Career: a choice on which a person’s life depends. It is therefore imperative that utmost care must be taken while selecting the path on which a person decides to walk. But such is the irony of life that it asks us to take a decision so crucial at a time when the only view of world that we have is through a small keyhole. The very thought of making a choice on which our entire life’s fate depends scares both children and their parents alike.
From then to now
In the past, not many career options were available and everybody used to be quite clear in what they were capable of and what they wanted to do. But as the world saw new changes take place, some being so gargantuan that they changed the world as our ancestors knew it, professions that weren’t thought of before starting emerging. With increase in the number of professions, the number of career choices that the youth had also increased, which made the already somewhat difficult task of choosing their calling even more tough.
Since these changes were extremely rapid and nothing like anything in the past, generation X, i.e. those born between the 1960s and the 1980s started finding themselves in a situation where they could no longer efficiently participate and help their children in selecting the career that right for them. Not knowing about the changing career trends, many parents stuck to the professions that were top notch and respectful during their times and considered it best for their children to take them up. This is exactly where they went off track while performing the role of helping their child choose a career.
Parenting in the modern world
It is true that since parents like you have gone through the process of career selection themselves you can guide your kids when the time comes for them to select a career and prevent them from making mistakes. But there one aspect that many miss to take into account; and that is time. Unlike before, the difference between the past and the present is enormous. The advent of the second industrial revolution, better known as the technological revolution, has changed the face of the world in ways unimaginable. What might have been fiction for the earlier generations has now become reality. As a result, the environment in which the youth of today is born and lives, is very different from the one in which the parents of today used to live. Because of these changed surroundings the choices based on the past, especially as far as selecting a career is concerned, don’t match today’s reality.
Being a parent doesn’t mean being only an authoritative figure. Being a parent also means being your child’s friend, teacher, and philosopher. It means getting involved in every phase of your child’s life without trying to dominate them or influence them. When you hear your children out and make them feel that their opinions matter, there are high chances that they would be more open to you and your suggestions. It is a given that children need their parents’ support and guidance as they grow up; but they also need opportunities to explore new avenues so that they can figure what is their true calling.
So, what to do?
With a plethora of options to choose from, the best parents can do for their children is to help them discover where their aptitude lies, what their key strengths and weaknesses. With the world is progressing towards a more open mindset and people understanding the importance of doing some homework before making any decision, a lot of options have started emerging for the young generation to explore their inner selves, such as career aptitude tests and career counselling. These tests, on the basis of the answers given to a set of questions throw some light on the top strengths that a person has, thus narrowing the field of vision and making the selection process easy.
Next comes interest. If you don’t like your job, it becomes difficult to get out of bed everyday and go to work feeling great; even if you get good pay, somewhere down the line, the lack of connection with your work does affect your performance. On the contrary, sometimes despite having the job of dreams can also be frustrating. But the ratio of frustrating moments to the happy and content times is minuscule if you love what you do. Thus, parents must make sure that their child’s interest is taken into account at the time career selection.
Even though interest plays an important role while deciding the career that is best suited for a person, it is equally important to be sure of the scope that particular domain has in the future and that it courses that lead towards the desired career are easily available. The best way to make sure is to stay updated by reading about what career options are available, what are the recent trends, and what are the latest developments happening across the globe.
Careers in the Digital Age
With technological developments on the rise, the spectrum of careers that make these developments possible, popularly known as STEM careers, also keeps on widening with each passing year. It therefore makes sense to become more aware of what they exactly are and how can today’s young minds develop the necessary competency before choosing them.
The world today is shifting towards digitisation, which in turn is happening because of STEM. According to iD Tech, STEM jobs are projected to grow 13% in the coming nine to ten years, as compared to 9% in non-STEM jobs. This right here covers the scope aspect of career selection. Despite there being an infinite scope for these jobs, that are nothing short of interesting and well-paying, an enormous number of positions go unfilled every year. According to the 2018 STEM Education Report Card by the Washington Student Achievement Council, the projections for the years 2020–2025 show that:
- Out of the total annual job openings in Computer Science, only 35.7% will be filled by graduates that will be prepared for the jobs. The remaining 64.3% will go unfilled.
- Out of the total annual job openings in Engineering, 85.7% will be filled by graduates that will be prepared for the jobs. The remaining 14.3% will go unfilled.
This is where the parents of the modern world come into picture. Why should they care about STEM? Because it is they who can encourage and motivate the youth to explore this avenue and develop both an interest and caliber for the same.
The best part about introducing STEM in children’s lives is that parents themselves can become a part of the journey, i.e. both of them can explore the unexplored together. The world, both online and offline, is bursting with resources and experiences waiting to enlighten curious hungry minds. All that is needed is to go ahead and grab them!
In a Nutshell
Career selection is an extremely important part of a child’s life because the way it will turn solely depends on the choices he or she makes. It is therefore imperative for a parent to fully support and guide the child so that he or she is able to take the right decision. However, being there doesn’t necessarily mean imposing ideas and suggestions because you yourself have gone through the phase, especially in today’s world, where the present is completely different from the past. The ideal way to help your children choose the right path is to help them discover their key strengths, their interests while also staying aware of the current trends and their scope in future.
Psst. A little something before you leave!
Thank you for taking out the time to read this blog! If you enjoyed reading it and would like to read more about parenting in the modern world, go check out these blogs as well!
