How To Help Your Teen Figure Out Their Career Options

As parents, one of our crucial responsibilities is guiding our teenagers through the maze of career options, helping them discover their passions and carve out a path that aligns with their interests and skills. The teenage years are a crucial time for self-discovery, and providing the right support can make all the difference. We asked Joan Liew, Senior Consultant for Asia, at Prospect Resourcing, what our teens should know about. 

Finding out their interests and passions

It’s important to encourage open and honest conversation about your teen’s interests, strengths and ambitions. Let them have a space where they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without fear of judgement, and talk about your own career journey and challenges. 

Taking the time to figure out what they want 

It’s okay if your kid doesn’t know what they want to do from the start - it’s natural to be daunted by this seemingly huge life decision. This is the perfect time for them to try everything. “Internships are a great way to get firsthand experience into an industry or function that they’re curious about,” Joan says. And there’s no bad outcome of this - they’ll either learn what they do love, or realise what they don’t want to do. 

Getting the right experience

Joan says that “Holding a degree is no longer enough if you want to stand out from other job seekers, and internships and job experience can help to give you a competitive edge. You’ll of course want to make sure that your internship is relevant to the future job you apply for.” 

As a testament to how an internship can pave the way to future job opportunities, I was hired for my first job because I got to know the people working there during my internship. But internships really are a great way to get firsthand experience into an industry or function that your teen is curious about. “It’s likened to a ‘try before you buy’ mentality,” Joan says, “Instead of figuring it out only upon graduation, this is somewhat of a fast track to finding what may align with  your career ambitions if you take on internships while pursuing education.”

Developing the right skills

What most teens might not understand is that work experience is about acquiring a versatile skill set. It’s also worth discussing with them about the different abilities they’ll need to have in any job. “For young job seekers who may not have as much experience or achievements, what’s more important is the soft skills and potential for growth. So it’s important to demonstrate that they’ve done research on the company and the role, and to show that they’ve gone into the interview prepared with questions to demonstrate thinking and genuine interest,” Joan adds. At a junior position, most hiring managers are more interested in people who are keen to learn and are a team player even if they may not have all the ‘right’ skills for the job. 

Network, network and network

It’s true that it’s about who you know sometimes that will get you ahead, and as a young early career starter, it’s good to attend networking events to get onto the radar of leaders. The other route is to also sign up with mentorship programs to find someone who can guide you in your career exploration. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask someone for some time to find out more about the work they do and what it means to them - most leaders are quite happy to spend that time talking about their experiences. “Tap onto resources and engage in conversations with the likes of lecturers, recruiters, career advisors and people you may know who are working in the industry that you’re interested in,” Joan says.

Reassure them that it’s not a final choice 

It’s perfectly natural to end up doing something other than what you thought you would be doing - and that’s something teens will have to understand. So encourage them to explore what they’re interested in, find mentorships that will help them advance, even explore other educational certificates and courses that will give them some inside. They’ll embark on a journey to find their ideal career path and eventually make it a personalised and fulfilling experience.