management skills to ensure that school remains the number one priority.
Finding career information
Look for ways to help your teen explore and learn about occupations:
• Encourage your friends and family members to talk about their work. Every family gathering is an opportunity for aunts, uncles and grandparents to tell their career stories.
• Encourage your teen to talk to friends and older students about their career explorations.
• Seek opportunities for your teen to meet and talk with business people, professionals and skilled tradespersons. Suggest that your teen find out what kind of post-secondary education is required for the positions featured in the career stories he or she hears.
• Check out job shadowing opportunities through the school, as well as your own network.
• Encourage your teen to visit a career day on-campus or at school.
Encouraging your teen to think about transition
• Talk with your teen about adult life—interests, what matters, friends, how time might be spent.
• Help your teen understand that once a decision is made, it does not mean that it cannot be changed. Sometimes things do not work out. You are "allowed" to change your mind.
• Look at the messages your teen is receiving about his or her future from all sources. Develop the positive messages that you want your teen to understand.
• Find out what your teen loves to do and encourage the development of any natural strengths. Emphasize these strengths as you and your teen look at post-secondary choices.