my son is still struggling.....this is long, but I need your help....

[prairiewindmomma]

One helpful discussion tool for me has been looking at an Ikigai diagram of overlapping venn circles of what you like, what you are good at, and what people are willing to pay a living wage for. 
 

One of the reasons I asked about whether your Ds had had a job yet was about whether money felt “real” to him. Ds has an entry level job while he goes to school that does not pay a living wage. It would not allow him to meet his daily expenses, let alone save for retirement. When Ds and I sat down and calculated what a living wage was for our area and then looked at a budget for the life he would like to have in his 20s and 30s, the world became a lot clearer. If he doesn’t want 3 roommates, there is a large swath of jobs that just aren’t things he should put energy into. 
 

He also wants to work inside a building, with things and not people.

That let us go through and eliminate entire swaths of jobs. 
 

That coupled with some personality/job tests and looking at the occupation outlook numbers helped him narrow things down. We watched a lot of YouTube videos about jobs. We learned he doesn’t like bunny suits/sterile environments. 

I think some underclass students really just don’t know what it out there or how to guide to it. Offering very specific support helped bring clarity. 
 

 

[ProudGrandma]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

To go a bit further I would ask him why those were his favorite classes--what specifically did he like about them?  (Conversely, you might ask what have been his least favorite classes and why.)  Often it is not the subject content itself, but a professor who the student builds a rapport with.   Or, there is a specific project/assignment that the student enjoys.  It is helpful to see if a common theme is plenty of structure, creativity, open-ended problems, friends in the class, group projects, etc.  

thanks for this...those are good questions and they could add some great insight.  Thanks. 

[Carol in Cal.]

One area of work that I think is less likely to be outsourced than others is medical technician.  An X-ray, MRI, or PET scan tech is a hands on job and I don’t think it is likely to be taken over by a robot.  Also these jobs are not terribly strenuous, unlike hair work or dental hygienist work, so it’s easier to imagine doing them for decades.

 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Hello~

I've tried to read all of your responses and may have missed the answer to my questions; if so, I apologize.

Is there a particular sport he wants to coach? At what level does he want to coach? I am a tennis instructor and previous D3 college coach and have current insight into what is expected from a coach. The first being expertise in a sport of choice. If your DS is just now learning about multiple sports but doesn't have any experience playing them outside of intramurals or a P.E. class, I'm not certain that is enough to get him a coaching job that will help him become independent. Most college coaches have BS degrees (rarely in a sport) and many have Master's degrees (those tend to be more sports related). All of the coaches I know have a minimum of 10 years playing the sport they coach. Many began in junior high, played through high school, and at the collegiate level. I know three previous Olympians who coach at D3 schools. The pay is in the $30s-40s for entry level coaches.

I am not saying this to dissuade you but to let you know that just being athletic and enjoying sports isn't enough to coach at the higher levels.

On the other hand, our local high school tennis coach never played a day of tennis in her life before she took over coaching the high school tennis teams. The District only hires teachers or District employees to coach so anyone with an education degree can coach a high school sport in our area. The coach stipends range from $2500 - $5000 depending on the sport. Not a lot of money for the long hours needed for a high school season. 

The Parks and Recreation personnel I currently work with all have BAs. Most of the people in management have a BA in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism from the local state uni. This group is more involved in scheduling activities, hiring lifeguards and other personnel to actually do the coaching or running of the programs, and run the business aspect of recreation.

__
I know what it is like to have a young man struggle to find his way. I applaud you for helping him work through it.

Sending gentle hugs.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I just had a thought. Maybe he can officiate for awhile. While it won't make enough money to become independent, it will give him sporting experience. Ability to play the sport isn't necessary but learning about the rules is. Someone can train to be a USTA Roving Umpire in a matter of weeks. Once the on-court hours for Roving are earned moving to Lines and Chairs is possible. Finding work at the current time is the problem. Very few tournaments are using Roving or Line Umpires; Chair Umpires is the lowest level in use.

Your DS might be able to look into officiating for basketball, soccer, and volleyball. Our high school and local private college struggle to get good officials. If he certifies in more than one sport he can officiate year round. Some officials make good money and are paid a daily stipend and to travel to tournaments.

I know USTA Officials who travel all across the country to officiate and are put up in hotels, given a rental car, free meals, plus daily pay. These are the more experienced and in demand officials but the USTA is currently marketing toward young people as the average age of Officials rises.

By learning about officiating, your DS will be able to find out how much he really enjoys sports outside of the playing field.

Edited February 4, 2022 by Granny_Weatherwax
Spelling and added info

[Lucy the Valiant]

Can he give music lessons to kids? That's a fairly well-paying gig in our area (better than retail or YMCA by a long shot).

[Arcadia]

6 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

One area of work that I think is less likely to be outsourced than others is medical technician.  An X-ray, MRI, or PET scan tech is a hands on job and I don’t think it is likely to be taken over by a robot.  Also these jobs are not terribly strenuous, unlike hair work or dental hygienist work, so it’s easier to imagine doing them for decades.

 

MRI has the contrast drip while PET scan has the radioactive glucose injection. X-ray especially for the lungs is less hands on and obviously no need to poke any veins.

ETA: radiation therapy might also work. Mostly hands-on, usually working with a partner.

Edited February 4, 2022 by Arcadia