You can talk to your child about their future career at any age, even as young as nursery.
These conversations are not only fun because you will hear their imaginative “when I grow up” ideas, but they are also important because many careers rely on your child’s academic performance.
By talking about future careers you can help your child to learn early on what is expected of them at school in order to achieve their dream job.
To help you talk to your child about different jobs and prepare them for their future career, here is some great advice from an independent school in Hitchin…
Explore different careers
One of the best ways to help your child evaluate their career options is to expose them to as many as possible. Take your child to work with you and talk to friends and neighbours about their jobs. You can also arrange trips with your children to museums or local businesses, where they can learn more about different working environments. Helping your child to explore different careers will give them a better understanding of what they actually involve and what steps they need to take in order to get there.
Discuss your child’s favourite subjects
Talk to your child about their favourite school subjects. This is really important when it comes to choosing GCSEs and A levels, because enjoyment of a subject will lead to the best results. These kinds of conversations will prompt your child to think about their academic strengths and how they could benefit their future. If your child does have a particular career interest, it can be helpful to research the qualifications required in order to secure that role.
Encourage your child to have a growth mind-set
Teach your child about resilience and encourage them to have a ‘growth mind-set’. A growth mind-set is a really useful for children because it will support them through many challenges in life. Children with a growth mind-set believe that their abilities will improve over time. This encourages them to keep trying in order to reach their goals.
Help to build your child’s confidence
To help your child build their confidence, you will need to give them more responsibility. Entrusting your child to complete tasks alone will help them to learn and it will also make them feel more capable. Ask your child to help with some simple jobs around the house, such as tidying up, or feeding a pet. This will increase their feelings of competency.
Laura x