Parent Career Planning Orientation

Career Planning Dilemma The Stakes Have Never Been Higher The Tools are Available The Challenge is to Inform & Motivate

Higher Stakes – It Is A Different World Internet Outsourcing Global Marketplace No Safety Net

Higher Stakes – It Is A Different World Internet Consumers have more information about product pricing, quality, availability, etc. than ever before. Increases consumer power to demand low cost/ high quality products, efficiency and speed. Only those companies that meet these higher consumer expectations will survive. Companies require the best people and processes. Increasingly competitive workplace.

Higher Stakes – It Is A Different World Outsourcing Companies no longer perform all functions. Functions such as manufacturing, product design, payroll, software development, customer service, engineering, etc. are being “outsourced” to other firms (frequently in China, India, etc.)

Higher Stakes – It Is A Different World Global Marketplace/Workplace Fewer trade barriers. More global/multi-national companies Falling communication cost has made the world much smaller. Our young people must compete in a “global workplace”.

Higher Stakes – It Is A Different World No Safety Net Defined pension plans are disappearing Our youth may live to be 80 – 95 yrs. old Social security is on shaky ground Our young people will be responsible for their own retirement.

Questions for Parents Is there anything more important than your children? Is there any decision that has a bigger impact on your child’s life (e.g. personal fulfillment/growth, happiness, financial well-being) than their choice of careers? Is there any other activity in which such a small investment of your time can have such an enormous positive impact on their lives?

Career Decision Determines How you spend most of your "awake" hours for the next 40 years? Your opportunities for personal satisfaction and growth? Your ability to meet your family's needs (e.g. housing, medical, college)? Your ability to eventually retire with the financial resources to enjoy it?

Why Motivating Youth is Difficult Easy to procrastinate. Parents “fell into their jobs”. Too scary to think about. Too busy. No more homework! Don’t know where to begin. Don’t see the value.

Troubling Questions Why does our society require our kids to spend 14,000 hours developing skills for a career, but 0 hours determining the best career for their skills, interests and abilities? Why do many schools provide a means (try- outs) for students to decide for which extracurricular activity they are best suited, but not for which careers they are best suited?

Result: Poor Choices, Waste and Frustration “My son just graduated from college. He doesn’t have a clue what he wants to do. Maybe forensics. Maybe art.” “My daughter is a sophomore in college and she hates her major (accounting). She is changing majors, but doesn’t know what to choose. That means at least one more year of college that we cannot afford. “Now that I have a college degree, I need to think about a career. I majored in Marketing, but I’m not sure that’s what I want to do.” “I hate my major, but switching involves two more years of college. My parents would kill me. I’ll gut it out. Maybe I’ll learn to like it.” “I wish I had known four years ago what I know now. I would have taken career and college planning more seriously. My major was easy and fun, but now I cannot get a decent job.”

Lifetime Value of Education

Hours Invested

“Typical” Resources Used to Pick a Career TV => There is a big difference between TV drama and “real life”.  Friends => They’ll know what sounds “cool”, but unless they have proactively used the career /college tools available, they are probably not a knowledgeable source of information. Life’s Interactions => OK, you have used the services of Dentists, Pharmacists, Teachers, etc. but… Do you really know what it is like to do their job? Parent => A great source, if your parent’s career happens to be “the right one” out of several hundred possibilities for you.

Better Resources to Pick a Career “Free” on-line resources To clarify your interest/fit with various careers To compare your personal skills/strengths against those required by various careers To determine which careers offer the most opportunity To develop your list of careers for consideration To learn about the nature of work, education requirements, job outlook, earnings, etc.

Better Resources to Pick a Career Talk to People in Careers of Interest Parent’s Friends Friend’s Parents Acquaintances from “Life’s Interactions” (e.g. teachers, dentists, store managers) Career Day Presenters Volunteering, Internships, Job Shadowing

Career Planning Process Your Strengths (e.g., creativity, leadership, writing) Your Interests (e.g., people, math, science) Your Needs (e.g., income, growth, personal fulfillment) Identify Career Possibilities Occupational Outlook Summaries Networking, Internships, Job Shadowing, Volunteering CareerOneStop Job Summaries & Videos Evaluate/Select a Career

Career Planning Process Get motivated Self Analysis Develop a list of jobs to consider Get on-line information for evaluation Evaluate job options Prepare a job comparison summary Talk to people in occupations of strong interest. Choose the “right” industry and company.

Web Site Tool Demo www.collegecareerlifeplanning.com Tools College Planning Tools (Selecting, Applying & Financing) Career Planning Tools (Self-assessment, Identify Careers Prospects, Retrieve Required Information, Evaluate Careers, Company/Industry Information, Evaluate Companies/Industries, Job Basics)

How Parents Can Help Invest time to review/use the tools Encourage your students to use the tools and make informed decisions. Tell others who might benefit (friends, nieces, nephews, neighbors)

Thank You!