Protective Factor: Identity Exploration
This month we are going to focus on a protective factor. Protective factors are factors in a youth’s life that make them less likely to use substances. Today the protective factor we are going to talk about is Identity Exploration. There are 3 areas specifically listed as areas for identity exploration. Those three areas are Identity Exploration in lov e, work, and world view. Today’s blog is going to focus on one of those areas, being identify exploration in work.
Work is such a huge part of our lives, even if we wish sometimes, it was less a part. If a person was to work full time from the age of 22-62 the person would work over 83,000 hours. That is over 10,000 8-hour shifts. Work is a crucial part of our lives for many reasons. Of course, the obvious is that we work to earn money to be able to live and pay for things like housing, transportation, food, and clothing. But for many, work is more than just a paycheck, work also gives us a sense of purpose and overall feelings of accomplishment. Work creates routine in our lives, and can bring us many friendships and growth opportunities.
I don’t know about you, but when I think back to being a young person I remember finding the idea of choosing what I was going to do for the rest of my life very overwhelming! I knew I wanted to attend college, however I didn’t want to choose a degree that led to a job I hated. My experience in working with young people has confirmed that this is a hard decision for most youth.
Today I want to provide you with some tips for helping your young person make a good decision when it comes to work.
Tip #1: Take a Vocational Assessment
There are SOOOO many jobs out there. As a high school student there was no way for me to know about all the different career options. There are several free vocational assessments on the internet that are available for youth. These tests ask lots of questions about what the youth is good at, what they are interested in, and areas they struggle with. My personal favorite is missouriconnections.org. You can choose the Guest Login Option and Career Cluster Inventory. This tool gives you a list of careers that may be a good fit for you and includes the amount of training required and the average salary for the career. There are so many things to consider when choosing a career path, but I would always encourage you to start first with what they like or what sounds fun and interesting to them.
Tip #2: Job Shadow
Once you have narrowed it down to a few careers that would possibly be a good fit, I encourage you to work with your child’s school to set up days for them to job shadow. Even if your child is certain they know what they want to do, DON’T skip this step! I recommend that every teen job shadow in at least 3 different career fields that interest them. Job shadowing is such a great experience and gives the youth a real glimpse into what the career actually looks like. It also gives them the opportunity to speak to people in the career and learn about the pros and cons of working in the field.
Tip #3: Consider
I encourage you to make list of the pros and cons of each career choice your child is interested in. Here are a list of things to consider:
Training Needed
Pay
Hours
Options of Advancement
Options of Change
Remote or In-Person Work
Location
Time Off
Work-Life Balance
Family Needs
Flexibility
Team-Work / Independent Work Environment
Of course there are so many things to consider, this list was created just to help you really get to thinking about what is important when looking for a job.
Tip #4: Give it Some Time
I may should have listed this tip first, because all too often young people don’t start considering career choices early enough, and find them in a position where they have to make a decision quickly. Work with your child to start having these conversations during their Freshman and Sophomore year of High School. This will allow them to have some time to really consider their decision and be able to confidently make the decision that is best for them. Let them make their lists, consider their options, and also talk to other successful people. Encourage them to talk to community members, church members, family members, anyone who will listen. There are lots of things that maybe you didn’t consider that someone else would!
Tip #5: Make a Decision and Make a Plan
Once the youth has made a decision about which career they would like to pursue then help them make a plan with SMART Goals. If you need help writing SMART Goals, this video does a great job explaining it!
How to write a SMART goal (video) | Khan Academy
Write the plan down! Post it in your house where everyone in the family can see it, and do your best to help support your young person in achieving their goals. Having the steps to reach the goal visible will help your child see the hope, and make the plan not so overwhelming.
In Summary, work exploration is so important for young people. Having the opportunity to explore their own identity is a protective factor because it allows them to have the opportunity to be content with their choices in an area of their life that has a huge impact. As caregivers, I encourage you to check your own opinions and biases and do your best not to push those on the young people. We all want to see our children succeed, but it is important that we allow them to have the independence to make the decision that is best for them. Guide them, listen to them, but make sure you don’t push them in a direction they don’t want to go. The encouragement of a parent or caregiver has a huge impact at this stage of life!