Volume 33 issue 4 23 Feb 2024 14 Adar I 5784

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Allegedly, family and parental influence can affect a student’s work and career choices by up to 70%. From a variety of sources, this can manifest in various ways. I hear, from working with students and talking to adults, about the pressures and influences that can come from family. The theory suggests that the stronger the parental bond, the higher and greater significance that influence can be.

We all know that teenagers are highly influenced by their friends, in terms of how they look, who they listen to and what they want to do. Some studies in the UK about parental influence suggests that parents will have a higher-order influence when it comes to futures, educational institutions and values surrounding career choice.

In the interests of helping and supporting our students, what can family members do to try and foster positive career development?

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In a study by Joblist, 48% of respondents felt that they had strong parental influence. A lot of other studies that I have read, with a much wider participant uptake, was as much as 70%. Interestingly in that same Joblist study, respondents felt heavily pressured by parents to follow their suggested career paths. 

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As parents, we are only trying to help. So how can we help, support and influence in a positive way, without being over the top, too influential, or put our own spin on things?

Here are a few suggestions:

  • Talk naturally and candidly about your own work history – this has big influence. A happy, interested, job-happy mum or dad working as an Investment Banker, will have a strong influence, without even trying, just by being a role model for that career. Sharing career stories, highs, lows, gender pre-conceptions and influences can all be positive conversation starters.
  • Try and get your child/ren talking to adult friends of yours who have an array of different jobs. This widens exposure and keeps new questions coming in – whether it’s an aunt working as a vet, a cousin working in a new data science role, a neighbour who has just founded a new start-up, or an uncle whose new restaurant has just closed down. This widens career discussions and keeps younger minds curious.
  • Do some research. We all have a lot of beliefs that can be set in stone (incorrectly) and from a different era. Find out more. Such as:

    1. What are the newest job areas?
    2. What industries look to be changing with technology?
    3. How is AI changing that sector?

For example, at UNSW on Friday the students were giving statistics on the Health sector being the biggest and most solid employer of our future for the next few decades for all of our young people. They also discussed how AI was not to be feared. AI will not be taking our jobs, per se, but the people who are best able to use AI within their roles will take our jobs.

  • Encourage job investigations. Deciding on an area, industry or career to move into can be a daunting task. As we know now, our current students will work in many jobs over many industries. We should encourage any type of job exposure. Simply studying, getting a degree and then hoping for work isn’t enough anymore. Applicants need to show skills they have honed and aptitudes and attitudes they bring to the table. Students can get this exposure by job research. Doing any type of job shadowing can be very beneficial (something I recommend) as students get to see that role in action. Work experience during holidays, during uni breaks and even upon graduation can be helpful.
  • Encourage skill development. This does not need to be in a work setting. It can be in a volunteering organisation. It can be at school. It can be in a society, organisation, youth group or community production. Remember that communication is the number one skill, across the board. What the top 10, top five or top one skills that employers are looking for comes up time and time again and has been top of the pile year in year out. As young people find it increasingly difficult to make cold calls and strike up conversations with people they don’t know, this is an area to push as a parent. The next time you need to make a booking or enquiry over the phone, pass the phone to your teen, and get them to do it.
  • Internships, exchanges and work-related learning are now being heavily pushed by all universities. This is where you can do some learning that will give you skills that are work ready and will make you all that more employable.

Notices, dates and details 

  • If you are keen to set goals for 2024, this is a great article to show you exactly how to do that and to make life easier for the year ahead.
  • New Ventures Worldwide GAP Year providers are running sessions for students interested in worldwide GAP placements at the following 2025 volunteering placements around the world.
  • UNSW dates for the diary for 2024:
    • Tuesday 12 March 2024: Medicine Information Evening 
    • Monday 22 April 2024 – Wednesday 24 April 2024: Year 10 and Year 11 Experience Days
    • May 2024: Year 10 Information Evenings (to be confirmed)
    • June 2024: Year 12 Information Evenings (to be confirmed)
    • Saturday 7 September 2024: Open Day

Watch out for updates or connect with UNSW to get release of dates as they can fill up quickly.

(© Feb 2024 www.studyworkgrow.com.au)