What major/career direction to steer my DD in?

[Anonymous]

OP, I am beginning to ask myself the same questions about my dd. I wonder if there's a club or resources that would help? Here's what I found online

http://www.iseek.org/parents/parentscareers.html
https://chicktech.org/
http://www.bls.gov/k12/content/students/careers/career-exploration.htm
http://www.gscnc.org/en/council/news/2016/kpmg_future_leaders_.html

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:She's got great test scores.

She has high grades, mostly As and a B or two, but mostly because she works hard and studies and not because of a particular talent in a subject area.

She likes working with young kids. She babysits and volunteers with infants and toddlers.

She's creative.

She likes to problem solve and is good with a routine.


Her guidance counselor is no help- just told her to take a general studies degree.

We don't have a ton of money, she will have to take out some loans, so it would be good if she could graduate with a career and not have to go to grad school right away to make money.

Pediatric nursing

Pay is decent with a bachelors. Pay is terrific if you obtain graduate level education. If she wants to have kids and SAHM for a bit, the field is very flexible with that and it won't harm her at all. Travel opportunities are terrific.

Uh hallo. Its not 1950. She can be a pediatric doctor if she wants to.

Nursing is a different career from doctor. Not a lessor one, a different one. It's not an insult to suggest nursing as a career option.

Sadly its a vastly lesser career in terms of how she would be treated, how far she could be promoted, how involved in clinical work she could become and ultimately how much she would earn. I know, my grandmother who SHOULD have trained as a doctor but spent her life as a nurse (trained in the 1940s). Much as I applaud ALL nursing personnel, telling them they are as important or as "good" as the doctors is just blowing smoke up their asses.

You don't understand nursing at all. We are not lesser versions of doctors. They are different, but related fields. Nursing involves much more generalist care, patient teaching, and case management. Doctors are specialists with deeper s p specialty knowledge. Doctors diagnose and prescribe. Nurses assess and treat.

+1 My sister is a nurse and had wanted to be one for as long as I can remember. As a top student in HS she was constantly pressured to be a dr. because why should such a smart girl "just" be a nurse. She finally caved to the pressure and did a couple semesters pre-med before finally reasserting her own desires and switched back to nursing, which she still loves after working in the field for 25+ years. She has a master's degree and makes a good salary as a clinical nurse specialist and a teacher.

For someone interested a field where you are working directly with children, plus making a good salary, not needing to go into massive amount of debt to pay for school, and having a variety of flexible options for work hours, pediatric nursing is an excellent suggestion.

Ok, maybe a dumb question, but what exactly does a pediatric nurse do? Are these nurses that work in a pediatrician's office, a school clinic, or a children's cancer wing in a hospital? The phrase pediatric nursing seems too general. Is this really a specialty in and of itself?

Also I would think that having an interest in medicine would outweigh being interested in children in a field like this. Would you recommend this as a field for someone who wants to work with children, but has never shown a particular interest in medicine? (I'm thinking of my own daughter here.)

Pediatric nursing has a few major areas -- floor nursing in a children's hospital, school nursing, camp nursing, home health nursing, private duty nursing. You could work in a doctor's office or clinic, but the pay is lower for those positions.

You definitely need an interest in science -- if a kid has an interest in biology or chemistry, it would be a good match for her.

Nursing is a great career for flexibility and feeling like you're making an impact on people's lives.
However, it isn't lucrative (esp in a field like pediatrics). Nurses who work in peds' offices are lucky to make $40K. Most make less. Hospital nurses make $55K to start and inch their way up over time.
I have 20 years of experience and make $90K in a pretty cushy job but I didn't step into this position.
I love nursing and it has been a great fit for me but I survive in DC because I'm married to someone who makes more money. My coworkers all live way out in DC and Maryland because they can't afford to live elsewhere.

$55,000 per year with a Bachelor's and no experience is not bad.

Graduate level nurses can make low six figures.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP--I might have missed this, but how old is DD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Degree in accounting would only take four years, she could start at community college, and she'd earn good money.

She likes to work with children and you suggest accounting? Yes, she will get a job and be paid well, but why would you suggest this? I write this as someone with 15 years at a big 4.

Op, what about one of the therapy areas? Speech, physical, occupational, etc? She could specialize in pediatrics. She could work in a school, hospital, private practice or do her own consulting.

+1 This is an excellent suggestion. With the increase in developmental disabilities, there is a great need for pediatric therapists. She might enjoy OT or PT work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Pediatric Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy. My son's in OT and it seems like a great career if you like working with kids. Growing too.

+1 from mom of kid in ST and OT. This is absolutely a growing field with not enough people in it.

Yes, great fields but do require a master's degree

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:There are no good jobs working with children. Discourage that nonsense.

+1

So you only want dumb people working with your kids? Shouldn't we be encouraging people who like to work with kids and who are smart to go into fields working with children, not discouraging them?

Shy adults are usually shy with other adults, not with kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are no good jobs working with children. Discourage that nonsense.

I agree. And people get burnt out. It just means that she should have a career and then be good at working with her own children.

As an elementary teacher, I agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:There are no good jobs working with children. Discourage that nonsense.

+1

So you only want dumb people working with your kids? Shouldn't we be encouraging people who like to work with kids and who are smart to go into fields working with children, not discouraging them?

Shy adults are usually shy with other adults, not with kids.

I agree I'm an introvert, but that doesn't impact my teaching elementary school. I do think it would interfere with teaching high school.

[Anonymous]

I had a nanny who was working towards becoming a pediatric physical therapist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any kind of engineering. They make good money right off the bat with only a bachelors.

Something that interests me is computer forensics. Pulling data off computers for use in criminal investigations. Like the recent FBI fight with Apple over the the mass shooters' phones.

Why in the world would you suggest engineering when there was no mention that the girl was interested in STEM?

Because she's good at problem solving and maybe she and her mother are much more open minded than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about Pediatric Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy. My son's in OT and it seems like a great career if you like working with kids. Growing too.

PT, OT, and SLP require grad school--rarely are grad assistant-ships available, and salary is decent upon graduation but nothing to pay off the huge loans you could amass in grad school. There may be some OT BS programs left, but all of these careers are going towards a clinical doctorate.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure what is worse.

1. That some coddling parent wants to steer their kid into a certain direction

2. That she asked an anonymous forum for advice on it

3. That there are 4 pages of responses and some people are arguing with each other over what this kid should do.


This poor girl - she should do whatever the f*ck she wants. It is her life OP and commenters - not yours to "steer"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are no good jobs working with children. Discourage that nonsense.

pediatric psychologist. help children with ADHD and autism. great career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Perhaps steer was the wrong word to use, just give her some ideas and direction for somethings to look into.

As I mentioned, we don't have a lot of money and she'll have to take out loans so I'd like for her to be able to pay things off quickly upon graduation .

She's also a bit shy and introverted so I don't know if teaching would be a good match.

Seems like I read recently that dental assistant is a career that only needs 1-2 years of college and pays very well considering the minimal educational requirements.

[Anonymous]

I have a relative who fixes medical equipment. She got her training in the military. The pay is good and the field is growing. http://www.biomedicaltechnician.net/