Moving Beyond "What do You want to be When You Grow Up?"

If I had a dollar for every time I heard the phrase “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I could take a really snazzy vacation!  It is one of the more common phrases that adults (myself included) ask kids.  It starts when they are in preschool and continues until they are in high school.  Then the questions often change to “Where are you going to college?” and “What are you majoring in?”. 

We have an opportunity to move beyond these basic questions with our children and get them thinking about deeper concepts --- careers that fit their personalities and talents, goals (both personal and professional ) for different stages of their lives and steps they can take at a young age to get closer to their dreams.  I am not saying that we should sit down our 8 year old and subject him to an intense job interview and personality exam.  However, over time through normal conversations and everyday life, we could plant the seeds of thought so that when our teens are ready to leave the nest, they will have more specific ideas, goals and plans.

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Use Labor Day to Encourage Entrepreneurship in Kids & Teens

Labor Day is “a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” (via www.dol.gov)  This year let’s make Labor Day an opportunity to talk to your children about potential careers, entrepreneurship and taking pride in their work.  Here are several great resources for you and your children.

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The Search for the Teen Summer Job

My two teens both want to get summer jobs this year.  They each have an opportunity to participate in a school trip to New York City next spring and they have to earn and save the money for the trip themselves.  I don’t know the exact price of the trip yet but the estimated figure is $1000.  My son is considering giving private trombone lessons and/or working at a grocery store.  My daughter is more interested in working in a restaurant or book store.  As a parent, I am excited about watching this adventure unfold.  For the first time, they will be entering the world of job applications, interview skills, working with the public and of course, managing a paycheck while saving for a long-term goal.  The first step, however, is getting the job.  Here are a few tips to help your teen (hopefully) land a great summer job!

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