Ideas for Helping Your Student/Child to Select a Profession or Vocation

When I was growing up, I often heard parents telling other parents what their child was going to do when they grew up. You can call it a vocation or a profession. Parents always like to influence what their child will be. I would hear parents say, my child will be a doctor, a lawyer, or worst yet, a Catholic priest. Now there is nothing wrong with any of those worthwhile professions. However, eventually a parent will realize that they can't control what their child will become.

Case in Point
My own son had a scholarship to a Midwestern college. The scholarship was for golf and basketball. I thought my college expenses was taken care of. Wrong! He wanted to go to a local trade school and do hands on machine shop work. Well it all worked out. He got a mechanical engineering degree and now is employed by Boeing.

Ideas to Assist Parents
What can a parent do to help their child find the vocation of their dreams? When should a parent start helping? Some children start formulating ideas as early as middle school. Others may not decide on anything until late in their college careers.

Ask yourself this question. How many times have you had to change occupations? The average individual changes at least twice in their lifetime. So a student/child might change many times before deciding on a final occupation.

First, break down jobs into two categories. These two are medial and career. A medial job is something to get by on until the career opportunity presents itself. It is very important that a parent identifies the two and the differences between the two. I am not saying that a medial job isn't important. They are. However, there are differences and your student/child should be aware of them.

As a parent, you can expose your student/child to a variety of positions. If it is the medical profession, have them visit a nurse, doctor, technician or aide. Have them do an interview. They can learn a lot by asking important questions.

Visit a factory or business. Don't just tour. Spend some quality time at the place. Have them get an appreciation for the vocation or profession.

Take in a summer camp. If they are interested in aeronautics, they can attend a camp at NASA. The same can be done in the outdoor industry. National parks offer camps for many professions.

Finally, you want to nurture your child's desires for a vocation. Be prepared to change, if your child does. I always considered finding a profession like to planting a seed. You first plant the see and then water and nurse it along. The same can be said about helping your child select a vocation.