Helping your child choose a career path
65% of children entering elementary school today will eventually work in a profession that doesn’t exist yet. This statistic, taken from the Future of Jobs Report 2025, published by the World Economic Forum, illustrates just how rapidly the world of work is changing. As a parent, you will need to show trust and kindness to your child, and to yourself, when it is time to talk about their career path.
One thing is certain: the days of choosing a profession for life are over. Careers are diversifying, career paths are becoming less linear and new sectors are emerging at a steady pace. Some examples are green jobs, sustainable careers and professions influenced by artificial intelligence. These changes require young people to be highly adaptable... and challenge a number of traditional career path guidelines.
Much more than just thinking about a profession
Today, finding a career path is no longer just a matter of choosing a “promising” career and making a definitive commitment to it. It’s reflecting on what your child wants to do, but also on the person they want to become and the impact they want to have in the world. Reflecting on your career choices means getting to know yourself better, exploring different possibilities, experimenting and adjusting your path over time.
Adolescence is full of moments of uncertainty. It is also a time when your child is growing by leaps and bounds. It is essential to accompany them with kindness, encourage their reflection, build their confidence and support them in their approach.
Generation Z in a changing professional world
A little more than half (55%)1 of young people aged 14 to 30 say they are fairly or very anxious about their professional future. They sincerely want to make the right career choice. They move cautiously when faced with a multitude of possibilities. They are aware that their path may not be linear—and that this is perfectly normal. Several factors may explain their concern.
What they also express very clearly is their deep desire for meaning. Gen Z doesn’t just want to find a job: they want to contribute to something bigger. These young people are drawn to fields related to social justice, education, mental health, sustainable economic growth and environmental protection. They want their work to have a real, positive impact on the world around them.
In this way, our young people seek to reconcile their own personal ambition with a sense of community, while learning to navigate a changing professional world. In this context, by valuing diversity of experience and encouraging the development of transferable skills, you can help them to feel more confident in the face of change.
What role do parents play in choosing a career path?
The good news is that these same young people see their parents’ role as important and positive. They see them as a valuable source of support, encouragement, information and advice. They want to be guided, not directed, in their thinking. So it is essential to listen, ask open-ended questions and value exploration rather than seeking definitive answers.
You can act as caring facilitators, for example, by creating a climate of trust, recognizing the importance of the career choice process and respecting your young person’s autonomy in building a career path that suits them. Here are a few winning practices that will help you support your child in this way.
Be an active listener
When your child shares their doubts, fears or hesitations, the important thing is not to offer them an immediate solution. Being present and attentive is often what they need most. Show genuine interest in what they are going through, but don’t impose ready-made advice or answers. It is essential to be open to their questions, without criticizing or moralizing.
Offer support without overprotecting
Caring support also means trusting the young person’s ability to make their own way. This means giving them the space to try, to make mistakes, to succeed... and to learn from it all. Avoid the trap of becoming a “helicopter parent” or “snowplow parent”—the one who gets ahead of everything or smooths out every obstacle.
A reassuring, structuring presence helps to guide without directing. For example, helping your child to plan ahead (such as setting up a schedule for open houses or admission periods) can help them develop independence. Providing a clear framework helps to build confidence, while enabling them to remain involved in planning their own path.
Take a step back
Accompanying your young person as they choose a career path can bring out different emotions in you: concern, stress, uncertainty, etc. To offer fair and caring support, it’s important to have the tools to recognize and welcome your own emotions, rather than ignoring them or reacting impulsively.
- Practice self-compassion so you can take a step back, observe how you feel, and choose how to step in again more calmly.
- Show openness, adopting a more flexible and thoughtful posture, to model adaptability for your child.
- Share your personal journey, including the places where you had to take detours and make adjustments, to help your child see that their doubts are normal.
What if the parent didn’t carry the whole load?
While parental support is essential, parents don’t have to take on everything alone. In a world where choices are numerous and sometimes complex, the help of a guidance counsellor can be an invaluable asset. These professionals offer a neutral, reassuring space to help your child get to know themselves better and clarify their options.
By surrounding themselves with the right people, teenagers can move forward with greater meaning, confidence and flexibility as they choose a direction. What counsellors can offer families today is personalized support for young people, clear and concrete information, and tools to reinforce their autonomy.
Whether you are a parent of a teenager or a family worker, there are a number of resources and services available to help you through this crucial stage.
Annie Morin
Career guidance counsellor
orientation-ado.ca
A new way to open the discussion on career guidance
Explore this colourful and fun infographic with your teen to introduce them to several technical college programs that lead to humane and rewarding careers in the health care field.
References
Academos. (2024). Rapport Gen Z 2024: comprendre les aspirations professionnelles des jeunes [Report]. Academos. https://academos.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Rapport-GenZ-2024-VF-3.pdf
Chaire de partenariat en recherche sur la parentalité et les pratiques éducatives (CPR-PPE). (n. d.). What parents need to help their teenagers with their educational and career choices. Université Laval. https://www.parents-education.chaire.ulaval.ca/en/research/parentsneed/
Cournoyer, L., & Lachance, L. (2018, March 26). L’Ado en mode décision: 7 profils pour comprendre et aider son choix de carrière. September publisher. ISBN 978‑2894715017
World Economic Forum. (2016). The future of jobs: Employment, skills and workforce strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs.pdf
1. Academos. (2024). Rapport Gen Z 2024: comprendre les aspirations professionnelles des jeunes [Report]. Academos. https://academos.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Rapport-GenZ-2024-VF-3.pdf
