In today’s episode, I am thrilled to welcome Devon Turcotte to the podcast. Devon is a career advisor and the owner of Careerified. She has worked with thousands of teens, parents, and educators throughout her career and she is a wealth of information and insight related to helping young people build meaningful careers. During our conversation, Devon and I discuss the importance of career exploration in high school and how it can be a valuable tool when choosing a post-high school path. We also talk about the harm that social media is having on our kids’ mental health. You won’t want to miss Devon’s advice regarding the value of gap year experiences for teens that are feeling stuck about what to do after high school.
About Devon Turcotte
Devon Turcotte (she/her) is a career advisor and the owner of Careerified, where she focuses on helping GenZ and young Millennials gain career clarity and craft actionable steps so that they can build meaningful careers that have an impact. Devon’s draw to the career development field is rooted in the connection between mental health and youth career decisions. She is a fierce advocate for lifelong learning and believes that there is always an alternate route to success. Prior to starting Careerified, Devon worked with thousands of teens, parents, and educators, delivering in-school presentations on careers in the skilled trades and recruiting and career coaching in Ontario’s community college system.
Episode Highlights
- The Brainstorm Strategy Survey
- High school students are panicking about not having it all figured out
- Social media leaves our kids feeling less than
- Parents struggle just like teens and young adults when trying to figure out their career future
- Career exploration needs to become a priority in high school
- There is value in infusing career exploration into core subject classes
- High school and college teachers could be powerful career influencers
- Should teens attend post-secondary education right out of high school?
- Intentional gap years are valuable opportunities to explore career options
- Interdisciplinary studies is a great way to start a college education
- Income isn’t the only measure of success