Use everyday opportunities to engage your child in a career conversation

Believe it or not, your child pointing out something they would like to buy when they are older is a perfect chance for you to have an informal career conversation with them.

Put your child into an expert situation by pretending that you don’t know what something may be worth. Try not to discourage them by saying that the owner is likely to earn exceptionally well and only a small percentage of the population may be able to achieve that in life. Instead encourage them to reach for the best. Show interest and say things like:

• “That’s a great … . What job do you reckon the owner does?”
• “The … is very nice. Would you like to own something like that one day? How would you be able to?”
• “I wonder what someone has to do for a living to afford that?”

The conversation does not have to be realistic, but you are exploring the career world and your child will start thinking. This may potentially lead to more questions of what they need to do to achieve their goal. Don’t be afraid of any questions. You don’t have to know the answer straight away. You can go away later – with or without your child – to explore the options.

Common career myths
Role of the parent