Why Building Confidence in Today’s Students Starts with Career Exploration

Perseverance and resilience. Passion and obsession. These are qualities we hope to instill in today's youth, who will ultimately become the adults of tomorrow. We aim to build character that not only overcomes adversity but pushes well past it. We want to inspire a love and desire for learning that transcends both personal and professional lives.

But there’s a challenge we need to face. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021, more than 40% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year—a significant increase from previous years. Nearly 20% of these students reported seriously considering attempting suicide. That’s two out of every five students feeling this way.

We could attribute this statistic as being caused by the global pandemic at the time but these findings aren't new. In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, 36.7% students reported similar feelings. This number is also up from 26.1% in 2009. Our kids haven't been getting happier over the years.

Imagine a classroom with 25 kids. The statistics suggest that 10 of these kids would be relying on perseverance just to get through the day. These are 10 kids with futures that have yet to be written. Living in a state of sadness or hopelessness is about as far from confidence as you can get.

What about the remaining 60%? As my kids would say, they might be feeling “meh”—indifferent. Or maybe they’re exuberant and full of joy. These kids also have futures waiting to be written. Futures we hope are filled with growth, warmth, and love. Call me sappy, but if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life, right?

And that’s the real purpose of education. It’s not just about the grades and the graduation, as important as they are. Our education system is designed to prepare our kids for their future, giving them the knowledge and skills to thrive after they leave the classroom for the last time. It’s about cultivating curiosity into knowledge and helping our kids live meaningful lives as adults.

So, when are we most happy? When are we most confident? There’s a fascinating study by Lyubomirsky, King, and Diener, which reviewed over 225 studies on happiness and success. It shows that being happy and having a positive outlook aren't just about feeling good—they come with many benefits. We’re talking better job performance, higher income, stronger relationships, and even improved physical and mental health.

Here’s the link: it’s our careers. And our education system is built to position kids today for the careers of tomorrow. Exploring career options isn’t just about picking a job; it’s about finding a path that amplifies the lessons taught in the classroom and aligns with a student’s unique interests and skills.

Different careers require different skills. An accountant needs different skills than a carpenter. A doctor has a different set of skills than a plumber. And each career brings different lessons to the classroom. Our kids need to align their learning not just with the curriculum but with their future goals. Their futures drive the need for more education and targeted skill development.

When kids are placed in situations where they can leverage their interests and skills, they thrive. When they thrive, they’re confident. When they’re confident, they’re happy. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” might be the most important question we ever ask. It’s a question that stays with us, even into our 40s. It’s also a question that has turned many against higher education because so many earn degrees in fields they don’t end up working in.

Career exploration could be key to building student confidence in education. If students can find the right career, enroll in the right classes, gain the right skills, and then find sustainable employment, they might just be happy, right? Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but we have control over many aspects of our paths. The path we choose can make a world of difference.

Of course, this journey isn’t without its challenges. The world of work is constantly evolving. Each year, careers look a little different. It’s not just about choosing a path—it’s about anticipating future needs. And yet, some things remain the same: the importance of adaptability, lifelong learning, and perseverance.

The construction industry has changed. The healthcare industry has changed. Even our education industry has changed. We’ve moved from overhead projectors to tablets, from chalkboards to smartboards. Education has become more specialized than ever before. The finish line keeps moving, but that doesn’t mean we quit the race.

This is a call to action. If our goal is to prepare today’s kids for their future, we need to show them the value of education. We need to connect the dots from the classroom to a career. We need to inform in order to educate. We do a great job in elementary school preparing kids for middle school. Maybe it’s time to rethink our approach to career exploration because of its immense benefits.

Let’s stop just talking about careers to our kids. Let’s start showing them their futures. Let’s help them build confidence during one of the most important decisions of their lives. Let’s align their education with their ambitions and build the confidence that can lead to happiness.

Let’s do this for all kids—the ones who are already happy, the indifferent ones, and especially the 40% fighting through each day with perseverance. These kids, learning determination and grit, might just be the most successful of all. They’re taking control of their lives in the face of adversity. And all of them, in finding value in education, might just be discovering their futures along the way.