Help Your Child Think About Their Future Career

What are your interests and passions?

This is a really good place to start. Many students don’t know that their hobbies and passions help them build transferable skills across different careers. 

For example, if your child is a sports team captain, they're developing leadership skills. If they're part of a coding club, they're building skills that employers love. If they love drawing and creating art, they could be a future illustrator, animator or graphic designer.

What subjects do you enjoy the most at school?

Knowing what your child enjoys doing is usually a strong indicator of where their future could lead.

While all subjects are equally important, there’s nothing wrong with your child becoming skilled in the subjects they excel at and genuinely enjoy. That doesn’t necessarily mean extra homework either. Perhaps they can join a club or explore online resources that relate to that subject.

It’s also worth having a look at some of the careers linked to your child’s favourite subjects. You’d be surprised at the range of options available.

In fact, there are some employers and universities that often accept students who come from different backgrounds of expertise. For example, plenty of law schemes take on non-law students, and there are other schemes that look for students with potential and transferable skills to do the job.

Is your child already thinking about an apprenticeship? Click below to find out more:

What problems do you want to solve?

This question gets your child thinking about their values and the issues that matter to them. 

Gen Z is super socially aware. According to a recent Deloitte study, 40% of Gen Zs have rejected assignments due to ethical concerns, while 41% have turned down employers whose values don’t align with theirs.

• Is your child environmentally conscious?

• Does diversity matter to them?

• Do they think certain parts of systems need to be changed?

These questions help your child think about the person they want to become rather than focusing entirely on the job. It opens a conversation about the impact they want to make and helps identify companies that share their values when they’re ready to enter the workforce.

What are some jobs or industries you find interesting?

Some students already have ideas about what they want to do after school, so ask them directly. It’s worth exploring all the possible jobs within the industries and reading up about how to get there.

For example, if you know your child is interested in neuroscience, you’ll know it’s important for them to do well in science. Maybe it’s their dream to work with animals; you can encourage them to gain work experience at a local vet or zoo.

Is there another route?

The route to a career has always traditionally been: school, college/sixth form, university, then a job. Having a degree to begin fulfilling work is no longer the standard; there are other ways to get there.

If your child has a career in mind, research how they can make it happen. They may be skilled with numbers and interested in accountancy. University is one option, but have you considered an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships are fantastic because they’re no longer just for tradespeople. The reality is that there are so many apprenticeship options available across a wide variety of industries. These include;

• Creative & design

• Banking

• Legal and law

• Property

• Digital media.

Not only that, but apprentices are paid for the duration of their training and can earn anywhere between £18,000 and £26,000 per year, depending on the level they do. There’s even an option to do a degree apprenticeship, meaning your child will have a direct route to a career much earlier and without the £50,000+ student debt.

In fact, we have a fully comprehensive guide to apprenticeships. Click below for more:

How to keep the conversation going

These five questions are just the beginning. You and your child can explore many more together, including:

• What are their strengths and weaknesses?

• What education or training do they need for their dream career?

• What are their short and long-term goals?

• What kind of environment do they want to work in?

Career journeys aren’t always straightforward, and that’s absolutely fine. You’ll be there to guide them through, and these conversations will help build that journey.