has anybody used a career counseling service to help their kids decide a major ?

[homeschoolin'mygirls]

I have a 16 yo that is passionate about languages. And has been planning a degree is Asian Studies. Which is a very popular degree plan now .

 

I have been researching it and am not finding very solid job possibilities. She is adamant that she does not want to teach . In any capacity.

Diplomat, overseas human resource with companies, maybe some translator possibility. Again with the popularity of this degree, I'm not sure how available these jobs would be. She'd like to spend some time overseas but not move away on a long time basis.

 

 

 

With the way the economy is now, I do not want her to have a "fluff" degree. She can still do Asian languages but I want her to back it up with a practical degree as well.

Have any of you had experience with career counseling for high school students?

 

 

nan

Edited February 16, 2009 by homeschoolin'mygirls
spelling--!!

[Karen in CO]

Asian languages are Hard and people fluent in them are in high demand.

 

Here is a sample of jobs that a Asian Languages degree qualifies a person for:

 

Our students head in many directions after graduation. Some go to work for the government (Foreign Service, C.I.A., F.B.I., Dept. of Defense, Agency for International Development, Armed Services, etc.). Others go into business (Multinational corporations and non-governmental organizations, such as those concerned with the global environment). Other popular vocations include: education (Teaching English as a Second Language), export- import, travel, advertising, journalism, airlines, museum curator, public relations, television, editor/publishing, interpreter, writer, personnel specialist, international relations specialist, law enforcement, environmental studies, criminal justice.

 

My ds loves Japanese. It is an extremely difficult language to learn and to master. He originally planned to major in Japanese, but now plans to major in International Business. He changed so that he can take additional languages later if he wants to - he has interest in Russian, German and a couple of other languages. He currently only has a vague idea that he would like to work as a diplomat and in some way help people. I think that as he matures and grows, he will figure out how to pay off his student loans and support himself and make the world a better place.

 

In addition to just jobs in the field, there is also research, linguistics, and many Ph.D opportunities. Look over the classes taken in a typical course of study in Asian Languages from several universities. Typically the classes are very deep and compelling. I think your dd will have no trouble finding a job with a degree like this.

 

I have nothing against career counselors, but I wouldn't take my kid to one just because I disagreed with their interests. At 16 I still wanted to be a pirate or a mercenary. I majored in physics and comp. sci. instead. I even found a job in my field.

[homeschoolin'mygirls]

I have nothing against career counselors, but I wouldn't take my kid to one just because I disagreed with their interests.

 

I have no idea why you would make the assumption that I am considering career counseling for my dd because I disagree with her interests.

 

Wanting to check out the usefulness of a degree (and there are many degrees that, while interesting, do not translate to work experience) is not equivalent to disagreeing with her interests.

My husband and I are very supportive of our dd and her goals. My dd and I are in our 3rd year of Japanese lessons with a native Japanese tutor. She has taken the first level of the JLPT , has attended summer intensive Japanese immersion camps, and is active in many Japanese/Chinese communities in our area.

 

Career counseling is --in fact--just that. It involves taking a person's interests and helping them find careers to put those interests to use. When I posted, I was interested in hearing about anyone's experience with high school students and career counseling. Most High School offer this to their students through the guidance counselor department.

 

My concerns about an Asian Studies degree still stand.

 

If you are interested in my concerns, I've both responded to your information and added some additional info lower in this post.

 

nandell

 

 

 

 

 

people fluent{Asian languages} in them are in high demand.

Can you show me information that backs this up? Other than the college sites that are trying to enroll students that is.

 

Research requires a Masters and usually a PhD to be a career choice. It is true that there are some government jobs but generally not with just a bachelors degree in Asian Language. It sounds like your son with his intention to study International Business could be a good candidate for this area. My dd does not intend to study International Business .

I've already pointed out that my daughter is adamant about not teaching. Asian Studies and linguistics, while connected, are not the same line of study. Linguistics studies the formation and makeup of language--not learning foreign languages. We have a friend that is a linguist that travels all over the world translating ancient texts. He and his team decode the language(that no one speaks today) based on their knowledge of language format and structure. In fact, he jokes because people don't believe him when he tells them that he speaks only high school Spanish.

 

 

 

I've copied from 2 college sites information about Asian Studies.

One is from Vasseur that highlights some of their Asian Studies alumnae and their current jobs. 3 of the 10 they chose to highlight have jobs related in some way to a degree in Asian Studies.

From one college site--- http://www.polisci.uc.edu/AsianStudies/careers.html

By combining an Asian Studies degree or certificate with another major, students enhance their career prospects.

 

 

From Vasseur http://careers.vassar.edu/pdf/chat/asianstudies.pdf.

 

Here is a sampling of the many career paths Vassar alumnae/i have pursued with their

undergraduate degree in Asian Studies (may have pursued further education). Some of

these career choices are closely related to their major, while others are not.

Education – College/University, Teacher – Social/Behavioral Sciences at Handong

University in the Republic of Korea, Class of 1996

Architecture Industry, Architect, Class of 2000

Art/Layout/Design Industry, Lighting Designer, self-employed, Class of 1991

Music Industry, Director of Opera, self-employed, Class of 1987

Entertainment Industry, Business Manager for CBS Sports, Class of 1992

Entertainment Industry, Marketing Director for Pokemon USA, Inc. in Seattle, Class of

1991

Advertising Industry, President and Chief Operating Officer for Azoogle Ads, Inc.,

Class of 1990

Advertising Industry, Account Executive for Boston Magazine, Class of 1994

Management Consulting, Owner and Principal consultant, Class of 1973

Health Care Industry, Clinical Dietitian, Class of 1994

Import/Export Industry, General Manager of Shanghai Pack Ltd. in Shanghai, Class of

1997

Edited February 17, 2009 by homeschoolin'mygirls
edited to add link to sites

[JennW in SoCal]

I completed my BA and an MA in Asian Studies with an emphasis on China back in the early 80s when it wasn't quite the popular degree program that it is now. There was another deep recession back in the early 80s, but my family never discouraged me from getting a "fluff" degree because the family philosophy was always that you go to college to get an education. You go to a trade school or get a professional degree -- business, law, social work, teaching or library school -- to get a job.

 

I only "used" my degree in the work force for a few years when I worked at an academic library for a professional grad school whose focus was the Pacific Rim. They valued my language and writing abilities. I knew that to have a long term career I was going to need some kind of professional degree, but decided against getting an MLS (library science) degree after being accepted, and also turned down an admission to law school. I applied for a Community College credential, and am now certified to teach, of all things, Ethnic Studies in the Community College system here in California! I've never bothered. But my career as a wage earner was fairly short lived because I was able to stay home to be a full time homeschooling mom.

 

I am now working as a violinist, both performing and teaching, even though I never got a degree in music -- I just kept playing all through college. I have been paid to teach all manner of homeschool courses, from science to theater, because I have great skills, honed in grad school, in researching, distilling and presenting information in a manner that my audience can understand. I have absolutely no regret about my choice of major. I still keep up with current events in China and thoroughly enjoy reading books on Chinese history. I can read the menu at the Chinese restaurant and order a cold beer -- very worthwhile skills, don't you think?!!;)

 

While at college I was recruited by the CIA and NSA (is that the title?), and some of my fellow grad students were already in the military. Some people went to teach English in China or Japan and never came back, making contacts in companies over there and finding long term work. One guy I knew made money translating technical journals, a job I personally could not stomach! Another woman I knew was an import/export broker. Others went on to get PhDs or professional degrees. I don't know anyone personally who made it into the foreign service. One friend kept making it to the oral exam phase but no further, and I hear the bottom rung jobs are rather awful, and rarely in the geographic area of your interest. With Manga and anime being so popular there are some jobs to be had translating those -- I've met the man who translates all the Pokemon scripts, for instance.

 

Finally, I have to say that I have never found any use from career counselors, either in my experience or in college or with my kids. My high schoolers, who are enrolled in a public charter school, have taken those career counseling interest inventory tests, and the results have been laughable. "Book binder" was one result, "highway patrol officer" was another.

 

So, let go of your worries and trust that your dd will find a creative way in which to apply her interests and talents. Who knows what the economy will be when she is out of college, or what kind of contacts she will make that help her find a niche in the working world.