When your children grow up, they start to need your guidance more and more. Even if they don’t realize it at the time, it’ll help them in the future if they have some parental words of wisdom ringing in their ears. We all want what’s best for our kids, not least of which when thinking about their careers. Finding a job is difficult, but finding a good job that sets you up for a successful life full of happiness is even harder.
With that being said, there is some career advice you can give to your kids. They might not follow it, but I think it’ll definitely be worth your while to let them hear it!
Choose a career that offers progression
This is an essential bit of advice as it stops them from finding a job that doesn’t really take them anywhere. Sure, they gain experience, but at the end of the day they won’t be able to progress in their role, which can suck. Instead, they should choose a career that lets them go from strength to strength and climb the career ladder. Something like nursing is a great idea as it starts off with becoming a Registered Nurse, then you can study to get a BSN before going further and looking for an online DNP. The result is that you’re now eligible for better jobs in the same career field – it’s perfect progression! You can’t tell them what careers they should do, but provide examples of career progression to show them how beneficial it is when they have room to grow.
Play to your strengths
It’s too common for young adults to look for jobs that seem like excellent traditional jobs. Often, this stems from the need to follow in family footsteps. We’ve all heard of people who become accountants or doctors because their mother or father was in that profession. It’s tough to get a career going if you’re not passionate about it and don’t have the natural strengths it requires. Instead, your child should play to their strengths. Think about what they’re good at, and find careers that suit their skills and interests. Doing this will make a job way more enjoyable as you’re using your natural talents and doing something that interests you.
Find the right balance
A lot of parents tell their kids to put happiness above everything else when choosing a career. I’m all for this advice in the sense that they should do something that makes them happy. It goes back to the previous point about playing to their strengths. However, there needs to be the right balance in their life between the happiness they get from work and the financial gain they receive as well. At the end of the day, they need to earn enough money to live a comfortable life where they aren’t worrying about paying rent or affording to buy essential items. So, they have to find the balance where they get a job that makes them happy but also rewards them well.
This advice isn’t too pushy, so your kids can’t really complain about it! It’s never a good idea to try and shove different careers down your child’s throat. Instead, tell them to look for jobs that offer progression, allow them to demonstrate their skills, and bring balance to their life.
