www.womanthismonth.com 57 August 2014 It is a fact that each year thousands of students drop out of Sixth Form and university or change course due to the lack of objective or clarity around their decisions. Sadly, there are millions of adults who are in careers that they ‘ended up in’ or are unhappy with. In many cases, their potential is not fully utilised in terms of skills, knowledge and attitude. This means they have not necessarily made the best choices for their career because they do not know their strengths and development areas. They don’t explore what makes them ‘tick’. They are often unclear about themselves in terms of who they really are, what they really want and how they wish to live their lives. Research shows that focus in early decisionmaking ensures the best fit and happiness in careers, leading to employee engagement and more effective organisations. What can you do to guarantee your child begins on the road to a fulfilling career that matches their strengths and interests? How can you help your child choose the life they want? Career coaching Think of an iceberg. At the tip are you and your child’s awareness of grades from school reports and their hobbies and interests. Under the iceberg are belief systems, possible saboteurs around potential, values, family habits, geographical influences and past experiences. The stuff ‘above the water’ is useful and the stuff ‘below the water’ is essential, but often ignored. Professional assistance avoids the trait and factor theory of career decision making, which merely puts pegs into holes to see what fits best. Career coaching delves further and often opens a can of worms, possibly causing initial confusion as things surface. Knowledge of strengths, personality traits, abilities and learning styles means educated decisions around career and course selection. Sound advice and accurate evidence goes further by ensuring the best cultureenvironment fit, taking into consideration family, financial, strategic and other important factors. Students’ career choices are sometimes inadvertently restricted by parents due to lack of motivation and talent alignment. What this means is that even if your child is able to become a doctor, banker or lawyer, if this is not the field that they really want to study, they may still be good at it. However will they really be happy achieving their potential? Not necessarily. This demonstrates the importance of looking at all the variables in course and career choice. The great benefits of coaching and psychometric instruments combined are not fully appreciated. Few people really understand what a coach can help them achieve and how valuable the experience will be. Coaching is not about telling. It enables clients to understand their bigger
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