How Can I Guide My Kid to Explore Multiple Career Opportunities?

How Can I Guide My Kid to Explore Multiple Career Opportunities?

Emerging adults feel a lot of stress and pressure when it comes to thinking about their future.?Even if they don’t show it on the outside, they are constantly barraged with questions, decisions to make, and deadlines they feel late for. They look around at their peers, and it?feels?like everyone else is making plans and moving confidently forward. We add to it, too, by constantly bringing up impending deadlines and asking questions about their friends.?

It’s next to impossible to make clear, rational decisions when you feel stress and anxiety.?

The Doom Loop

Sometimes, parents feel like they can’t effectively help. Every time they bring up the future, their kid reacts, so they back off. But then, a voice in their head reminds them of the anxiety they feel about their kid’s future well-being, and they try again. But it doesn’t go well—again.?

Sound familiar?

A More Effective Route

Your kid needs help deciding on a path to take. They?might?figure it out on their own, but honestly, most never do. Even if they do, it might take years of wasted time and energy. There IS something you can do, though, and it’s incredibly impactful and supportive.?

Introduce your kid to your friends. Here are the five steps you can take starting today:

  1. Make a list of your friends who are thriving in their careers.?
  2. Draft a set of questions your kid can use when you meet together.?
  3. Reach out to them, set the appointment, and get out of the way.?
  4. Do your best not to step in or take over!
  5. Debrief with them after.?

I recently did this exact thing with my son and one of my closest friends. We spent an hour together over Zoom, with my friend sharing his career path up to today and describing how he approaches and thinks about his work. He asked my son questions about his options, and I heard him share things I didn’t know he was thinking about.?

I can’t imagine my son receiving a more potent hour of insight, discovery, and support. And that was just with one friend; we have a bunch more on the list.?


With two decades of experience guiding thousands of young adults, I’ve found the essential steps parents need to take to confidently launch their kids into adulthood. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more practical tips and skills like this.

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Evie Muilenburg-Trevino, PhD

Associate Professor + Quantitative Psychologist + Researcher + Hope Educator

11 个月

This is excellent, Scott. My freshman son is at the perfect stage for these conversations. I'm making a list of friends and colleagues now that my son can have conversations with! Thanks for your insight.

Chad Wilson, CPA

Working with CPAs and business owners to provide proactive and comprehensive financial planning.

11 个月

Wonderful read and making complex simple.

Joe Lara

Learning & Leader Development | Curriculum Design & Facilitation | Clifton Strengths Coach | Culture and People Focused | PhD student in Leadership Studies, Gonzaga | Stormtrooper - TK 20209 ??

11 个月

My sons, soon to be 23 and 21 years old have chosen a solid path. I owe The YouSchool which provided the right questions to ask them, to consider, and to dream. Appreciate what you've created for others Scott Schimmel! Jamie Reid, this is the content I was referring to!

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