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I've been thinking a lot lately about how many students I know who are going to college and have little clue with what they want to choose as a major and career field. And this is a problem as you have too many students who pick a major due to their parents telling them, or because it sounds good. But college is way too costly to waste time switching majors (or not graduating at all).
There should be some type of availability for students to explore possible careers (and majors) early on. It would be much more extensive than a typical "career day". What I've seen is usually a kid will choose a field that their parents are in because it's what is most familiar to them. That's why doctors or teachers tend to run in families. But so many kids have no idea what a career entails. Schools should have some sort of class where students can shadow a particular career. This should start in middle school.
The same could hold true for students interested in a trade. My nephew heard that welders "make a lot of money" so he chose to start college toward his AA degree in that. But after a few classes he discovered that welding was a hard job, hot and demanding, and he lost any interest and quit.
I could see a program of "career exploration" in middle school. Students could learn about various fields and careers and get a hand-on view of what it really involves and also the type of classes and education it requires. Then in high school students could even do a short internship of volunteering. If this started in middle school you'd have a lot more students graduating high school with a much clearer idea of what they want to do. And maybe not all kids would be automatically funneled to college as is the tendency today. You'd save significant student debt from kids switching majors or not even graduating, or from students who would go into a trade right away.
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Probably better for parents who know their kids to augment Career Exploration.
Ours were sent on "shadowing opportunities' from age 12. But we had always volunteered as a family in age varied activities, so our kids were not stuck in peer mentality paralysis.
They each were sponsored in mentored public service careers from age 16 (when they were in college).
Neither chose to pursue their vocational and mentored training, tho that offered a wealth of exposure for them to more clearly determine and seek outside career guidance.
I feel academia is very poorly equipped, and very unmotivated or interested in leading students to meaningful career choices.
Get your kids to establish relationships with your adult neighbors and friends, and open all doors to career exploration. If your kids are stimulated to have meaningful conversations and discussions with adults, they can quickly discern appropriate career guidance.
School counselor can get them into internships and take skills / ability tests.... But few academic counselors pursue career exploration. We had a few excellent volunteer counselors who had wide career experience, and were very helpful to students.
Example near OP. (one of my kids did this, for career exploration @ age 16, and 20 additional yrs in public service... And very good summer employment and industrial hazard training throughout CO an WY, excellent pay while in college, ~$40k during summer! ) https://www.vaildaily.com/news/color...-firefighters/
Last edited by StealthRabbit; 07-15-2021 at 04:59 PM..
Guidance counselors are clueless about careers. Heck, they primarily focus on academia and don't even do a good job of helping students with college.
When I was in school shop class did a decent job of getting the feel for most of the mechanical trades. A lot of kids came out of high school, esp Vo-Tech ones, with a good idea of trades and some ready for an apprenticeship. Then that got blown away in the push for everyone to go to college.
I graduated HS and worked for a few years before going to college because I didn't know what I wanted to major in.
At one point I got a job working with numbers and *poof* something clicked and I knew I wanted a career involving Math.
Then I got serious about college.
Not everyone needs to or should go right into college after HS because maybe they just don't know yet.
Guidance counselors are primarily focused on getting kids into college. They know what test scores, grades, and extracurricular activities are necessary to get accepted into a specific school. But besides old-fashioned aptitude tests there is no help for student unsure about what they might want to study.
They cater to "special students" aka school athletes. Gotta get them "prepared for college".
Heck when I was in school you had one guidance counselor for 100+ students. Often the counselor would come in around 11AM, with 15-20 students needing help. The counselor would only be there for 20-30 minutes then leave. Many of the students were left in a lurch.
I graduated HS and worked for a few years before going to college because I didn't know what I wanted to major in.
At one point I got a job working with numbers and *poof* something clicked and I knew I wanted a career involving Math.
Then I got serious about college.
Not everyone needs to or should go right into college after HS because maybe they just don't know yet.
I have a niece who is smart and a hard worker, but she also was not sure what she wants to study for so she is holding off on college for the moment (she just graduated high school). I was a bit disappointed because I know it can be hard to get back into school if you are off for a year or more.....but realize this is probably the smart move on her part. I did suggest community college to get the core requirements for a degree completed and that perhaps in that process something will 'click' for her as well.
I could see a program of "career exploration" in middle school. Students could learn about various fields and careers and get a hand-on view of what it really involves and also the type of classes and education it requires. Then in high school students could even do a short internship of volunteering. If this started in middle school you'd have a lot more students graduating high school with a much clearer idea of what they want to do. And maybe not all kids would be automatically funneled to college as is the tendency today. You'd save significant student debt from kids switching majors or not even graduating, or from students who would go into a trade right away.
My daughter was always two/three grades ahead in reading. She won a best reader in fourth grade award. Okay, it was a silly award, but it clearly pointed her in her career direction. She graduated college with a degree in English.
She went to a career counselor who helped her "realized" she wanted to work in a museum. Coloradomom, I screamed at the career counselor!
1st, my daughter had no visual skills.
2rd, most museum workers get paid very little. Besides which, a curator requires a Phd in Art History. Most top curators do unpaid internships in Europe. Unless a student comes from a wealthy family, that's a whole lot of student loans.
She worked in various museum departments for five years. She finally had enough of being poor. She's in grad school now for a masters in teaching. Public school teachers don't make a fortune, but they sure make more than museum workers.
It's the job of the parents to help kids figure this out. No one knows their kids as well as their parents. Most parents can spot if a kids is better at reading, math, verbal or visual skills. Pick one dominate skill and look for careers which utilize it. Honestly, there are too many careers for exploration by students in school settings.
Many kids make detours. We have to be supportive of their direction- even if we think it's a mistakes. It's not the worse thing to do.
Hopefully, they'll learn from it.
Last edited by YorktownGal; 07-16-2021 at 08:23 AM..
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They cater to "special students" aka school athletes. Gotta get them "prepared for college". 
Many of the students were left in a lurch. 
