Kris in Wis Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Hi, DD will be a college sophomore at a private liberal arts college. She began with interests in animal science, languages, and religion, but hasn't chosen her major yet. DH and I want to encourage her, but after experience with our older children choosing a few not-too-practical majors (and having difficulty finding satisfying work), we want to try to help her focus on something that she will not only enjoy, but that will also enable her to earn a living. How do you encourage a young person without coming across as critical or interfering? How do you get them to think practically, and with an eye toward the future (especially in our current economy)? We basically left our older two to choose their own direction, offering wisdom only when it was asked for. But we are concerned that this child will follow a similar path and end up with no more than college debt and a minimum wage job. So what's a parent to do? How have others handled this? Thanks for your advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 Our oldest talked about wanting to switch to a fine arts degree. We got her talked out of that one. Right now she is pursuing a degree in arts & technology with a focus in animation. There is actually a decent market for this. She really enjoys it too. The problem is that she really wants to focus on 2-d animation and her school focuses on 3-d animation. She wanted to switch out of animation because of that. Now she is back to working on her animation degree and might also get a minor in visual arts so she gets more work in 2-d. My middle is really interested in neuroscience, but apparently there are far more neuroscience PhD being churned out than there are jobs available. Right now she's still planning to get a BS in neuroscience, but then switching over to occupational therapy or possibly pharmacology for her MS/PhD if the job situation doesn't change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 with other people in jobs that may appeal to her. Research jobs that appeal to her and network to find someone willing to have her go to work with them for an hour, 1/2 day or day. Then align the college major to the job. We start this after soph. year of high school. But it's never too late to do this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwen in VA Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 1) Ask her to talk with profs about potential jobs in their area of interest. (Yes, profs can and will talk about relevant careers if asked -- part of their job is preparing their students for the world beyond the ivy-covered walls!) 2) Have her go to the career office and take one of those interest-inventory tests, plus maybe a personality one. Often career offices offer these services for free. Those tests can provide some interesting insights. 3) What is she interested in doing with her life? Have her poke through career books. Her major should reflect her long-term goals, NOT which subjects her favorite profs teach or which subjects she gets great grades in (though those may be indicators.....) 4) Almost all career fields have areas of overlap with a variety of other fields. (Accounting + lawyer = tax attorney, art + materials engineering = art conservation science, etc.) Some fields rely more on personality and ability than an actual major (working in an admissions office). Some fields can be easily jumped into (computer programming). So to some extent, her major doesn't matter -- it's what she does with her time in college overall. To some extent, what she does with her summer (internships, etc.) and what kind of job she has during the year (clerical vs. people-oriented, computer maintenance vs. tutoring, doing economics research vs. helping in a bio lab, etc.) is more important than her specific major. Encourage her to pursue her dreams in her choice of summer and during-the-year jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris in Wis Posted July 24, 2012 Author Share Posted July 24, 2012 Good advice, Gwen. She is doing just that - she is in her 2nd year serving as a Christian camp counselor over the summer. Her last year of high school she team-taught martial arts to children ages 6-12. During the school year she will be a French tutor on campus. I'm getting the feeling she's leaning toward some kind of ministry/mission work. All of the things you mention she (and my other children) have done, but somehow things have not worked out the way they planned. We spent a great deal of time in high school discussing and working on career planning, goal-setting and practical living issues. Both older children utilized their professors (easier to do on a small, private college campus where classes are smaller and you really get to know your profs!) and career office. We will certainly encourage her to do the same. I guess I want to tell her frankly that she won't earn much of a living with a religion or languages major, unless she directs that toward a practical field of study as well. I sure appreciate the input, ladies - thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lauren_05 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Discuss with her the options that you think would give her a good-paying job but still under her interests. It is still important to consider what she wants but as a parent, you should guide her to a career that would give her safety and security when she grows up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 You can major in pretty much anything and then go to law school or become a military officer. :D Seriously, if you wanted to steer her to the "practical," a private liberal arts college probably wasn't the place to send her. At this point, as long as she's on track to graduate, I'd let her chart her own course unless she actually ASKS you for advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sbal0909 Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 (edited) A liberal arts education can garner attention; but in today's job market you have to be realistic with yourself and cultivate a skill set that employers ultimately find attractive. This web posting sheds more light on what considerations your daughter may have to potential face: http://www.parentsandcolleges.com/blog/bid/144330/A-Liberal-Arts-Education-A-Pretentious-Education She must be very focused with her educational outcomes, or employers may tread carefully around her resume. Edited August 9, 2012 by sbal0909 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris in Wis Posted August 13, 2012 Author Share Posted August 13, 2012 Thanks for your words of counsel! I'm torn, because I truly believe that an education should be more than just about "getting a job." Yet that is a very important consideration! There is no doubt in my mind that my daughter is learning and being enriched by her college experience, and it was her choice to pursue her education there. It's just that I see so many kids these days graduating and then having nowhere to go, ending up with a bunch of loans to pay off and working a minimum wage job somewhere. They have the abilities to do more, but the work just isn't out there in this economy. I know my DD will never major in business or teaching, for example - that's not what she wants. I keep thinking science and/or technology is the direction to go, but she doesn't seem terribly interested in that at this point. She is an excellent musician, but seems to love music simply for its own sake, not with a desire to perform or teach it. Yet that is something she could eventually do, even without a music degree. Oh, well, in the end I suppose we have to let our "adult" children make their own choices! Wise words, ladies. I will definitely share your thoughts and articles with my daughter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 I guess I want to tell her frankly that she won't earn much of a living with a religion or languages major, unless she directs that toward a practical field of study as well. I'm not sure what one does with a religion major, but folks here make excellent money with modern language degrees. She might need to move somewhere that has plenty of tourism or internation-type business, but being a multi-lingual speaker/writer/cultural expert is a good career path. If she is interested in government work likfe foreign service, that's another opportunity for modern language experts, especially if she has 3 or more languages under her belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 A good place to start is to help her discover her strengths and interests and then to match those up with potential careers -- in other words, do some career exploration. The information the student will especially will want to learn about self: 1. Interest Inventory = ways you like to work (ex: Campbell Interest & Skill Survey; Strong Interest Inventory) 2. Personality Inventory = helps see how you fit in with others in a work place (ex: Meyers-Briggs Indicator; Keirsey Temperament Sorter) 3. Work Values Survey = what brings meaning/is important to you in working Start with some career interest and personality inventory tests to determine her strengths and interests. Most colleges have a either a career counselor or career center or an online career exploration tool, which the students may use for free. These resources usually include career tests to determine your interests/strengths/values/personality, and then information on specific occupations. If there is nothing available at her college -- or if the services are not very personal, specific, or helpful -- it is *well* worth the money to go in a professional career counselor/service, as they very quickly and accurately interpret test results and match you up with specific careers -- they often make great suggestions of "hidden" jobs you would not have thought of, but would be ideal for. An investment of $150-$600 in a professional career counselor/service can save you $10,000s in college tuition (think of the money spent on classes or even on a degree that ends up being worthless either due to today's economy or due to the student realizing after the fact that he/she really does not like the job after working so hard for that degree). Think of the time that can be saved by learning early in life through a little investment in career testing what you do well and enjoy, and the ways in which you like to work, and what jobs match that -- rather than spending years at various jobs and slowly piecing it together yourself through experience -- often the experience of jobs spent doing what you really *hate*. To maximize the money spent on career counseling, go into it prepared; I suggest the book What Color is Your Parachute for Teens: - Part 1 discusses what the 4 different types of tests help you know about yourself for matching up with jobs. - Part 2 covers what kind of education/training you'll need for specific jobs. - Part 3 is about the job search process You can certainly do career exploration on your own, but a professional will save you a lot of time -- and it sounds like your DD needs to make a decision soon. If you prefer to do your own research, check out these past posts for links to many specific websites to get you started: Career Testing -- Knowing What to Major In/Do With Your Life Career Choosing Book Suggestion How to Choose a Career You Will Enjoy? Can Anyone Recommend a Career Aptitude Test? Interest/Career Surveys? Need One for DS 19yo BEST of luck to you and your DD! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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