Question:

I am a parent of two precocious 13-year-old twin boys. My husband and I have talked about different jobs with them but somehow we feel like we’re am missing information to give them. Do you have any tips we can use to make sure we provide career awareness information in a parent friendly way?

Answer:

First, take a deep breath! Then you and your husband pat yourselves on the back for being proactive and discussing this important topic with your children. As I read various Transition resources, I come across many ideas for parents and teachers to use as they prepare their children/students for the future. The following is a list of ideas to help your children develop career awareness.

1. Encourage your children to use the local library as a resource on careers and information gathering.
   
2. Have your employer sponsor learning activities at your children’s school.
   
3. Help organize field trips for your children’s class related to the world of work.
   
4. Participate in parent involvement activities at your children’s school, particularly those related to School-to-Careers.
   
5. Have your children volunteer for a charity or community organization. This will empower your children to better the community and develop interpersonal and organizational skills.
   
6. Make your children aware of the connection between education and careers. Talk about how you apply your own education to your work and create games connecting school subjects to work tasks.
   
7. Seek information from professional associations on career opportunities.
   
8. Make presentations or speeches at your children’s school during a Career Day or School to Careers meeting.
   
9. Allow your children or other students to shadow you for a day at your workplace. (Shadowing is when a student attends work with an adult for a day to learn more about a career in which he/she is interested.)
   
10. During vacations, work with your children to explore the occupations and careers which are occur in your community. Review newspapers and attend kid friendly community meetings.
    
11. Read the newspaper together: What are the headlines? What are the jobs that come to mind? Which of these is interesting to your children? Why or why not? What school subjects do the articles bring to mind? Is it a favorite subject for your children? Review job advertisements. Discuss qualifications and their relation to academics.
    
12. Keep a portfolio with your children. Encourage them to assist you in choosing the contents. What kinds of things will they consider keeping? Include information such as schoolwork, community outings, pictures, special awards/accomplishments. Allow your children to take over maintaining the portfolio when ready and able.
    
13. Encourage friends, relatives and acquaintances to talk to your children about their jobs and the skills and values they use in the workplace.
    
14. Plan leisure time activities that explore interests, abilities and skills.
    
15. Create a budget with your children based on her or his allowance. Discuss what is important to save for and to spend.

There are numerous activities you can implement and you probably have many more ideas. This list should get you started. Do not forget to ask your children for their suggestions.

Good luck.