A 7 Step Guide to Talking Careers With Your Teenager

Talking to teenagers about careers options can be a challenge, especially since the world of work is constantly changing. With technological changes, new emerging jobs and careers that don’t even exist yet! It can often feel like a minefield trying to navigate the UK job market but we’re here to help.

Step 1: Ask your teenager what they enjoy at school or college

Subjects at school and college link to a whole host of careers. First off, ask your teenager what do they really enjoy studying? For example, do they have a love for maths and numbers? Perhaps a career in accountancy, software engineering or as a data analysis could be right up their street. Are they a wordsmith who loves writing? Careers in journalism, web content management or advertising could be the perfect match.

Ask your child to create a list of all the different subjects they study and give each one a rating 1-5, 1 being what they least like and 5 being their favourite. Then focus on their most enjoyable subjects and research careers related to them.

Step 2: Understand their strengths and weaknesses

Ask your teen to write a list of their strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps they are caring and a career in health and social care could be of interest. Maybe they are a tech whizz and would love to pursue a career in ICT. Or perhaps they are a fashion guru and a job in buying and merchandising could be the perfect fit for them.

Once your teen has created a list of their strengths, talk to them about careers that match well with their skillset. Additionally, look at your teens weaknesses and see which ones may need development if the skills is required for a career of interest to them.

Step 3: Suggest they do a psychometric test

Psychometric tests are a great way for your teenager to identify their skills, knowledge and personality. Some employers use them as part of their recruitment process too! There are lots of free psychometric tests that your teenager can find online to help them to learn more about themselves to support their career search.

Step 4: Explain what opportunities are available to them in your area

If you’re based in a rural area there is likely not to be as many opportunities available on the doorstep. Talk to your teenager about what opportunities are available, such as agriculture, gamekeeping etc and if they are interested in a particular career that means travelling outside of their hometown they understand the time involved travelling.

Step 5: Encourage your teenager to carry out research

Research is essential to helping your teenager to discover what an industry is really like. They should think about the average salary, working hours, types of roles and responsibilities they’ll have, industry growth projections and the entry requirements. Does the role require a degree? Can it be entered via the degree apprenticeship route or is traditional university a necessity? Answering these questions will help your teen to understand their next steps. Careerometer is a great starting point: https://careermap.co.uk/careerometer/

Step 6: Encourage your teenager to apply for work experience

Think of work experience as a try before you commit. It’s a great opportunity for your teen to learn about what an industry is really like and the roles and responsibilities that they could undertake. Work experience will help your teenager to:

Develop transferable skills and further develop skills they already possess Confirm if they are actually interested in a particular career or decide if it’s not for them Build confidence in a workplace environment Bring careers to life Impress future employers and show their commitment to the world of work Makes a UCAS personal statement stand out from the crowd by showing evidence of being interested in a specific subject/industry For further information on work experience, read our go to guide:https://careermap.co.uk/why-take-up-work-experience/

Step 7: Encourage them to speak to their school or college careers team

Your teenager should make use of their school or college careers team, they can help your teen to:

• Develop their CV
• Understand the job market
• Identify skills
• Discover various career paths
• Connect you with employers

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