As parents, it is pretty natural for you to want the best for your child. The best college, the best salary, the best position and the best career. Choosing your child’s career is not a cakewalk. It involves adequate research, absolutely correct knowledge and the ability to make the right choice. 

As parents, you have the experience and knowledge. But, even you can go wrong or might miss out on a thing or two when it comes to making major life choices, such as your child’s career. It is possible that you end up making mistakes or uninformed decisions while helping your child with their career.  Thus, it’s important to talk about this issue to be the guiding light your child deserves. 

This blog will discuss some of the most common mistakes parents make regarding their child’s career.

1. Narrowing Your Child’s Career Down To Marks

Right from your childhood, you have been taught that if a certain pupil is good in academics, they should either become a Doctor or an Engineer or maybe a teacher. But, this is not true. Anyone scoring above 90% in their 10th, does not have to necessarily choose science. Perhaps, their interest and passion lie in the field of Social Sciences or Commerce. Don’t narrow down your child’s career choices solely on the basis of their marks.

2. Allowing Society To Dictate Over Your Child’s Interest 

Societal pressure is usually not visible. But, it plays a crucial role in many of our life decisions. As parents, you might often find yourself comparing your child with their cousins or the neighbours' children. This burden of how your child’s future career will be perceived in society must be discarded. 

3. Focusing Solely On Academics

In today’s competitive world, being an all-rounder or a hands-on-everything is appreciated. Participating in extra-curricular activities such as debates, art, sports, photography, writing etc. is a wonderful skill. Many parents think of these activities as a past-time activity. However, this isn’t the case, these help in the overall personality development of your child. These extracurriculars are in fact well appreciated professions today.   

4. Ignoring Your Child’s Aspirations

Your children can have dreams, aspirations and interests of their own. Leaving them unheard and pushing them to choose a career you want is unfair. As parents, be their guiding light rather than forcing them to go in a certain direction. Let the child learn, choose and decide their own path. Once they get into the field they’re interested in, it will automatically make them focused and dedicated. Thus, providing them with a stable, successful career in a field they are passionate about. 

5. Not Paying Attention To Modern Trends Of Education

You might have now heard about digitalization, the 4Cs, remote learning etc. These are modern-day evolved methods of learning that help your child achieve a bright future. Similarly, education has evolved. As parents. you need to update and educate yourself about these trends. By being ignorant you might miss out on choosing the right course for your child. To avoid doing that, talk to an expert to help you understand the trends of today’s market. 

A counsellor can also help your child choose the best courses and universities abroad depending on their subject interests. So, contacting a specialist will also add value to choosing the right career for your child.

6. Setting Unrealistic Expectations

It is natural for you to have expectations from your child but setting unrealistic expectations is a mistake. Every child is unique, it is not at all necessary that if a certain someone scores 90+ in a certain subject, your child should too. Maybe their skill set and aptitude are different. Expecting your children to be perfect at everything is wrong. Let them fall, let them rise up again and learn. Be their driving force, their backbone not someone they are scared of. Supporting your child is the key.

7. Missing Out On Career Counselling

This has to be the most common mistake parents make. You might think that whatever you know is enough to choose a career. A career is a wide horizon and exploring each bit of it is not possible for a layman. Career counsellors are professionals who deal with students on a daily basis. Hence, investing your time to discuss with a career counsellor about your child’s aspirations is definitely the best decision you can ever make. It is extra support that your child needs to get in the right direction.  

The above list sums up the most common mistakes parent’s can fudge their child’s career path with, avoid them! Always remember that a career is a big thing. One wrong step can lead to a downfall in the future. Choosing the right career is not a one day job, it is a process. Right from choosing the right stream, to the right college and finding your child’s desired profession is a long and crucial process. But, you can start right by avoiding mistakes or talking to an expert. 

You can also contact quality career counsellors at Yocket who can help you and your child throughout this process.