Kareen Cox
Career Writer

Last week, we started to look at ways in which parents can assist their children with their career development.

Without a doubt, parents play an influential role in their children's career plan. Parents are also the ones who can affect the level of education or training received, the job skills their child learns, and the knowledge he/she has about work and different occupations, all of which have a tremendous impact on their child's career development.

Here are some additional tips in which parents can contribute positively to their children's overall career development.

• Help your child to understand how very important his or her school work will be in later decisions. Show them how such subjects as reading, arithmetic and communications are used in almost all occupations. In short, help them understand that there are more important reasons for going to school than simply going to school.


• Encourage your child to engage in part-time work outside the home. If such work is done for pay, you can talk with your child about the basic elements of the free enterprise system. Whether or not the work is for pay, it can be valuable in two ways: 1) It can help your child explore career interests and 2) It can help your child discover the sense of accomplishment and self-pride that can come from work.


• Encourage your child to visit with teachers and counsellors about career plans and hopes. After such visits, talk with your children about what they have learned. Feel free to tell them what you think. In doing so, make it clear that you are expressing your opinion, not telling them what to do with their lives. Don't refuse to discuss such matters with your children, just because you do not know the answers.


• Visit the school your child attends. If your child has been discussing career plans with a teacher or counsellor at school, seek that person out and ask questions such as, "Do you think this career is suitable in view of my child's strengths and weaknesses," or "What is the employment outlook for this career?" You will often learn a lot about your child and you will certainly help the teachers and counsellors to help your children more if you are willing to talk to them.


• Help your child to understand that it will be equally important to acquire a set of specific job skills and a set of adaptable skills for occupational success. For example, if your child is preparing for a career in journalism, it would be wise to also have a broad base of academic subjects that might be used in fields other than journalism.


• Remember that a degree is no longer the best or surest route to occupational success. If your child is in high school, encourage him or her to think about all kinds of post-secondary opportunities. Try to help your child think about a variety of such opportunities, for example, vocational institutions.


• Be a partner in the process. It is awfully tempting for you to want to make it as easy as possible for your child to make decisions and become a successful adult. A great way to be a career partner is to empower, encourage and guide, but not direct your children.

What you should do is serve as a sounding board and brainstorm ideas with them. This can be a difficult process, but well worth it when your child finds a satisfying career path in the end.

Kareen Cox is coordinator, Career Resources Career Development Services Department HEART Trust/NTA. She can be contacted via email: kareen_cox@heart-nta.org. Visit their websites: http://cds.heart-nta.org or www.lifelonglearningja.org