Role of Parents in Career Selection

Life is like mathematics, to work out your life, you need formulas that suit your uniqueness. The same is true of a career. A well planned career is instrumental in a happy and satisfied life. Parents, having gone through this process can help their children from making mistakes in selecting a career. Parents need to be facilitators and not influence their choices. On one hand a parents’ experience can help in the career selection process, on the other hand sometimes it might hinder it. Although, parents have gone through this process, however the times have changed and their children have a very different environment to deal with and sometimes their choices don’t match with today’s reality.

The Changing Role of Parents in Career Selection

The parent of today is more than just an authority figure. They are a friend, philosopher, and guide. With a more dynamic educational environment wherein, the children are taught to be independent and to take decisions on their own, the parent’s role diminishes. Involved parents know their children the best and along with vital information about new career paths and career choices they can facilitate the process of career selection for them.

Important Factors to Be Considered By Parents

There are a few factors that are of immense importance in the career selection process. It is very essential for the parents to understand and consider these factors while selecting the career option. Following are the most important factors:

? Aptitude:Thechild’saptitudeis a mirror of his personality, strengths and weaknesses. Hence, a strategically designed aptitude test can reveal a lot of information regarding the

student that can help in taking a well-informed career selection.

? Interest:Itisverydifficultto spend your life working in a field that you are not interested in. Hence, the parent should look into the interests of their

child and consider it while shortlisting career options.

? AvailabilityoftheCourse:Thecoursesleadingtowardsadesiredcareershouldbe

available easily in the proximity and should not burden the student.

• InformedDecisionoverHerdMentality:Itisveryeasyforachildtogetswayedby peer pressure into choosing a career that the majority is opting rather than the one which is best for him/her. Sometimes, even the parents get attracted towards a career choice that is trending and this ends up hampering the students’ performance. Hence, a parent needs to be informed about all the career choices and chose the ones that are best for their child.
• Scope:Careerscopetellsusaboutvariousfieldsandprofessionsthatareaccessible after pursuing a particular course. The larger the scope, the better are the chances of finding the role that suits the child most.

? Remuneration:Evenifnotthemostimportant,remunerationofacareerholds importance in one’s life. Nobody likes to earn peanuts. The remuneration should match with the child’s aspirations and should enable a satisfied and comfortable life.

Some Dos and Don’ts for Parents

To do’s

• Evaluateyourchild’saptitude,strengthsandweaknesses.
• Helpyourchildindiscoveringhis/herownpassion.
• MotivateyourChildinpursuinghis/herpassion.
• InformyourChildregardingallaspectsofthecareer.
• Help the Child understand the work life in the chosen career by associating with professionals in the field.
• StopyourChildfromfallingpreytopeer-pressureandherdmentality.
• GainyourChild’sconfidenceandmotivatethemtodiscusstheirquerieswithyou.
• Seekprofessionalhelpwheneverrequired.
• Don’ts
• Do not dictate a Child’s decision rather guide them towards taking an informed decision.
• Donotburdenthechildwithunrealexpectations.
• Don’tbeimpatientwhendealingwithchildren.
• Career scope changes with time; do not try to impose the ideas or views that
• existed during your days.
• Donotmisguidethechildintochoosingacareerofyourchoice
• Do not answer a child’s query if you are not sure about it. It’s ok to take time,
• research or seek professional help.
• Do not allow other people (friends, extended family, or relatives) to influence your
• child in the career selection process.

Parent’s Guide to Effectively Deal with Career Selection

Career selection is a taxing phase of life, not only for the student but also for the parent. The stress among children multiplies when they feel the void of guidance. Children feel the need to express and at times parents can’t understand this need, this increases the gap between a parent and the child. Listening with patience is a key to solving this issue. Provide your children with an atmosphere that motivates them to express better. The child maybe wrong but as a parent, it’s your responsibility to reason with them rather than getting angry. Children are impulsive by nature. Keep a track of your child’s changing interests and recommend career options that match their interests. Demotivation might have a negative impact on the child’s mental health and hence rather than rejecting all the ideas of the child, you can work together in gathering information regarding the career choice and then help the child in deciding whether it is suitable or not.

How can Curiosity help the Parents in helping the Child

select the best career options?

1. Curiosity has pioneered a psychometric test, which is specifically designed for Indian students. This test helps the parents in understanding the child’s aptitude.
2. A scientific analysis of the psychometric assessment helps the parents in guiding the students towards the career choices best suitable for them.
3. Parent’s expectations can sometimes make it difficult to clearly understand the child’s aspirations. Curiosity puts forward a neutral perspective in the career selection process of the child’s.

4.Curiosity provides well-researched information regarding various career options so that the parents can be informed while guiding the children.