Whatever one may say, work occupies a large place in our lives, which means that the choice of a future profession should be approached consciously. It’s too late to do this when entering the university: if a child first thought about “what he wants to be when he grows up” on the threshold of his 16th birthday, there is a great chance to be disappointed in his future profession and do an unloved thing all his life. What can parents do to keep their children safe from professional disappointment?
First of all, parents should be aware of the three key ages for choosing a career. Of course, all children grow up in different ways — some faster, others slower — therefore, the age limits that I will talk about are conditional, and they need to be applied to the child, taking into account his characteristics.
From 4 to 10-12 years old
Yes, such a long period of a child’s life, and it is critically important. So that at this time he takes a step towards choosing a future profession and then does not get disappointed in it, you need to do only two things. First, let the child see the world and its possibilities. Secondly, honestly and fully, without myth-making, tell about the specialty that seems closest to the child. This will help the son or daughter understand what they have in real life.
The main mission of parents during this period is to introduce them to opportunities, to show as many industries and directions as possible. This will help mugs, weekend activities, trainings and master classes for children. The child should get acquainted with the maximum of professions and subjects: to find out what physics, chemistry and biology are (of course, in a form adapted to the age of the child), to understand what an engineer and a baker do.
If the child is not interested, do not force him and do not provoke chronic stress and nervous diseases
Next, your task is to determine what the child is interested in and what he throws. It is important to take into account one “but”: if a child quits classes due to indiscipline, from the series “I don’t want to get up at eight in the morning and go to a circle” — this is an alarm signal that can indicate problems with discipline. Do not leave it unattended, most likely, there is still time to correct the situation.
If the child quits classes because he is not interested, do not force or provoke chronic stress and nervous diseases. Enough of the previous generations, who were forced to learn scales and go to solfeggio. Do not torture yourself or the children, keep looking, and something will definitely be found.
From 12 to 14 years
If in the first period you did everything correctly and systematically, then at this age there will be a “focus” — the child will focus on those industries that attract him as much as possible. Sasha will realize that he is interested in biology, Masha will plunge into the development of computer games, and Nikita will want to do robotics.
An important nuance is that at the same time, adolescence will come, when you, most likely, will cease to be an authority for children. There is only one way out: find an authoritative adult who will become a mentor for the child in the chosen area.
It is important to find an adult who will tell the child about the profession and help him understand if it is suitable for him.
You probably know stories about people who chose a certain industry because they had charismatic teachers at school. For example, a biologist who made everyone fall in love with his subject and the whole class went to enter the Faculty of Biology.
It is very important to find an adult who will spark interest in the chosen industry. Such a person can be a family friend, a teacher at school, a teacher in a circle, a coach. This adult will perform one of the most important tasks — he will “lead” the child through the profession, tell about it, knock off the mythology from it and at the same time help the teenager understand how this area suits him.
From 14-15 years old
At this time, the main task of the parent is to throw all the resources (temporary, monetary, moral) to ensure that the child gets into a good university. How to understand which university is good? Focus on the list of Project 5-100, a hundred of the best universities in Russia. Talented and experienced teachers teach at the institutes from this list. But the main thing is that they usually have faculties or departments where the best specialists from the industries in which the university teaches lectures give lectures. These specialists come precisely in order to form a personnel reserve. Therefore, if a child gets into such an institute and studies normally there, he is practically guaranteed a starting job in a good company: companies start hiring students already from 3-4 courses.
Why do it? Firstly, to show the child how adult life works, to orient him is the most important task of any parent. Secondly, if you correctly lead the child through these stages, then it is likely that he will not have difficulties finding employment in a good company. And this is not just a great career start — the main thing is that the child, most likely, will never experience disappointment in the chosen profession.