How Do I Help My Child Make Career Plans?

You can be an active partner with your child as he or she takes steps to develop a career plan.

Identify your child's interests, skills and values
Work with your child's school guidance counselors to use formal assessment instruments (see Helping Your Child Identify Interests).
Talk about likes and dislikes with your child, and discuss how those preferences might relate to career choices.
Learn about careers

Help your child gather written information about his or her career interests.
Talk with people who work in those fields.
Help him or her get work experience in the fields in which he or she is interested.
Use online tools such as the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network (O*Net) to see how your child's skills align with particular careers (choose "Skills Search").
Set primary and secondary goals
Make sure your child considers a range of possible careers around his or her interests (for example, a child who wants to be a professional athlete could also consider a career in sports medicine, sports promotion, coaching or physical education).

Create and follow an educational plan
Help your child choose high school courses that will prepare him or her for college or other postsecondary training in his or her preferred field.