What are your child’s summer plans? The earlier career planning activities begin for your child, the better! Today I am suggesting three easy ways to integrate career planning activities into your child’s summer agenda! I’m looking beyond the usual summer job in this post for creative ways to engage your child in career planning.
3 ways to work career planning into your summer break:
1. Tour an interesting company while on vacation!
Companies across the country and world open their doors to visitors allowing you to see the behind-the-scenes operations and all of the different people and careers it takes to make the production process happen! Your children won’t even realize they are being exposed to amazing career-related information and it will be fun for the entire family. When given the opportunity to ask additional questions on the tour, encourage the guide to talk about the different departments of the company, what they are responsible for, and how many people it takes to get your favorite products from the initial idea, to production, to your home. You can use this great resource, Factory Tours USA, to find a tour in your State or a city you will be visiting this summer or this great article by Popular Mechanics to explore option!
2. Attend a career-related summer program or workshop.
Museums, universities, and government organizations across the country offer short-term summer programs and workshops for students to learn about different career fields. For example, if your child has a strong interest in STEM (Science Technology Engineering or Math) subjects, there are numerous opportunities to get them involved with like-minded professionals and peers! For example, NASA has programs for students at all levels all across the country. Is your child more artistic? Does he/she have a strong interest in computers, design, photo, video, or animation? Digital Media Academy offers programs across the United States as well!
Conduct an informational interview over lunch.
For students who are working to narrow down their interests and exploring career fields, an informational interview can be a very low-commitment, high-impact activity. I have a great guide to informational interviews that will help you and your child make the most of a 30 to 60-minute, casual lunch with a professional in a field of interest. When I work with students, the first thing I ask them is who they know that works in a field of interest. They are almost always shocked with how easy it is to come of up several contacts within their family’s existing network! If it makes your child more comfortable, join them for the lunch conversation! Get my free guide to planning a productive and informative informational interview here.
How can I help?
If you believe a child in your life could benefit from some thoughtful planning, often times an unbiased third-party can be a powerful tool! As an experienced educator and career coach, I sit down with students one-on-one, meet them where they are, and assist them as they articulate their goals and develop a plan to achieve them!
Book a free consultation today!
