Parents
often need help figuring out how to best assist their son or daughter as they
make career decisions.
It is not
easy these days; young people need to have an idea of what will interest
them in a course and a job. They also need to be realistic about which courses are suitable and are not beyond their reach.
Often they will start out on a career path and find
it is nothing like they thought it would be. They might not get into their
course of choice, or they might not like the university, TAFE, or workplace.
I find that most parents
have simple needs - we all want the same things for our children: health and happiness. Contrary to popular belief, however, for most of us health and happiness do not come from, or require, job security, yet this is often uppermost in parents' minds. This often leads to rushed decisions, forcing young people to feel they have to make up their minds before they are ready.
The world of work is becoming increasingly unpredictable, but at the same time new possibilities are surfacing every day. Career planning these days requires different strategies to those of even five years ago.
- Which
course will lead to a reliable, well paid job?
- Why
can't my son/daughter decide which career to pursue?
- Should
my son/daughter get a job first, or do a course?
- Should my child repeat Year 12 (to get a better score)?
- Is
it wise to take a gap year?
- What are the options for a young person who does not wish to complete secondary school?
- Are there other ways to get into a course (besides doing Year 12)?
We can
help you find the answers to all these questions, and more.
Parents
often worry that their child is somehow different, unusual, if they don't do as
well as expected, or if they are not sure about what they want. Nothing could
be further from the truth. For example, statistics show that around one-third
of university students drop out or change their course in the first semester, while
another third have done so by the end of second year. It doesn't matter whether
the student is a high achiever or is less well-equipped academically. And once
they finish their first degree, more than fifty percent will work in a field
not directly related to their course.
While
this is all quite normal, anxiety can result - for parents and the young people
themselves. What I am finding is that each young person benefits from one to one counselling, as a personal approach will ensure the young person is given the right opportunities to explore options and understand what is important to them in a career.
