Help! What are my post 16 & 18 options?

This is the time of year that all students get a bit twitchy about their futures; have they made the right next step choice or they may not have made any choices at all yet. There is, however, a lot you can do to support them!

Remember though that they do not have to fully commit to any one career path at this stage of their life, but you can help them make sensible and informed decisions that start them on their career journey.

For Parents:

Do

Be open minded

Be prepared to explore a range of options and routes

Lose your preconceptions

Fully support your child’s choices (provided it is legal and ethical!)

Find out what they want to do – but do not expect them to know

Talk to your child and offer impartial advice and guidance

Actively listen to them

Know your child – are they academic or practical?

Use all the resources available to you

Don’t

Be concerned if they are not ready to talk about their future – it can be a scary subject to them

Show surprise when they tell you their preferences

Guide them down a pathway which is for you, not them

Assume they have an idea of a career or what jobs are out there

Belittle or dismiss their dreams and ambitions – if they want to be a zookeeper, let them be a zookeeper

It is your child’s future career and not yours

For Students

Do

Be open minded

Be prepared to explore a range of options and routes

Lose your preconceptions

Don’t

Be too concerned if you don’t know what you want to do next

Be shy or embarrassed about your dream job or career. If it exists, you can do it!

Choosing the next step

There are certain steps you need to take to ensure all bases are covered before they commit to any post school option.

This includes looking at what they are good at and what they enjoy, what their values are and what motivates them (if anything!).

• Where am I now?

Subjects studied, grades, likes, dislikes, skills, career ideas, strengths, interests, passions, values, goals

What is important to you?

Material Rewards – money, houses, cars, high income, standard of living

Power & Influence – able to control people and resources

Creativity & Innovation

Relationships with people around you

Autonomy – independent decision making

Security

Status – seen to be successful

Work-life balance

• Where do I want to get to?

Career, job, profession, college, university, work, lifestyle

• How do I get there?

Researching different careers. Qualifications. What route can I take?

• Action needed – start now!

What do I need to do next to start my journey?

These are all great questions that need answering (at any time of life if you are thinking of changing career or starting a new one).

Whatever they decide to do, encourage them to take their time, look at all options available and to remember that almost all jobs and careers have a route to take to get there, with different starting points, choices and deviations along the way and since we all have different skills, abilities and opportunities to shine there is never a one-size fits all route to a career.

For further information read our ebook: Post 16 & 18 Options, available now on Amazon