Harvard Business Review advises parents to help their children find the best career path after graduation based on their strengths and interests. Your child may be too young to truly decide what path they would like to follow into adulthood, and the best way to help them is to advise them on how to acquire marketable skills. Helping your child find a path will protect them from peer pressure, insufficient information, and unrealistic expectations. Here are ten careers you should consider while helping your child find a path to pursue after graduation.
Law
Law is one of the best careers if your child dreams of finding a path with numerous positive perks. For starters, lawyers are highly esteemed in society because of their importance. Pursuing law as a career provides your child with professional respect and financial stability, which helps elevate their societal standing.
Becoming a lawyer requires earning a four-year graduate diploma and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from law schools accredited by the American Bar Association. According to The Colleges of Law, a career in law includes several fields. As a lawyer, your child could choose to venture into environmental law and present individuals with legal issues concerning the environment.
They could also venture into family law and represent individuals dealing with family matters like adoptions and divorce proceedings or opt for the path of criminal defense lawyers and defend people accused of crimes in court. You could also become an accident attorney and help your client get compensation after an accident.
A career in law also opens them up to more opportunities like academia, social work, investigative journalism, etc. It provides a basis for pursuing a different career in case their niche becomes crowded. A career in law provides employment security because lawyers are often needed more during economic downturns.
Additionally, most law firms have experienced exceptional growth and broadened their services across different geographic regions. The expansion means your child is likelier to find a job if they choose to pursue a career in law, especially if the economy experiences a nose dive. According to ZipRecruiter, your child will earn $100,000 annually.
Transportation
A career in transportation involves moving people and goods between different locations. People who pursue this career are expected to facilitate the process and make it easier for business or recreational purposes. There are many careers that your child could pursue in this field, and one of them is as a truck driver.
Becoming a truck driver requires you to pursue a truck driving course, and the job allows you to travel for work and get paid. This career is perfect for individuals who love visiting new places or don’t like staying in one place for too long. Such individuals can easily experience different environments and explore new locations.
A career in transportation provides job security with so many startups being formed each year; plus, more companies are expanding and looking to transport their goods across different regions. Additionally, a career in transportation provides your child with more growth opportunities. For instance, they could join freight and material movement, distribution, and warehouse operations.
A career in transportation is great for people who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment or find a path in a dynamic industry that keeps growing. It is perfect for people who are easily bored with working in a static environment and would prefer to work in more challenging environments. According to ZipRecruiter, people in the transportation industry can expect to earn $74,000 annually.
Real Estate
People are always looking for homes to buy, making real estate one of the best careers your child could consider. Therefore, it’s an easier career path than other careers with similar pay. According to ZipRecruiter, a real estate agent earns an average of $88,378 annually, meaning the career is quite rewarding.
But that’s not all; it has numerous other perks. Real estate agents can be their boss, build a great real estate career, and meet new people. Being a real estate agent involves dealing with houses for sale, which means you help people buy, sell, or rent properties.
A real estate agent can specialize in commercial or residential properties. You can also take on different roles, including a broker, a buyer’s agent, or a listing agent. Becoming a real estate agent requires you to be of the right age, meet the educational requirements (GET or high school diploma), take a prelicensing course, meet post-licensing requirements, and meet other requirements set by the state.
Being a real estate agent has several positive aspects. For starters, a real estate agent can set their hours, which is great for people who don’t like following a routine. However, this doesn’t mean real estate agents don’t have to work hard. Becoming an established and successful real estate agent requires hard work and commitment.
You also need to network and create connections with various people in the industry, which can be hard, especially if you are starting. Additionally, agents get a commission on their sales, which directly ties their salary to the number of sales they make. Regardless, becoming a real estate agent can be rewarding if you decide to take the plunge.
Fashion
According to Villioti Fashion Institute, fashion is a rewarding career for children who enjoy following the latest trends and are highly creative. You could advise your child to consider a career in fashion if they enjoy keeping up with the latest fashion trends, helping people pick their outfits, or if they have a strong interest in fashion and creating outfits. A career in fashion involves creating footwear, accessories, and clothing.
Your child could follow this career by becoming more engaged in the creative process, helping people dress up, providing fashion advice, expressing their style, and networking with other creative professionals. Essentially, you need to take an online or on-campus course or certification in fashion design, fashion illustration, fashion marketing, etc. They could also start by custom printing creative designs for shirts and denim jackets and selling them to earn a passive income while they pursue their career.
Your child will have the chance to do what they like in a stress-free environment that allows them to practice and test their limits. Whether it’s dressing models or working for a hippie fashion brand, there is something for everyone. According to US News Money, a career in fashion design means your child will earn an average of $76,000 yearly, a salary that can go as high as $100,000.
Marketing
According to Creative Alliance, a career in marketing involves using your creative talents to promote a product or brand. Marketing involves selling or promoting products or services, and people in the industry can earn a lot of money. However, individuals who don’t have a huge online presence can still pursue this career by applying themselves in other ways.
You may advise your child to find a path involving a marketing career because it allows them to work in a growing industry. There’s been a spike in the global market arena, and more businesses are searching for marketing experts’ services. The growth provides your child with consistent work that gets more rewarding as they grow in the industry.
Additionally, pursuing this career allows your child to gain transferable skills that they can use if they decide to switch careers later on. Advise your child to pursue the content marketer route if they have a natural inclination toward creative technological tools like design or creating unique advertisement campaigns.
All your child needs to pursue a marketing career are verbal and written communication skills, the ability to collaborate and work with teammates, creativity, and problem-solving skills. They may also have to pursue a course in marketing and learn additional skills like graphic design or other tech skills, depending on what path they want to pursue in marketing.
Pest Control
Is your child fascinated with insects and the environment, or spend their day studying small animals? If they do, they could be the perfect fit for a career in pest control. Pursuing a career in pest control allows your child to identify, manage, and, if necessary, eliminate pests from commercial and residential properties.
Working in pest control is more of a calling, and people who succeed in this sector are often self-motivated or highly interested in small animals. Pursuing a career in pest control could provide them with the drive to create more opportunities in the field. According to SharpSheets, you can start a pest control company with less than $200,000 and enjoy up to $400,000 in revenue yearly.
Your child will become a pest control technician after acquiring a high school diploma and on-the-job training. They must learn about pest control treatments, including physical or chemical removal of pests, repulsion, or quarantine/exclusion, and get a pest control license.
Lastly, your child will need a good driving record since they must go to their client’s properties routinely, and hiring companies will request proof of a valid driver’s license before offering them a job. They should have a clean driving record since they must drive a company vehicle while transporting materials and equipment.
Food and Drink
You can help your child find a path in food and drink if they are highly interested in food-related occupations. They can pursue various career paths in the niche, including food development, food technology, nutrition, and well-being, marketing, and communications, etc.
Following a career in this field is great because people have to eat, and most businesses have become focused on creating a brand for themselves. Thus, if your child is great at what they do, then the chances are that they’ll get highly rewarded for their effort. One way you can gauge this is by searching for Wagyu beef for sale.
Wagyu beef is some of the most expensive beef on the market because it has streaks of fat, making it tender and tasty when cooked. The fact that this meat is pricey shows how profitable a career in food and drink is. Your child could be the next Chef Gordon Ramsey!
According to LinkedIn, there is much room for talented food and drink experts, with the United States making over 2,000 food engineering jobs available. Additionally, your child will get to learn new skills, some of which are transferable, making them highly sought after in the industry. They can earn an even higher salary if they have good skills and get specialized training.
Computer Science
You can help your child find a path in computer science if they enjoy working with computers. If you notice your child spending most of their time creating small pieces of code or studying complex topics related to computer science, then you need to encourage them to apply for a course (either online or on-campus) and pursue a career in the computer science field.
According to Yale University, computer science is rewarding; however, your child must choose the right path to specialize in. These include data science, machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, design and development, etc. Mostly, a course in computer science involves manipulating data, creating software, or teaching AI; however, this isn’t always the case. The best option would be to ask them to join workshops for more advice on what they should pursue in the computer science niche.
Individuals in the IT field have experienced a fast growth rate, indicating increased demand for people with tech skills. Additionally, individuals who pursue courses that deal with computer technology earn more than average workers.
Arts and Entertainment
If your child is a talented actor or singer, you can help them find a path in this field. They could choose to become an actor, a musician, or dancer or pursue behind-the-scene roles like music directors, talent agents, etc. There are many paths that your child could follow, making this one of the most versatile career paths to pursue.
A career in the arts and entertainment requires various qualifications, depending on your desired job. Most people pursuing a career in this field need regular training to develop their talents. Their training may include classes, lessons, and even workshops. Your child may need to spend several years honing their talent before they can succeed in their career.
Alternatively, individuals looking to get employed in television, film design, or other relevant jobs should aim to get respective bachelor’s degrees before they can apply for jobs. You can help your child find a path in arts and entertainment by observing them from a young age and encouraging them to participate in arts and entertainment activities.
Health and Medicine
If your child is interested in helping sick people, you could help them find a path in health and medicine. You could advise your child to apply for a course to become a physician assistant, nurse anesthetic, veterinarian, occupational therapist, or even a nurse or surgeon.
There are many reasons why a career in this field is rewarding; however, the most important one is the earning potential. People in the healthcare industry earn significantly more than people from other industries.
Additionally, the healthcare sector has several employment opportunities because of increased demand due to population growth. Additionally, it is perfect for individuals who don’t want extensive training, since they can take courses for less intensive jobs like dentistry, medical secretary, or physical therapy assistance.
According to Health Careers, a career in health and medicine provides job satisfaction for individuals who love positively impacting other people’s health. A career in this field will give you a purpose and help you become fulfilled. Lastly, you’ll get to meet unique people, engaging environments, and flexible schedules.
The best way to help your child find a path to pursue is by observing them, listening, and providing proper input. There is a chance that your child already knows what they want. However, your input will help guide them toward making the best decision.