As you read the article, please consider what advice you give to your younger self, coming out of high school as you embarked on your career journey.
It’s a belief: Life is always happening for us, not to us. It’s our job to find out where the benefit is. If we do, life is magnificent. — Tony Robbins
This article is the second blog in a two-part series on your high schooler's career journey. If you missed part 1 — Powerful Career Advice for Your High School Student — you may wish to read it first.
CAREER JOURNEY TIP #1: BECOME THEIR ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Many high school seniors are an odd combination of busy, lazy, overconfident, unsure, overwhelmed and oblivious. Most of their high school careers are behind them, and they know that they are in the home stretch. Many of these kids can not wait to start their next chapter.
Ironically, these young adults are not proactive in setting themselves up for future success. They might eagerly want to get out of high school, but they need to lay the foundation for going forward. Many students are so overwhelmed with stuff to do that they flounder when it comes to deciding this next step in their life — whether it be college or university admissions, establishing an apprenticeship, entering the workforce, taking a year to find themselves or something else.
No matter what your child is feeling, it is crucial for you to support “what’s next.” Easy to say, but it is a very delicate balance to find the right level of involvement.
Strike a balance
An excellent way to strike this balance is to think of yourself as an “advisory board member” for your student. Great advisory board members:
- listen attentively
- provide “wise counsel”
- act as a resource
- facilitate networking opportunities
- offer unbiased insights and ideas
- encourage the development of a framework for long-term growth
- monitor performance — know that their role is “nose in and hands off”
- help to ensure role clarity, focus effort and resources on the achievement of the goal
- provide an understanding of what to expect and trends, when asked
Make sure your high schooler knows that they are creating the plan for themselves. They need to own their plan and see that it is not your plan. Moreover, they need to know that you are there to support them. Let them know that you are willing to listen — what they say is essential and should be heard.
Again, another simple concept but hard to carry out.
Get off auto-pilot
In part 1 – I spoke about getting off auto-pilot and not taking the path of least resistance. I encourage you and your high schooler to consider using the 5-second rule when you need to shift gears, take action or re-establish role clarity (both ways) for the next step in their career journey.
The diagram at the start of this article is our career success and satisfaction circle. It has seven steps. Your teen can start anywhere and continue around the ring, throughout high school, post-secondary education and their career journey. Things change — they will need to pivot, or they may find themselves adjacent to where they want to be. They should review their plan regularly and at every pivot point.
CAREER JOURNEY TIP #2: BE THEIR INVESTOR
Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos’s life story is the embodiment of both the be fearless principles and the American Dream. He was born to a seventeen-year-old mom, and when he was four years old, his mom married a Cuban immigrant. Growing up, Bezos spent summers with his grandparents on a ranch in Texas doing chores.
We fixed windmills, and laid water pipelines, and built fences, and barns, and fixed the bulldozer.” — Jeff Bezos
He speaks of lessons taken from his experiences on the ranch, from the down-to-earth nature of problem-solving to the importance of teamwork.
As a hedge fund manager in 1994, Bezos told his parents about his idea to start an Internet company. The Internet had grown 2,300 percent in the previous year. His parents were his first investors, handing over most of their savings to invest in his internet bookselling business.
They weren’t betting on the idea, because they didn’t understand the idea. They were betting on their son — even after I warned them that there was a 70 percent chance, they’d lose their entire investment.” — Jeff Bezos
Achieving career success and satisfaction is a journey
It does not just happen. Help your child navigate these rough waters. It requires insight, planning and hard work. Inspire your high schooler to see which steps they need to take to prepare for a career that fits them.
All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination. — Earl Nightingale
Most parents are already investors. They happily invest available time and money for their kids for activities such as sports, dance, music, scouts, guides, tutoring, summer camps and so on. There are many benefits to these activities. Kids learn teamwork, develop relationships, acquire new skills, discover their passions, share a mutual interest with friends (or you), and so on. The long-term rewards are worth the investment.
You will likely be investing in their postsecondary learning — whatever form it takes, and for however long it takes.
However, few parents invest a fraction of that time or money up front helping their kids to embark on their career journey. Is the mission a dream or a goal? If it is imperative, schedule it. If it is not on your calendar, it is not real!
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. — John Quincy Adams
Would it be great if we could inspire our children to:
- Follow their dreams?
- Discover what career success and satisfaction means to them?
- Find their strengths and learn how to leverage these strengths for career success and satisfaction?
- Spend an hour or so per week supporting our children in their journey of discovery?
We can. Teach them to reflect on:
How well do you know yourself?
- What are your passions?
- What fascinates you?
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What are your strengths?
What are your career aspirations?
- Why is it an aspiration?
- What potential careers need your strengths?
- What do you know about that line of work?
- Have you spoken with someone who does it?
- Where (location, industry, company) will you choose to work and not work?
- What capabilities are necessary for you to get you to that career?
Students need to understand their behavioural strengths — we all have them
Tim Ferriss distilled his interviews of almost 200 world-class performers in his 2016 book, Tools of Titans. His interviewees included top athletes, entertainers, doctors, investors, entrepreneurs, authors, and researchers. I noted three things that many of these people do: self-reflection/meditate, have a morning routine and focus on their strengths.
The most successful among us are walking flaws who have maximized one or two strengths. — Tim Ferriss
Forty years ago, Dr. Larry Cash interviewed and tested 370 very successful Canadians. He was seeking to find the ten common characteristics of success. His findings shocked him — they did not have a single thing in common with each other!
While knowledge, skills, and experience are necessary prerequisites for any job, Dr. Cash discovered that it is behaviour that most differentiates the level of career success achieved by otherwise similarly qualified people. He created SuccessFinder (video) with the specific intention of helping people maximize career success, including satisfaction (enjoyment). We all want to enjoy how we spend our working day, and pleasure forms a part of that success. However, it contributes only about 20% to the success equation.
We all have our strengths. However, it is the people who discover their strengths and develop them who become the most successful.
Our 85 behavioural traits map into passions and career themes. The analytics help them discover what jobs capitalize on their particular strengths. We provide a predictor of success for 500+ benchmark positions — from engineer to entertainer and from clerk to CEO. Our online journey assists them in building their plan.
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. — Benjamin Franklin
If you have a $10 head – wear a $10 helmet!
On the 1st January 1968 – the daredevil motorcycle stunt rider – Evil Knievel attempted to jump 151 feet – on a motorcycle - over the Fountains at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
He cleared the fountains easily but crashed on landing and ended up in a coma for 28 days. On awakening, he credited Bell Helmets with helping to save his life.
Back in high school, I rode and raced motorcycles and snowmobiles. I remember the ad that influenced me when I purchased my first motorcycle helmet.
If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet.
It was the "best in class" helmet. Back then a Bell helmet cost over $100 which was almost as much as my first motorcycle. I bought a Bell helmet and always wore a Bell helmet. As I like to test my limits, I crashed more than once — the Bell helmet saved my noggin every time! It was worth every penny! FYI, almost 50 years later Bell still sells T-Shirts with the above slogan.
Invest in a high-quality assessment to give your teen knowledge about their behavioural strengths. We offer the best one in the industry — however, we are not inexpensive. Remember that a quality investment in your child can have a very high ROI.
CAREER JOURNEY TIP#3 - NETWORKING
Once your child knows their strengths, exploring careers that use their superpowers helps to identify their career interests.
The next step is having your high schooler speak with a professional in the field. The purpose of this is to understand if this career may be something that they could envision themselves doing. Your network likely will know people who are working in the areas your high schooler has identified.
Have your high schooler develop a set of questions for discussion, for example:
- What advice related to careers do you have to your former self at my age?
- How did you decide that this job was right for you?
- What do you enjoy about your career?
- What are the key strengths that are needed to be successful in this career?
- How do you spend a typical day?
- What did you do to prepare for this career? How long did it take?
- What changes would you see to this job in 20 years from now?
- Who else do you think I should talk to?
It will take courage to have the first few meetings. Remind your high schooler when they get stuck before or at the meeting and need a little courage, think 5-4-3-2-1 and ask the next question. Here is a little tip for them when they are interviewing someone:
The first lesson was something another guest, famed Esquire interviewer Cal Fussman, reinforced for me: “Let the silence do the work.” If you have a great guest, don’t be in a rush to ask follow-up questions or rephrase your question. Let the silence lead the guest to continue or elaborate. — Tim Ferriss
Most people are willing to help students and share their experiences. Your high schooler will meet new and exciting people. You will find it interesting how these conversations will resonate with your teen.
Their career journey is all about understanding and leveraging their strengths
They will discover that overnight success usually takes about 15 years! They will know that some of their current skills can be used and explore some of the skills they may need to acquire in the future. They are also learning a valuable skill — networking.
I've met so many who have opened doors for me and remained in my life both personally and professionally. After a while, networking doesn't feel like 'networking.' It's both serendipitous and unpredictable, and something that just naturally becomes part of your work life and your personal life. — Narciso Rodriguez
CAREER JOURNEY TIP #4: AVOID BEING INVOLVED TOO MUCH
I just got through outlining that it is essential to participate in the process. However, many concerned parents may take over. Some parents might even complete admission applications, choose the field of study, write their child’s essays for them or fill out scholarship applications on their behalf.
Steering your child into a school or major may lead to the student being dissatisfied with their choice of college or university and major, even if it is an excellent fit for them.
Remember you an advisory board member — stick to your role and encourage and support your high schooler’s growth.
At Engineers Canada, we conducted an annual survey of graduating engineering students.
- About two in three reported that they made their decision to pursue engineering when they were in high school.
- Also, about half of the students said their prime motivation to study engineering was knowing an engineer when they were growing up.
With about 1% of the population being engineers (and nearly 90% male) — most students do not even know an engineer let alone one they consider as a role model. Thus, most high students, especially young women, do not consider engineering as a potential career choice. Engineering and computer science has made little progress in correcting the gender balance. Today fewer than 20 percent of students in these majors are female. The participation by indigenous people and other under-represented groups is even proportionally lower.
These are just a few examples where most students did not even consider the possibilities for them. Unfortunately, there are many other similar examples. By discovering their behavioural strengths and exploring the many exciting careers that need those strengths, students maximize their chance of career satisfaction. Most of all, they embark on their journey of personal discovery.
College and university represent an essential step in the career journey. It is a time of transitioning into adulthood. Moreover, these institutions like to see that a student has a core responsibility and motivation. Hence, they do not want to see students whose parents are doing everything for them. You can hurt your child’s chances by being too involved in the process. I know it is hard as we want the best for our kids, but please try to take a step back — you are an advisory board member — not the directly responsible person.
CAREER JOURNEY TIP #5: SET ASIDE ENOUGH TIME
The discovery process in their career journey takes time. Make a schedule with your high schooler and do it over an extended period. Set aside an hour for an advisory board meeting. You would do it for sports, piano, dance, scouts, and many other activities. You invest the time to help your daughter or son complete an assignment, do it for their career journey. It will have the highest return of all.
In high school, not taking certain subjects limits possibilities. For example, STEM careers require math and science, while engineering requires these plus physics. Given that only 20% of high school physics students are young women. It also is contributing to the gender gap in engineering.
The admissions process takes time — a lot of it! Time to write essays, network with people, go to interviews, fill out applications, complete financial aid applications, and so on. Also, set aside time for you and your high schooler to go on campus visits because that is the only way to clarify which school is the right fit. It can be a fun activity you can do together. Start early, so your child has plenty of time to get everything done!
Being an advisory board member, you are in the middle-ground between “helicopter parenting” and “laissez-faire neglect” during this exciting time for your high schooler. It also positions you well to help when those future “bumps in the night” that will occur during their career journey.
A few years after graduation, your son or daughter will thank you!
Your Challenge — What's Right For You?
Did you know that:
- 40% of College students don’t graduate
- 80% of College students change majors — on average three times
- 50%+ of College grads believe they got the wrong degree
- On average it takes six years to earn a four-year degree
Know Your Natural Talents - Identify your unique performance strengthens, develop your passion, choose the right college program to build your unique talent stack further, then and leverage your career capital for lifetime success. We provide free resources and offer insights to navigate the route to career success and satisfaction.