This is the season for graduations. Students would be moving on to other institutions of higher learning to pursue courses to propel them into their respective career path. Unfortunately after three or four years of study there are some college graduates who regret the course of study and would prefer doing something else. Some have managed to switch majors before. There are others too who have even gone on to completing a Master’s before deciding to do something else.
In some instances, the field of study was the parent’s choice, in others, it is the student thinking this is what they want and for others studying beats being unemployed and keeps them engaged in something and hopefully out of trouble.
So how do parents get value for their money aside from the students pursue a career that they the parent wanted? Let us look at it differently, how does the student get to do what they want and love? Yes there are those who are still not sure and need parental input, but I have heard of instances where the student makes the decision but halfway through have changed their minds much to the disappointment of the parents. How do we rectify this problem?
In high schools there is career day in which persons would visit and share with students about their career or when the different universities or colleges have their open day, high schools visit and gather information. These are good ways in assisting in choosing a career but necessarily the right one.
Here are some tips which I hope will help in guiding either parent or student in choosing the right field of study.
Firstly, what area of study is your child gravitating towards?
Over the years what has been his/her better subject areas?
What gifts or talents have you observed them displaying?
What activities do they get more involved in during their spare time?
Do they display a passion for any field of study?
These are some of the questions you may ask to get a better feel of what field of study they would be more interested in or will make them happy. Also, there are free online psychometric tests which can help in determining your career path based on your interests.
Now this may not necessarily be what may make the parent happy but it is what your child will have to live with.
I remember my son asking me what career path he should take and my response was simply to do anything that he desired as long as it was legal and it was something that he could make a living from. As a matter of fact I remember when he was in high school and kept asking me what he should do. As it turns out, his classmates were being fed more of their parents’ interests than their own. When the time finally came for the discussion, it was easy to determine his field of study as it lined up with his talents and interests over the years. As it’s said when you do what you love, it does not feel like work.
I hope this helps whether parent or child in choosing the right career path. Good luck in finding the ideal area of study.
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