guiding your teen to career success

guiding your teen to career success

studies show that teens look to their parents, not their teachers or counselors, as their top adult influence when making career decisions.

get involved you are important! As parents, one of your most important responsibilities is to provide the help, support, and encouragement your teens need as they seek to find their way in the world of work. Studies show that when parents help their teens find their career direction, they have higher graduation rates and enrollment in post-high school education. Since you have the best knowledge of your teen s unique strengths and talents and a vested interest in his/her well-being, you are in the best position to help guide your teen to career success. To be a good guide, you need ideas, information, and resources. That s where this booklet will help. Your teen will receive or has received the student booklet, Many Ways to Win You re in the Driver s Seat.* Their booklet presents current career information and activities to get teens thinking about their future and the options and opportunities available to them. This booklet, Many Ways to Win Guiding Your Teen to Career Success, focuses on Things to DO with teens to help them make their career dreams a reality. + Student Booklet Parent Booklet a winning combination There are many ways to win in life, and with you as their guide, your teen can be a winner in the workplace of tomorrow. *Booklets available at www.manywaystowin.com

there are only two lasting things we can give our children. one is roots. the other is wings.

guide your teen to career success by helping them to get real then & now.............................. pages 6-7 get educated many ways to win......................... pages 8-9 get along people skills = success................... pages 10-11 get ahead look forward........................... pages 12-13 get experience make connections....................... pages 14-15 get started where to go!............................... page 16

then & now 20% Skilled Jobs 20% Professional Jobs 20% Professional Jobs Require a 4-year degree or more. 65% Skilled Jobs Require more than a high school diploma, but less than a 4-year degree. 15% Unskilled Jobs Require a high school diploma or less. 60% Unskilled Jobs 1960 Job Market Present Job Market Today s job market has significantly changed. In the 1960s job market, unskilled jobs were the largest sector of the labor market. Professional and skilled labor each accounted for about 20% of the labor force. But in today s job market, unskilled labor jobs have decreased. The professional job market has remained about the same, and the demand for skilled labor has grown dramatically. In fact, a skilled labor force is vital to California s growth. According to California s Forgotten Middle Skill Jobs Report Our communities and state rely on middle-skill jobs. Skilled workers are the police officers and fire fighters who keep us safe. They are the medical technicians and echnologists who keep us healthy. They are the air traffic controllers, electricians, and mechanics who keep our infrastructure up and running. They are local, hands-on jobs, meaning they are unlikely to be outsourced to other countries. 6

get real Traditional career advice was that to be successful, or to win in the workplace, teens had to earn a 4-year college degree. A 4-year degree was needed to get a good job. Today that advice needs some revision. Professional careers careers that require a 4-year degree are still important. However, the greatest job growth in today s job market is the demand for skilled workers jobs requiring postsecondary education, but generally 2 years or less. Skills, not degrees, are the ticket to success in today s labor market. When teens acquire a variety of skills, it puts them in touch with what they like to do and increases their confidence and Help them build their skills to increase their confidence and competence. Build Skills. Teach your teen how to do things like, change a tire, make repairs around the house, plant and maintain a garden. competencies. Encourage your teen to develop and use his or her skills and talents both inside and outside of school. Teach Each Other. Let your son or daughter teach you the things he/she does well play an online game, work a favorite phone app, contact a person via twitter. Evaluate Job Graphs. Discuss the terms skilled, unskilled, and professional in the job chart on page 5 in the student booklet. What careers does your teen associate with each of these categories? 7

many ways to win There are excellent education and training opportunities available for today s teens. Some require years of education while others can be completed in 2 years or less. Here are the most popular educational routes teens can take: Apprenticeships prepare a person for a trade with classes plus on-the-job training. It takes from 2 to 4 years to complete an apprenticeship. California Community Colleges offer many apprenticeship programs. Certificate Programs award a certificate of completion rather than a degree. Training is specific and qualifies participants for specialized jobs. Most certificate programs are six months to a year and are offered at California Community Colleges. Associate Degree is a 2-year degree that requires 60 college credits. Students take classes in a specific field of interest as well as general education courses. An Associate Degree is earned at a California Community College and counts toward a Bachelor Degree at a 4-year college. Military Service is an option teens may choose after high school graduation. Each of the armed services has different enlistment opportunities and challenges. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard are the five main branches of military service. 8

get educated In an economy where jobs requiring at least an associate s degree are projected to grow twice as fast as jobs requiring no college experience, it s never been more essential to continue education and training after high school... Master Degree requires study beyond a Bachelor Degree. It usually takes one to two years of specialized study, and passing an examination to earn this graduate degree. A college or university awards Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS) degrees. President Barack Obama July 2009 Bachelor Degree is a 4-year degree that requires 120 college credits. Students must complete about 2 years of general education requirements that include basic subjects like English, history and math, and an additional 2 years of classes in their major area of study. A college or university awards Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees. Introduce your teen to a variety of post-secondary educational facilties. Visit a College. Attend a sports or theatrical performance at a local community college and/or tour a local college campus and check out the bookstore, lecture halls, and dorms. Talk with Friends and Family. Ask relatives and friends to share their different educational experiences. Discuss the Options. Review All Roads Lead to Success on pages 6-7 in the student booklet. What option/s interest your teen? 9

people skills = success experts estimate that 15% 85% of your workplace/career success comes from your skills and knowledge, while comes from your ability to get along with people.

get along No matter how smart they are or how many skills or degrees they earn, teens need a solid set of soft skills, or interpersonal skills, to succeed. In fact, studies suggest that hard skills, or technical skills, contribute to only 15% of a person s workplace success. The remaining 85% relies on good soft skills. If you want to give teens an edge over the competition, help them develop the soft skills they need to get along well with others. Soft skills is a simple term for a set of complex traits and qualities that it takes for one to succeed. Examples include confidence, flexibility, honesty, and integrity, the ability to see things from different perspectives, optimism, and common sense. Soft skills also include having good manners, doing a job thoroughly and correctly, and an ability to admit and correct mistakes. The most valuable way to teach soft skills is to model Model cooperative behaviors and expect your teen to do the same. Make Manners Matter. Encourage your teen to practice good manners. Help them develop a good handshake, make proper introductions, and engage in small talk. them. When parents cheerfully adjust and adapt to changes in their schedule, deal with conflict effectively, and demonstrate honesty and Identify Role Models. Discuss friends and/or relatives who possess good soft skills and how/why these skills help them. integrity in their everyday lives, teens get a good look at soft skills in action. Review Ratings. Complete the Would U Hire U activity on page 9 in the student booklet. Discuss your ratings and examples. What can each of you do to develop better soft skills?

look forward No one knows what the future jobs will be. However, the U.S. Department of Labor studies trends and makes predictions based on extensive amounts of data. Here are some of their predictions Here is a quick look at some of the highest growth industries in California: Healthcare Seven of the ten fastest-growing jobs in the U.S. will be in healthcare. As the population ages, millions of Americans will need more healthcare services. Jobs will become more available in nearly all specialties, from nursing to coding, imaging to hospice care. Science and Engineering Jobs in science and engineering are expected to grow faster than other occupations. While science and engineering jobs require extensive education and training, there are many technician jobs that require skills students can acquire in two years or less. Energy & Environment Green jobs are popping up everywhere in a variety of fields and industries. Green jobs require skilled workers and pay 10 to 20 percent more than other jobs. Federal money is going toward clean energy sources and training programs to make things green. Digital Americans are turning more to the net to shop, communicate, conduct business, and entertain themselves. Some of the highest paying hot jobs will be found, in the Information Technology (IT) sector.

get ahead Jobs requiring an AA will double. 1/3 of job growth will be in Healthcare and Education. Highest-paying jobs will be in IT. Energy and Environment-related jobs could triple. Identify and discuss growth industries with your teen. Tour a Growing Industry. Identify an industry in your community and arrange a visit with your teen to learn more. Go Green. Watch the No Impact Man trailer on You Tube and list actions to take to become a greener household. Take the Healthcare Highway. Review the Healthcare Highway quiz on pages 12-13 in the student booklet. Compare and discuss your responses.

make connections Most teens have limited exposure to the workplace and to people doing jobs that interest them. They may see television portrayals of doctors, lawyers, firefighters, or police officers but these performances don t match the reality of the day-to-day jobs requirements. The best way for them to learn about jobs, or the people doing them, is to get out and talk to people. In fact, the best career information comes from face-to-face connections. These connections don t need to be formal or complicated. Teens can learn a lot in everyday conversations with different people. The secret is taking advantage of the opportunity to talk to people and ask questions. Since teens are often reluctant to talk with adults, help them to take baby steps by asking relatives or family friends a couple of questions about what they do and how they like their work. This will give them practice in building these communication skills. In addition to informal questioning, high schools generally have a variety of career experiences for students. Here are five good career activities for your teen to try: 1. Job Shadows: Teens learn about a job by walking through part of a workday as a shadow to a competent worker. 2. Service Learning Projects: Teens engage in meaningful hands-on service to address real-life needs in the community while gaining knowledge and skills that connect with classroom studies. 3. Informational Interviews: Teens learn about an occupation from someone who has firsthand knowledge in an informal interview. service learning informational interview volunteering 4. Volunteering: Teens provide service without compensation for a cause that interests them. workplace tours 5. Workplace Tours: Teens visit a workplace, learn about the business, meet employees, ask questions and observe work in progress.

get experience The most dependable Help teens make personal career connections. and up-to-date information on jobs and Attend a Fair. Take every opportunity to attend career fairs with your teen so he/she has the chance to meet people and learn more about various careers. Volunteer Together. To make community contacts, build skills, and gain experience, participate with your teen in a volunteer activity that interests both of you. careers is not found in books or on the Internet. It s found by going out and talking to people. Richard Bolles What Color is Your Parachute? Match Code to Careers. Review Winning Combinations on page 19 in the student booklet, and discuss the jobs that interest your teen. Identify a person who has a job your teen would like to have and arrange a short interview.

get started where to go! California provides outstanding post-secondary educational options. There are 110 California Community Colleges, 23 California State Universities, and 10 Universities of California. Here are the state post-secondary institutions in Orange County: University of California University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697 www.uci.edu California State University California State University, Fullerton 800 N. State College Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92831-3599 www.fullerton.edu California Community Colleges Coastline Community College DIstrict Coastline Community College 11460 Warner Avenue Fountain Valley, CA 92708-2529 www.coastline.edu Golden West College 15744 Goldenwest Street Huntington Beach, California 92647 www.goldenwestcollege.edu Orange Coast College 2701 Fairview Road Costa Mesa, California 92626 www.orangecoastcollege.edu North Orange County Community College District Cypress College 9200 Valley View Street Cypress, CA 90630-5897 www.cypresscollege.edu Rancho Santiago Community College District Santa Ana College 1530 17th Street Santa Ana, California 92706 www.sac.edu Santiago Canyon College 8045 Chapman Ave, Orange, California 92869 www.sccollege.edu South Orange County Community College District Irvine Valley College 5500 Irvine Center Drive Irvine, California 92618 www.ivc.edu Saddleback College 28000 Marguerite Parkway Mission Viejo, California 92692 www.saddleback.edu Fullerton College 321 E. Chapman Avenue Fullerton, CA 92832-2095 www.fullcoll.edu This project was funded with 2009-2010 Carl D. Perkins funds administered by both the California Department of Education and the California Community College Chancellor s Office. Printed Spring 2010