So I overheard an interesting conversation today while getting my haircut.
As I was sitting in the chair I heard a lady a few chairs down from me talking with her stylist.
She was telling him what she wanted her son to do after he graduated high school in a few months.
She was telling him how she wanted him to immediately go to NYU (if he was accepted) to pursue his law degree.
She went on to tell her stylist how this was the best option for him whether he knew it or not.
She was basically laying out his entire career path for him!
As the woman continued to talk to her stylist my stylist actually said out loud to me “I hate pushy parents like that. What about what HE wants?”
Now I am sure she, like all parents, has the best intentions and only wants the best for her son.
But the question that my observant stylist asked is one that a lot of parents fail to ask.
What does HE (or she) want to do?
And how about a few more while we are at it.
What is HE (or she) interested in? What is HE passionate about? What career path does HE want to take?
Now granted a lot of kids don’t really know what it is they want to do with the rest of their life…especially right out of high school (or even college for that matter).
But thats the point isn’t it?
Now if her son has explored his options and has decided that he loves law and wants to pursue it because it will ultimately make him happy thats one thing.
Based on the conversation it rue didn’t should that way.
I can’t tell you how many stories we have heard about parents pushing a certain career path onto their children.
Now again this is probably with the best intentions but is this really the best advice?
Should your parents really choose your career path?
Sounds silly doesn’t it?
Here is one thing to remember…YOU ARE NOT YOUR PARENTS!
Following their advice is one thing but following in their foot steps in another.
Is it the right thing for you to do?
Only YOU can answer that.
Everyone is an individual all with different skills, talents and interests.
Just because Mom and Dad did it (or think you should do it) doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
Following their advice or footsteps COULD be an option but if success AND happiness is your ultimate goal then you owe it to yourself to make sure your career path is the right one.
So how do you do it?
We are big believers in getting exposure to as many different things as possible as soon as possible.
Even consider taking a GAP year if needed but do whatever you can to get out there and find things that excite you!
Get involved in lots of activities so you can really find out what fires you up!
Once you have good idea about what truly interests you then its time to decide on a path to take.
By all means included your parents in your career path decision making process (the are probably paying the bill right?) but the point here is for YOU to make the ultimate decision!
