Parents Role in Career Development
Parents Role in Career Development
Every one desires a bright, successful and happy future for one’s children. Parents usually decide about the fate of their children and choose the career for them. But in the hype of information, making a correct decision will always be a difficult task, only few parents able to make the right decision in this regard. Secondly parents themselves are not well informed about new fields of study.
Thus it is important that Parents themselves should enhance their information and knowledge, evaluate their children’s abilities, and should match job requirements
Unfortunately parents choose career for their children about which they have got very little knowledge and are not aware of nitty-gritty of the profession. It is therefore important to consider the child’s abilities before choosing a career for them. Lastly provide an environment where children are inclined to choose a career or profession. The child should not be forced if he is not interested to comply. Parents should reconsider their own assessment.
It is also a fact that most of our youth are ignorant of their future fields of study. They follow their parents, friends and or the common trend. Only a Very few are focused and sure about their career. Very few students know about career planning; but majority of the people have agreed upon that in Pakistan, There is a great need of career advisers and counselors.
What do I want to be?
Which career should I choose?
These are simple questions but difficult to answer. To become a Doctor was the dream of students in early 70s; engineering got the place of the most preferred profession in 80s. In mid 90s MBAs and IT left all professional fads behind Apart from these professional degrees, those who wanted to join the prestigious jobs of central superior services oft for CSS/CSP competitive examinations; but after the devolution of power scheme, youngsters are in a fix. Hence, we can conclude that people have changed their preferred fields of studies and switch from one to other.
What are the reasons behind this dilemma that cause shift in peoples’ preferences? What factors moulds their decision to choose professions? This decision seems to be irrelevant in initial stage of career but since it matters, to find the reasons behind this could help millions of people.
Career development…A life long process!
Career development is a life long process which begins as early as four years old. Careers Guidance is sought after a student is set to enter a bachelor’s programme. This is a major barrier as career planning should begin once the student completes middle school (eighth grade). The world has become a global village. Teenagers from Beijing, Karachi or New York are not much unlike, but what make them different are the opportunities to make his or her niche in the world of tomorrow.
Moreover, the ‘entrepreneurship’ that builds a nation seems to have skipped our education system. Entrepreneurship enabled the American farmer to become a ranch owner or a Danish officer in postal department to establish an international courier service.
A simple rule when entering grade nine is to make sure that a student does not confine himself. A humanities or commerce student cannot opt for science subjects once he has chosen Arts subjects, whereas a science student has all the options open. Sadly, the local systems do not allow these combinations and leave nothing but a matriculation in Science to be on the safe side. The ‘O’ level or the matriculation examinations are generally geared towards success, the Intermediate and the ‘A’ Level examinations are a different story altogether. Here the student is prepared for the rough and tough of the universities and undergoes a great grind. The subject selection at this level becomes an indicator of a student’s career. One has to be seriously involved in the decision making process and should leave a few options open.
Parent’s role in career development
Parents are the single most influential factor in the career development of their children; unfortunately they are not effectively informed about how to assist. Children are influenced by their family’s work values, attitudes, and behaviors, and, as a result, parents are often the primary source of children’s work
values and attitudes
They can involve their children in the activities acquiring educational and marketable skills, developing specific values or beliefs, and nurturing independent thinking and action.
high parental participation together with an active interest in children’s school subjects, grades, activities, homework, emotional well being, and future aspirations, predicted constructive attitudes toward school, better grades, and better career decision making skills. Despite the plethora of evidence showing parents as the primary influence on their children’s career development, parents often do not have the tools or information they need to use their power most effectively.
Which profession will be useful?
Following are the responsibilities of parents and teachers deciding child’s career:
Do not order? But guide.
Access to the fondness of the child. Some children say that they want to be pilot
Some like to be a soldier and some children try to repair their cycle and toys like mechanics. These are their aptitudes. Discuss on these aptitudes and careers. Tell them the merits and demerits and give them guidance.
Facilitate to do experiment.
To find the aptitude of children, carry them to deferent places, like doctor clinic, in a factory, sometime in a court, often to your office, to a fair, they can observe many careers. During summer and winter holidays free lance work can help understand the aptitude of the child.
Create resemblance in opinions
There can be a difference of opinion between a child and parents. In such cases career counselor and knowledgeable relatives can provide better guidance.
Review business abilities of the child
Some children are business minded right from the beginning; let them work in deferent places like in shop. There you can study the aptitude of the child.
Special attention to girls
Girls should be given special attention in selecting career for them. Parents required selecting a career for their daughters where they can survive in unfavorable circumstances and fulfill their responsibilities. Nursing, Teaching, Medical Science are fields where women can be prove useful. Women can also make remarkable progress in fields like Caterings, Sewing, Arts, Computer, and other Desks Careers. They can establish their own business in these fields.
