5 Tips to Help Your Child Choose Right Career

Unlike the popular ‘follow your passion’ mind-set I believe in the ‘craftsman mindset’. (Popularised by author Cal Newport)

Over the years we have fallen prey to the passion mindset. How do we know what our passion is or passions are? We all change as we grow, and so do our interests, values, and passion. To live a comfortable life, we need to know how to monetize our passion. Yes, the passion mindset is awesome for those who are passionate and have the talent that can become one’s career. 

Helping Children to Find Right Career

How to help your child choose the right career, without being overbearing your expectation? Here are the guidelines to chose... 

1. Passion vs Interest: Let us not confuse passion with interest. Passion is a very deep interest combined with one’s talent. To take up a career in one’s passion requires intense and committed practice from the age of five. Both parents and children have to be bonded in pursuing. It would require quality time, attention and effort. You will have to select a school that would encourage and is patient with your child’s interest too. 

2. Identifying Interest: Craftsman's mindset relies on the skills one develops. It is a very practical mindset. Keenly observe your child’s interest. Pick out one and enroll your child in some special class that would build the interest. Make an agreement with your children that they would stick to the class for a minimum period of six months. It takes time to know if one is good at that or not. Children tend to get bored very soon and hop from one activity to another. Hence the verbal contract is important and abides by it.

3. Life Skills: The craftsman mindset believes in building the necessary life skills so that one is prepared for any challenges and changes while choosing a career. Hence let us look at the skills we need to develop in our children:
       - Will power
       - Grit or resilience
       - Ability to be in a group
       - Problem-solving
       - Communication
       - Leadership
       - Ability to adapt
       - Creative thinking
       - Ability to remain calm.
       - Ability to wait for one’s turn
       - Enthusiasm
       - Time management skills
       - Decision making
   These are some of the skills that are required in all situations- at home, in the community, school and later on in a workplace. All these skills can be developed through play (indoor& outdoor) and role modeling. 

4. Have a Routine: Let us work on our goals backward. To get a good job or to build one’s career, one has to have a good education. To get into a good university or college one needs to graduate with good marks from a higher secondary level. To have a good academic record you have to build good habits and a routine. Hence it is essential that from the age of five, you create a proper routine for your child. Routine helps in setting discipline and positive habits (personal and study). This will be the bedrock for the future.

5. Be Supportive: Most importantly parents have to create an environment of communication and trust. Observe your child, give him/her your attention and time. Do not thrust your dreams on your child. You may guide, but be open to ideas and ambitions different from that of yours. Choices and interests will vary and change with time. Be a support to your child and not an obstacle to their dreams.