Coaching 5 min read

Career Coach

A career coach helps teens explore interests, identify strengths, develop professional skills, and make informed decisions about educational and career paths.

Why career coaching helps teens

Career coaching isn't just for adults changing jobs. Teens benefit enormously from early career exploration, especially given today's rapidly changing job market and educational costs.

Areas career coaches address with teens: • Interest and aptitude assessment • College major exploration • Internship and job search strategies • Professional skill development • Networking and mentorship building • Alternative path exploration beyond traditional college

Your teen doesn't need their life planned at 16, but understanding options and developing career-readiness skills reduces anxiety and improves decision-making.

You're not alone

If your teen has no idea what they want to do or changes career goals weekly, this is completely normal. Research shows that most adults work in fields unrelated to their college majors, and today's teens will likely have careers that don't exist yet. Many parents struggle balancing support for exploration with practical concerns about college costs and job markets. Career coaching provides structure for this exploration while building skills valuable regardless of ultimate path.

What it looks like day to day

Student

Your teen works with their career coach to identify transferable skills from their gaming leadership that could apply to project management or team coordination roles.

Parent

You notice your teen becoming more confident discussing their interests with adults and beginning to see connections between current activities and future possibilities.

Tiny steps to try

Support career exploration through exposure, reflection, and skill-building activities.

1

Interest mapping

Help your teen identify patterns in what energizes them. Notice themes across hobbies, favorite classes, and volunteer experiences.
2

Informational interviews

Connect your teen with adults in various fields for casual conversations. Real stories beat career websites for understanding actual work life.
3

Skill inventory

List skills your teen already has, including "soft" skills like organization or creativity. Recognizing existing strengths builds confidence.
4

Shadow days

Arrange opportunities to observe professionals at work. Seeing daily reality helps evaluate career fit better than job descriptions.
5

Project-based exploration

Encourage projects exploring interests. Starting a blog, creating videos, or organizing events builds skills while testing interests.

Why early career exploration matters

Career development theory recognizes that career identity forms through exploration and experience rather than sudden revelation. Super's Life-Span Theory identifies adolescence as a crucial period for career exploration, when teens develop self-concept and begin understanding work roles.

Research shows that teens who engage in structured career exploration make more informed college decisions, have clearer goals, and experience less career-related anxiety. Early exposure to various careers helps teens make connections between current learning and future applications, improving academic motivation.

Blustein et al. (2019) found that career exploration during adolescence predicts better career adaptability in adulthood. Hirschi (2011) demonstrated that career exploration activities increase career decidedness and reduce career-related distress.

References

Blustein, D. L., Prezioso, M. S., & Schultheiss, D. P. (2019). Attachment theory and career development: Current status and future directions. The Counseling Psychologist, 23(3), 416-432.

Hirschi, A. (2011). Career-choice readiness in adolescence: Developmental trajectories and individual differences. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(2), 340-348.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Isn't it too early for career coaching in high school?

Career coaching for teens isn't about choosing a lifelong career but developing exploration skills and self-awareness. The goal is building career adaptability: the ability to navigate changing work landscapes. Teens who understand their interests, values, and strengths make better decisions about college, gap years, or immediate work. Early coaching prevents expensive college major changes and post-graduation confusion.

What if my teen's career interests seem unrealistic?

Rather than dismissing dreams, career coaches help teens understand paths to their goals and develop backup plans. "Unrealistic" careers often have related fields offering similar satisfaction. A teen wanting to be a professional athlete might discover sports management, physical therapy, or coaching. Understanding what attracts them to specific careers helps identify alternatives meeting those same needs.