO. lol. Lets accept facts of life and move on. I am lucky but because I do exactly what I love and earn more than I spend. Great life huh?
Teens are really hard to figure out, it is so easy to judge them and say bad things about them, but you never know how a teen maybe percieving things. A lot of young people need guidance and will take it from a stranger quicker than they will an adult that knows them, especially if that adult has been critical of them at some point or have shot down a dream they had, no matter how silly some of their ideas seem to us, it is a reality to them. They are struggling with being an adult with the tools of a child. Society puts this age bracket on adultism, not necesarily true for some. Some teens are more mature than others, hold down jobs, have apartments and act as adults. Others talk tough but are truly afraid on the inside.
The young kids that end up on welfare, that is another story, most of the time they have been associated with welfare at one time or another or their whole lives, reality is, it is all they know. I think a lot of these cases are sad, we have these young mothers come in and they have dreams, but don't have the tools to get there or they have it but no one has ever said to them "you can do this". It is amazing what happens when you put a little faith in someone, their light shines through. Now I am not talking about all cases, but there are some who were just born into it and I believe that they were sent to us to help and inspire, once they have a little self confidence, they are well on their way. We have had several young men and women in this situation and I would say there is a small percentage that want to fail, it is just easier and it is what they are used too.
I am not for them laying on welfare at all, but when they come to us, I try to show them how much better they would be with even a job at minimum wage and often times they will tell you they want to do better than their parents. When they say I can't, I say "don't tell me you can't, show me how you can!"
I dont know whats up with these teens these days when i was a teen you had to work or you had nothing. parents didnt keep thier kids after school It was either go to college or get a job, or get out......
The problem is not with the kids. Its with the upbringing. Most parents are unable to give the right direction to these kids. They are just kids right? Trying to be adults. So they need direction. Their capability to judge the right or wrong should be inculcated by the parents. Today parents dont seem to have time for all that hence leading to an incomplete development of the kids.
Another problem is the peer pressure. They watch their rich counterparts and the inability to do the same creates a turmoil in their mind as it is its an age of hormonal change. So they have to be given a healthy environment to make them better people. So before thinking that the teens have turned their backs on you, stop wait and understand, most probably it is you who has turned the back to them.
heres one for you. a local girl was inquireing about her pay check, and they told her they held it for a week and sent it back to the main offoce because she hadnt picked it up. she was furious, she worked about three or four weeks.
Really good advice on this:
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Part 1: Getting an Early Start
If you are the parent of a pre-teen or young teenager it is likely that your child's career choice is the furthest thing from your mind. While most people would agree that the pre-teen and teen years are much too early to choose a career, it is a great time to start career planning.
Career planning is a lifelong process, consisting of four steps - self assessment, options, matching, and action. The step we're going to look at here is Options. During this step one explores different occupations. The pre-teen and teen years are a great time to start doing this. Even some younger children could benefit from it and might enjoy it as well. When one is young, the future's possibilities are endless.
During this time one can look at the variety of occupations without the critical eye one must have later on. There are many ways to explore occupations. And parents are a key component in helping their children with this process. There are several things you must keep in mind:
Keep Your Opinions to Yourself: Try not to discourage your child from exploring a particular career, even if you think it's all wrong for him.
Network: Use your connections to set up opportunities for your child to meet with people working in various occupations.
Protect Your Kids: Make sure you know who your children are contacting to get information about careers. Accompany your child if he or she is meeting with someone. Read all email correspondence.
Continued
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Part 2: Exploring Careers
Read About It
The easiest way to learn about an occupation is by reading about it. Your local library should have a variety of career books. Some books are encyclopedic and look at a variety of careers. A good example is the Occupational Outlook Handbook which is published by the United States Government. The information in this book is very thorough, though kind of dry. Other books look at individual careers. There are series of books written for different age levels.
There's also a lot of information available on the Web. Exploring Occupations is your link to online resources that provide information on a variety of career choices.
Live It
While reading about an occupation may be easy, it can also be ... well ...
not very interesting. Kids like hands-on experiences, where they can learn about an occupation by talking about it or better yet experiencing it.
One way to experience an occupation is through job shadowing. A child can visit an adult at work to see what the day to day activities are.
In 1993, the Ms. Foundation for Women created Take Our Daughters to Work® Day. Held annually on the fourth Thursday of April and renamed Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, this special day is dedicated to helping girls and boys learn to work together "to bring about a more equitable world — at home, at school and in the workplace."
Many communities are forming career clubs to help children find out about career possibilities. Presenters come to club meetings to tell members about their jobs and field trips may be arranged for members to visit work sites. Youth organizations, such as the Girl Scouts may incorporate a career component into their programs.
This is good information August. I think it helped to know a lot of things.