Dad Wants High-School Junior to Pick Career, Even If It's Wrong

Jeffrey writes:

My son is a junior in high school with a 3.8 GPA, but he can’t define what he wants to do in life. His mother and I have been telling him to pick something even if it is wrong. This will at least give him some focus and direction so that we may line up potential colleges. What do you recommend?

The Career Doctor responds:

I totally agree with you that having an idea of potential future career plans helps in many ways, including finding colleges that have strong programs in that field. The problem, unfortunately, is that many people struggle over the course of their lives in trying to find their ideal careers — so the likelihood of a 16-year-old doing so is small. Many college students go through multiple majors before settling on one.

I going to suggest some exercises for your son to take that may help him begin to identify one or more career paths, but unless something clearly emerges from the process, the best suggestion I have would be to narrow the choices on some of the other major criteria students use, such as entrance requirements, size, location, costs (and financial assistance), type (public/private), reputation/ranking, degrees offered, and accreditation.

So, where should your son start in trying to identify possible careers and majors? The keys are self-assessment and research. The first step is identifying favorite courses and activities — then looking for common elements among them. He should also examine his strengths and weaknesses, focusing more on his strengths. Because some people have a hard time with introspective activities, one or more self-assessment tests can help him discover more things about himself — and some tests even suggest potential careers based on the results.

The second phase is research. First researching careers that match his interests and strengths, and then talking with people in those careers to discover more about the career paths and how they got there (including colleges, majors, degrees). He should even consider hands-on research, such as job shadowing and volunteering. Finally, he should research colleges and universities that offer majors/degrees for his potential careers.

And for the latest on trends and issues with college admissions, go to the Answers to Common College Admissions Questions, published on Quintessential Careers.