Having a teenager who’s already interested in developing a career in any field is a blessing. As a parent, you’re going to want to encourage them any way you can. But teenagers are at a very difficult stage in their life. As such, your task is going to be just as complex.
Remember that this is most likely going to be a lifelong process. You have to go about it slowly, and carefully. It can be an immensely rewarding experience, as long as you remember that, ultimately, you are not the one in charge of your teenager’s career. However frustrating that may be, in the end, it’s the truth.
Show Them All The Branches of Science
Science is a very broad field, and when it comes to getting a job in this domain, you’re going to want to narrow it down. There are many things a teenager should look for when considering career options. Looking at college offers is one way of doing that. The two of you can also sit down, and look at science-related job offers. Find out what each job involves, and see which one appeals to them best.
Teenagers are in a very good position to experiment, especially if they already have some idea of what they want to do. Remember that many of their decisions during this period are not going to be final.
You should encourage them to explore as many options as they can, even though they may seem silly to you right know.
Maybe their passion for science comes from playing video games. Well, you shouldn’t be dismissive. In 2015, video game industry’s revenues soared to a staggering $23.5 billion in the US. Plus, there are a lot of skills and jobs involved in making a video game. One of the best things you can do is to take their passion seriously, whatever it may be.
Find Instruments that Maintain Their Interests Alive
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Young people tend to get bored quite easily. You’ve probably already considered this as a possible issue. Developing a STEM career takes a lot of hard work, and not everything is going to be fun and exciting.
If you want to maintain a teenager’s enthusiasm for this field, consider investing in some interesting gadgets. Books and documentaries can help a lot, especially as they start learning, and feeling more like experts.
Telescopes or microscopes can also be a great way to maintain their interest alive. They’re the sort of tools most kids dream of having. There are plenty of high-quality & affordable telescopes out there, and there are websites that offer in-depth reviews, to help you decide.
And you can use the whole process of buying these tools as part of a learning experience. Instead of looking up the best options by yourself, you can do this together. They’re going to have the learn the technical specs, what each feature does.
This can make them feel more in charge, and it’s also going to help them become familiar with the future tools of their trade, and how to make smart investments.
Ask Them to Explain Things
As a former teenager yourself, you probably remember how frustrating it was when other grown-ups didn’t take you seriously. In hindsight, perhaps many of your ideas and decisions were naïve, to say the least. But the feeling was still there.
One the best things you can do to help a teenager who wants to pursue a STEM career is just to listen, and take them seriously.
There’s no better way to understand something than by trying to explain it to someone else. It can help you structure information in your own mind, and figure out links you might not have noticed before. Talking to someone else can also help you answer questions you might have had, or maybe even come up with new ones you haven’t considered yet. These are essential habits of anyone wanting to work in a science-related job.
When you ask them about their field of interest, you should do it as one peer would ask them another. This isn’t like helping them study for a test. It’s not just about retaining information. They need to get enthusiastic about learning new things, and understanding how stuff works.
So don’t focus too much on details, and numbers, and precise terminology. They’re going to have to do that at some point. Instead, praise them if they understood the basic principles behind a process, and if they’re able to make new connections between disparate sets of data. That’s going to be an invaluable skill when they start their career in science.
Encourage them to Participate in Contests and Summer Camps
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Surrounding themselves with a community is essential to maintain their interests alive, and find some good opportunities for the future. These events can also be a good way to make their college applications shine.
Feeling like you’re part of a larger group is extremely important, not just for teenagers. The bonds they develop at this stage of their life can last them a lifetime. A recent study discovered that among the main reasons teenagers break high school friendships is a difference in school competence.
So, imagine how wonderful it would be to meet someone who’s one the same wavelength as you at such an early age? Since these events are meant to bring together kids with similar aptitudes, and interests, it’s quite likely that at least some of them are going to click.
And going pursuing a career in such a demanding field is going to be much easier with a peer by your side. To say nothing of the fact that these can be awesome learning experiences, and a little friendly competition can spur you on. It can help them take their interest in science from a hobby to a serious, long-term pursuit.
Help Them Set Short-Term Goals
For a high schooler, life is full of intense, and rich experiences. During this period, thinking about the distant future might seem difficult.
So even if they know they want to pursue a career in science, it can be hard to keep them on track for such a long time. They may end up wanting to burn through necessary, but tedious stages of the process. They may end up feeling frustrated because they feel like they’re not progressing.
As an adult who has already experienced this frustration, you should help set some short-term goals, which make them feel like they’re moving forward. Science fairs and even personal science projects can be a great way to help them train, and get that all-important sense of accomplishment.
At this age, getting into college should also factor in as a short-term goal. There are tons of STEM scholarships for each type of college student. Some of this information changes from year to year, so you should make sure you’re are up to date.
Working towards being admitted to college, and perhaps even getting a scholarship is something any teenager should think about. But it can also double as a step towards getting a head start in their career.
Give Them Space to Enjoy Their Passion
This is perhaps the hardest thing to do when you’re trying to help a teenager with their career. But it is absolutely vital.
What teenagers desire most of all is the sense that they are autonomous. Most of them are going to understand the value of having a good mentor by their side, and even if it’s going to difficult, they will ask for advice when they need.
A successful career is about doing something you love for the rest of their life. If their passion turns into a chore so early on, or if they feel like it’s no longer their decision, they could end up miserable. Or worse, they might just give up.
If you see them losing interest for a short while, let them be. If this is truly what they’re passionate about, they’re going to remember it sooner or later. And after all, it is their career we’re talking about.
Always remember that teenagers are just like any other people. The only difference is that they lack life experience. That’s going to come in time, and you can definitely help, but in the end, there are a lot of things they are going to have to learn on their own.