The Most Alluring Christmas Present That Is Not On Your Wish List (Yet)

What are you giving your loved ones for Christmas?

As mums and dads, uncles and aunties, grandmothers and grandfathers, brothers and sisters – we all want to delight our families at this special time of year. 

If you have teenagers to think about, I guess that electronics are high on their wish list. With all the cool gadgets launched in time for Christmas, who can blame them? 

My question is: Do they actually need these expensive big-ticket items? What difference will they make to their lives? Their futures? In 5 years’ time will they say: “Thank you so much for the latest iPhone – it really changed my life!”

Maybe not. 

But there is a present that WILL make a real difference to teenagers' lives.

It won’t be what they had in mind. (So you might have to manage expectations). Rather, it’s something that will make a much bigger, longer-lasting difference (And it’s not socks. Or books. I am not that mean!)

I’m thinking of expert career coaching.

Not careers support from me, but from all those talented career professionals who 

• excel at engaging with young people.
• love nothing more than helping teenagers understand themselves better - their interests, their talents, their strengths, their motivators.
• use the latest tools.
• share the best resources.
• help young people get out of apathy, confusion or despair. 

Or even out of the panic mode that grips teenagers when they don’t know what to do next, after their GCSEs, college courses or A-Levels. But the whole world is expecting them to come up with an answer. 

You might say – aren’t schools meant to do all this? Why should I pay for it out of my own pocket? Sadly, not all schools offer the careers support needed to help young people think about making wise choices. Some schools provide excellent careers services, some don’t offer much at all. The provision is patchy, due to severe Government funding cuts. That’s the sad state we are in. 

But there is so much at stake. When young people can’t see where they are heading, it’s hard to get motivated and to do their best. When young people don’t achieve good grades, they will stress about what's next and what the future holds. When young people don’t get the tools to think through what careers suit them, they might choose the wrong path. And regret it later. They might even end up with huge debts and the wrong degree, or the wrong apprenticeship. 

Being adults, we know that we all made mistakes. We know you can always change direction, retake exams, or start again. But for young people, getting it wrong is scary. Especially these days, when getting it wrong is so costly.

What’s the answer?

When you weigh up the cost of a child not getting careers support, against the investment it takes to help them make better choices, it is an easy decision.

For less than half the price of a new iPhone, you can buy extensive, personalised careers support. 

How do I know?

Because I bought careers sessions for my teenager earlier this year. It was the best decision I have made as a parent, for a long time. After just a few hours with @LisaWalmsley, my son became more positive about his future. He could finally see the point of getting his GCSEs, so he re-engaged with school, and his grades are improving. He did give the careers assessments a shot. He watched the helpful career videos and visited suitable employer websites. He even enjoyed the conversations with "mum's friend". She helped him see a way forward and forge his own path, based on his interests, his personality and his skills. So with a few sessions, we went from "What's the point of it all?" to "Okay, I'd better get going because I want to do x, y, z." 

Priceless. 

As a society, we are making it pretty tough for young people to grow up well. We want them to find their feet, gain confidence, become independent. But that's pretty hard when all we seem to care about is their grades. (Yes, I am pointing the finger at the Government's total obsession with target grades and all those in power who don't challenge this dogma).

As responsible adults, we can step in and give young people the space and support they need, so they can explore their futures. With more confidence. Irrespective of their grades. 

There are so many talented career professionals out there who can help. They work one-to-one or in groups, in person or remotely, using private online meeting platforms such as Zoom or Skype. Online careers support works brilliantly with this tech savvy YouTube generation. For them, it is normal to learn online and converse via computer screens. They say online is less awkward and easier anyway. None of their friends need to know about it, and it saves them from going to "someone’s office". 

If you are interested in this idea – and you worry about the cost – you’d be surprised what you get for your money. And if it’s outside of your Christmas present budget, you could always club together as a family. 

How do you find a good careers professional who specialises in young people?

My suggestion: Ask for recommendations from friends, find qualified professionals on the UK Career Development Institute's website, or start with these trusted colleagues:

@LisaWalmsley - a career professional for young people, from Career Lantern

@DaveCordle, a compassionate career professional in private practice who also works directly with schools as part of Journey To Success

@HannahCourtney-Bennett, a chartered psychologist and career guidance professional from Talent & Career

@MariaKalogera - my colleague in Athens who specialises in young people and UK university admissions, MK Career Choices.

I will be forever grateful to @LisaWalmsley for what she did for my son, at a crucial time in his life. And I will invest again in her services when my son reaches the next stage in his education, during A-Levels. Because Lisa, like so many in my profession, cares about her clients. She “gets” young people. She is empathetic, objective and resourceful. She is so experienced, she can deal with whatever situation a young person brings to her. She knows all the right tools, resources and assessments for young people. She even wrote a detailed careers report, so my son and I can continue our conversations on our own. 

As an experienced career professional, why didn’t I help my son, but chose a colleague instead? 

Because I believe in tailored, independent and unbiased career coaching. My son needs to explore his own ideas and those of a neutral professional, rather than mine. He needs to make his own choices, without being influenced by my ideas or expectations. It’s his life, after all. Besides, working with any particular client group is a real skill that requires specialist knowledge, methods and aptitude. So it’s better to take a step back and let the experts do what they do best.

Will careers support be a popular Christmas present for teenagers?

Probably not. They might be disappointed, because they had their heart set on a shiny new gadget. They might worry about what their friends will think. And they might have their own reservations. But once they have experienced the power of a comprehensive career orientation process, guided by a compassionate, non-judgemental professional, they will understand your choice. They might even thank you for it. Grudgingly, I guess. But do forgive them. They are teenagers, after all.