Remember when you asked your child what they wanted to be when they grow up when they were younger? Any answer was endearing—maybe they said they wanted to be a doctor or a superhero. That question is asked more often and seriously once kids become teenagers in high school. It’s not just you who’s asking your child what they want to do for a living; their friends, family members and teachers are asking the same thing. Cute answers like “princess” and “superman” unfortunately don’t cut it anymore. Talk about being under pressure.
For teens, deciding on a career path is difficult enough. It can also be confusing (and terrifying) when they have to choose and apply for a program in college or university. Thankfully, there are some ways to help your teen decide on what type of career or post-secondary education to pursue.
Encourage Your Teen to Work as a Camp Counsellor at Summer Camps
When kids spend the summer working at a part-time or seasonal job, they’re bulking up their resume and gaining real world experience. At work, your teen will always be exposed to new people, responsibilities and situations. Without a doubt, your child will learn new skills and be more aware of their strengths and what they can improve on.
Keep in mind that securing a summer job could be tricky since many kids apply for these positions. Remind your teen to update their resume and search for jobs a few months before the summer hits.
One of the most popular and rewarding summer jobs for teens is working as a camp counsellor at kids summer camps. This job involves multiple responsibilities. Not only will they be very busy, your teen will gain a sense of what type of future or career they might like. They will learn and use valuable skills such as:
- Organizing and leading activities, trips and events
- Supervising and monitoring kids to ensure their safety
- Maintaining positive relationships with parents of children
- Maintaining control of children
- Clear communication with staff, children and parents of children
These duties and skills that your teen performs can be applied to various careers such as teaching or early childhood education. Maintaining these responsibilities and working closely with younger children gives your teen a clear picture if they’re comfortable in this type of environment. By working as a summer camp counsellor, your teen will gain valuable job experience and what their professional strengths are.
Picking a University Major isn’t an Easy Decision
The reality is that many teenagers feel anxious when picking a major to study in university or college. This is especially true when they’re in their last year of high school. It’s nerve wracking because some kids really don’t know which path they want to take. Some kids feel the pressure to pick a program that would satisfy their parents. Others just major in something they feel half-hearted about. Unfortunately, sometimes the end result is that students end up changing their majors or they drop out of their program altogether.
Enrol Your Child in a Summer Course at a University Campus
If you want to help your child decide on what to study in university, there’s nothing better than getting hands-on experience. Mention the idea of taking a summer program at a university campus to your child. These programs involve classes that are modelled after post-secondary courses. Summer programs give high school students a real taste of university life and education. Your teen will feel much more academically prepared and discover what subjects really interest them. They’ll also be able to participate in extracurricular activities and events. They’ll basically get a rich introduction to university life and expectations in the span of a few weeks.
Attending a summer program can cut a huge deal of anxiety for your child for when they actually enter university. That’s because they’ll already have an idea of what to expect when they start their post-secondary education. Besides, since when was being prepared for something a bad thing?
If your teen has trouble with choosing what to study or what career path to take, let them know that they shouldn’t feel rushed to make a decision. Encourage them to work a part-time or seasonal job. Help them get their feet wet in a summer program at university campuses. This way, they’ll gain real experience that might help them decide on what they want to do in the future.
