Thoughts for getting my daughter thinking about a career....

[Anonymous]

Another vote for backing off. As a high school senior I was sure I was going to get a PhD in Chemistry and be a chemist. It's not remotely what I ended up doing and I love my job and make decent money. It's not something that would ever have been on my radar as a high school student though.

[Anonymous]

Let her follow her path. I didn't even know what I wanted to do senior year of college. It all worked out beautifully but I never could've planned for it. I'm an intelligence analyst, love my job and many of the very talented people I work with aren't "smart" on paper. My mentor went to community college while working an admin job. It's not always what it seems.

[Anonymous]

I’m a school counselor and would recommend the field for her, but I agree with the pps—focus on developing her interests in general and figuring out where her strengths and interests intersect. She doesn’t need to know now how that will translate into a career. I attended a liberal arts college and got a master’s in counseling after I graduated from college. I don’t regret that route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:teacher, physical therapist, occupational therapist, pediatric nurse (but lots of school), hospitality management; PR and communications if she is outgoing and fast paced.

also, you never know, sometimes students blossom when they find the thing they love to do.

PR and Comms involve tons of paperwork, writing and desk time in most roles. And not much face to face work in most roles these days.

[Anonymous]

How about nursing? Seems like a good fit for someone who’s in good physical shape and likes to be on the move all day, along with her personality traits of being outgoing and very kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:teacher, physical therapist, occupational therapist, pediatric nurse (but lots of school), hospitality management; PR and communications if she is outgoing and fast paced.

also, you never know, sometimes students blossom when they find the thing they love to do.

PR and Comms involve tons of paperwork, writing and desk time in most roles. And not much face to face work in most roles these days.

I'd have to agree with the pp. PR/Comm roles involve a lot of reading, writing and editing, especially at the lower levels. Fast paced just means there are a lot of overlapping deadlines because projects are being mismanaged or they won't hire enough staff. At least that what it seem like at my agency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Physical therapy was the first thing that came to mind for me

This and even sports medicine.

[Anonymous]

Marketing/sales.

[Anonymous]

Your daughter sounds exactly like me when I was her age. I’m a prosecutor now. What I love about the job is that it’s so much more than a desk job. I’m involved and out of the office a lot assisting with investigations. I travel to meet with witnesses sometimes. I’m in the courtroom probably 400% more than most other types of lawyers. I put on seminars, and I get to travel once or twice a year to attend other seminars myself. So I get to be a lawyer, without being a typical, stuffy, paperwork-laden existence (though a large amount of my job IS paperwork).

The drawbacks are that it pays shit, at least on the local government level, it’s kind of a niche job in that if you want to stay in it forever but “advance” the path pretty much ends at the US Attorney’s office, and I never really felt like I’m part of the “lawyer club.” I consider myself more a part of the law enforcement community than the lawyer community.

But it’s a great job for someone who doesn’t like being stuck in an office 100% of the time, likes handling different and important situations, can get a little gritty, but also enjoys writing and reading.

[Anonymous]

^^PP, were you an average student? And did law school and even trying cases require in-depth concentration? What about writing motions, briefs, etc.?

Anyway, I’m in camp back off.

[Anonymous]

At this point, I think that it's more important to help her learn about her strengths and weaknesses (or dislikes) over trying to get her to think about a career. Those various career tests may help.

Once she knows that about herself she can be encouraged to think about those qualities and how they mesh with possible career paths. Then encourage her to try a few different jobs and get some direct experience. Nothing like real work at a low level to help one sort out what they really don't like/do like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^PP, were you an average student? And did law school and even trying cases require in-depth concentration? What about writing motions, briefs, etc.?

Anyway, I’m in camp back off.

I was all A’s and B+’s but it took work. I was a D1 athlete.

Yes, it does require quite a bit of in-depth concentration but to me the subject matter isn’t boring so that makes it a little easier for me. Cases where multiple legal theories can apply, juggling cases that have multiple co-defendants or witnesses, or a complex timeline of events all take concentration and organization. But honestly you don’t have to be a genius to do the job. Once you have the knowledge of criminal law, if you are organized and disciplined, you can do it.

Law school was harder for me than the job, to be honest. I was in school in the early 2000’s so I’m not sure if the format has changed, but back then our entire class grade was based off one final test. There was really no homework all the way through the semester. So you had to be a good note taker and really be able to buckle down the last weeks before the final.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being a social worker is a horrible career. I would say OT, PT or SLP.

Some jobs are soul sucking and will turn you into a person who believes our society is shit and what's the damn point of anything. But there are other areas of social work. One of my professors loved end of life care. There's also jobs in VA homes and hospitals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she's in high school, she really doesn't need to be deciding on a career now. Most schools I know don't even require that you declare a major until sophomore year. The best college advice I got was each semester to choose a class on a topic that was totally unfamiliar and to keep an open mind. She'll be exposed to career ideas she doesn't even know exist.

+1

Niece #1: attended Mclean HS with average SAT score and with B average GPA. Attended NVCC then transferred to GMU. She is now a manager for Oracle IT sale and make close to 600K,
Niece #2: attended TJ with 1590/1600 SAT score and 4.3GPA. Attended an Ivy school. She is now working for niece #1 and making less than 1/4 of niece #1

At this age, you just don't know.

+1

Be mindful how you treat your siblings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being a social worker is a horrible career. I would say OT, PT or SLP.

Some jobs are soul sucking and will turn you into a person who believes our society is shit and what's the damn point of anything. But there are other areas of social work. One of my professors loved end of life care. There's also jobs in VA homes and hospitals.

As a Social Worker, I would have to disagree that it is a horrible career. I have been a Social Worker for almost 20 years and I love it. However, just being the 'kindest person' doesn't mean being a great Social Worker. In fact, those are the people who often blur boundaries and burnout the quickest. The best Social Workers I know genuinely care, but are realists. Many of the kindest people I know would have their souls crushed by the awful things that are out there.