By Elizabeth Hamilton, M.Ed
For Variety

FOR most parents of pre-teens and/or teenagers, their children’s career choices are the furthest thing from their mind. However, the earlier your children start thinking about their future careers, the more time they’ll have to explore the many options that are available to them. Below is an overview of the steps associated with career planning:
Step One: Self-assessment
The first step in the career planning process involves having your child gather information about himself or herself which will be used to assist him or her in making a decision about a career. Your child can explore his or her interests, aptitudes, abilities, personal traits, and desired lifestyle. Your child can start by:
• Learning interests, abilities, skills, and work values;
• Listing accomplishments; and
• Assessing aspirations and motivation level.
Step Two: Exploring career options
During this step, your child will investigate the world of work in greater depth, and will narrow a general occupational direction into a specific one. He or she will begin to identify potential careers, gather information about those careers, and match the career information with the results from his or her self-assessment. Have your child start by:
• Learning academic and career entrance requirements;
• Learning related majors and careers to one’s interests;
• Investigating education and training required;
• Learning skills and experience required; and
• Planning academic and career alternatives.
Step Three:
Relevant/Practical experience
After the self-assessment and exploration of career options, your child will begin to evaluate various occupational choices and gain practical experience. This will be done through internships, cooperative education, relevant summer employment, and volunteer work. At the end of this step, more specific decisions about occupational choices are made. Your child can start by:
• Deciding the type of organization in which to volunteer or work;
• Assessing likes and dislikes of work values, skills, work environments, responsibilities, etc.; and
• Assessing if additional/different coursework or skills are needed for your targeted career goals.
Step Four:
Job search/Academic preparation
During this stage, your child will conduct a job search, and/or apply to colleges or trade schools. He or she can start by:
• Learning how to prepare resume and cover letters;
• Learning how to complete employment applications;
• Learning and implementing job search strategies;
• Learning and practicing interviewing skills; and
• Researching colleges or trade schools.