By: Bernice Maune
Usually career guidance has been offered to matriculants in their last year of high school as it has been generally understood that they are preparing to go off to university and they may need advice on which degree programmes to study.
Though this has been the general approach, parents can still offer early access to career coaching for their teens to better prepare them for tertiary education and eventually for the working world. This can be done through scheduling a session with a certified career guidance counsellor or through doing personality and aptitude tests online.
Career coaching has many benefits, some of which we’ve outlined below
Vision
The sooner your teen can start visualising their career then they will be able to begin cultivating a winning mindset where they plan and set personal and career goals. This will help them follow through on their plans and to measure what they are doing to reach their goals. To-do-lists can also feature in their goal planning as a way to organise themselves and see results. To-do-lists work particularly well in preparing university applications for example.
Strategy
Each plan needs to be accompanied by a strategy and consulting a career coach will be beneficial in outlining what this strategy should be and how to execute it. Success doesn’t happen by chance and by enabling your teen to think strategically, you will be pivotal in setting them up for long term educational and career success.
Career
If your child is still confused about what they want to do career wise, a career coach will show them how to pin down their strengths and use these to influence their career choice. They will also receive advice on what their talents are best suited.
Motivation
If your child is feeling uninspired, exposing them to career coaching may just be the kick they need to look at life with a new set of eyes. Reignite their passion for life and for their future by showing them that there are endless possibilities with what they can do with their life. This can add an element of excitement and give them that push they need to move forward and set career goals.
Focus
Career coaching will show your teen how to focus and how to employ methods that will keep them focused on the task at hand and in creating and planning long term goals. It’s also a great way for them to understand how staying focused links directly to job longevity and crafting a reputable career.
There are several career and life coaches available in South Africa. We’ve found three which you can consult for further information and to schedule a session.
