Episode: 329

Episode Title: When to Start the Career Conversation

Is it ever too early to start talking to your child about their future career? Let’s talk about it, coming up next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 329 show:

Hello and welcome to The Perna Syndicate! As a society, we tend to think that career exploration is something that happens near the end of high school as a young person prepares for the next chapter. But I believe that career exploration ought to start much sooner. And it seems that many parents agree. 

In a recent survey, 24% of respondents said their parents started talking to them about careers at ages six to nine. Nearly 35% report that the topic came up when they were 10 to 15. However, another 35% say the conversation didn’t begin until they were 16 or older. 

Career exploration is too important to be treated as an afterthought near the end of high school. It’s a major facet of the self-discovery that children need to experience on their journey toward maturity. Parents know that their education and career choices now will affect the rest of their lives. So it’s little wonder that most are starting the conversation young. 

Kids who grow up in a home where thinking ahead, dreaming big and setting goals are normalized activities will bring all those skills to the rest of life. The earlier the conversation starts, the better prepared they’ll be to make the best choice when that moment arrives.

Of course, we want to get the career conversation right. As parents, we have to realize the limits of our own knowledge. Do we really know what careers and industries offer high-paying, in-demand, and rewarding professions?  To be effective in guiding our kids, we need to do the research about the best careers out there today. And it’s never too early to start. 

Tomorrow, we’ll cover three pitfalls to avoid when talking to your kids about their future careers. Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see you back here tomorrow on The Perna Syndicate!