In this episode, I’m welcoming back a familiar face (and voice), my friend and partner in crime, Jay DuSold. For those who may not know much about Jay, he is the founder of MapInMe Career Coaching for Teens, and as of a few months ago, I began working with him in his coaching business. Last week, Jay and I delivered our first-ever Find Your Fits Career Exploration Workshop for teens and young adults. We offered it in person, in my hometown in central Florida. The workshop was based upon Jay’s program and methodology and we tailored it to fit within three evening sessions. Needless to say, it was a jam-packed three evenings but in the end, based on the feedback from our attendees, it was a huge success. At the end of the workshop, we asked participants to provide us with some feedback and we included one important question in particular because we knew that parents would want to know the answer. During our conversation, we are sharing the feedback (anonymously) in the hope that it will help parents and other adults as they guide their teens to life after 12th.
About Jay DuSold
Jay DuSold has spent decades working with teens and their parents as a speaker, writer, learning experience designer, mentor, and coach. His work as a career guide began in 2014 while helping his own son figure out what to do after high school. He now works with teens around the world, helping them discover their career DNA and identifying careers that they love and stick with so they don’t waste their time, money, or life. Jay lives in Pennsylvania and has been married for 26 years. He and his wife have two sons, now ages 22 and 20.
Episode Highlights
- About the Find Your Fits Career Exploration Workshop
- Seven truths that young people want their parents to know about career confusion
- Number 1: Parents need to be open-minded
- Outdated mindsets and old paradigms don’t make sense in today’s world
- Number 2: College is not required for all jobs and careers
- The world of work is changing
- It’s important to find a career fit before choosing a preparation path
- Number 3: Provide support, don’t interfere
- There a difference between helping and interfering
- Parents’ agendas are not helpful
- Number 4: It’s not difficult to find the right career if you have the right help
- Some help isn’t actually helpful at all
- Dispelling toxic myths
- Number 5: Teens are getting very little help in high school
- Teachers and counselors are doing the best they can with very little time and resources but the system is broken
- Number 6: Not knowing what to do and trying to figure it all out is stressful
- Parents can reach out for assistance in helping their teens figure out it
- We’re all in this together
- Number 7: Don’t pressure teens to pick something. They know it’s important and pressure just adds more stress.
- Forcing teens to “just pick something” won’t help
- Consider the stats around college student success
Resources
Life After 12th Facebook group for parents