99. How to help your teen or adolescent stand out in a world of endless CAREER opportunities!

In this episode of the College and Career Ready podcast, I dive into a topic that’s close to my heart: how parents can best support their children as they transition from high school to college and beyond. I’ll talk about the power of self-discovery and why it’s so crucial for students to truly understand their strengths, values, and interests before taking that next big step. I also share my own career journey, including the twists and turns of my non-linear path, to show that there isn’t one “right” way to find success.

I’m excited to share that my next cohort of my signature Career Connections online course will be opening soon for registration. You can add yourself to the waitlist by going to www.CollegeCareerReady.org/course , The Career Connections course is designed to help students build meaningful career connections and set clear, actionable goals to thrive in today’s job market. They will learn my signature framework that will get them closer to defining a career major and ultimately a career path just for them! 

Throughout this episode, I’ll offer practical, actionable advice for parents on how to guide their children in developing self-awareness, planning their future with confidence, and making impactful connections that open doors they didn't even know existed. Whether your child is just starting to think about their career or is preparing to enter the workforce, this episode is filled with insights to help you support them every step of the way. So listen in and join us!

00:00 Introduction to College and Career Ready Podcast

00:47 Supporting Your Child's Academic and Career Journey

01:44 The Importance of Self-Discovery

03:21 Careers Are Not Linear

06:19 Understanding Gen Z's Mission-Based Approach

08:20 Helping Your Child Discover Their Unique Story

13:17 Building Real-World Connections

15:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Episodes mentioned: 66. Connect with your teen using their primary love language

80. The Network Generation: From Introverts to Influencers w/ Podcast Hosts of The BEN Show Podcast

97. From Campus to Career: Leverage Alumni Networks for College and Career Readiness

61. [Student Pep Talk] Craft a Strategic LinkedIn Presence for Ambitious Students w/ Jesse Undergrad Student at Howard University

Send us a text

 

DiscoverU Career and Leadership Empowerment is designed for women and moms just like you—navigating the challenges of career, family, and personal growth. Whether you’re re-entering the workforce, craving more purpose in your career, stepping into leadership, or simply ready to reclaim your time and energy, DiscoverU provides the tools, coaching, and support to help you rise with confidence. Visit www.CollegeCareerReady.org

Connect with Sonia Cacique
LinkedIn
Instagram

Join our College and Career Connections Club for free at www.CollegeCareerReady.org/join

Learn about our Career Connections Course: www.CollegeCareerReady.org/COURSE

"Stay well, be present, and enjoy the journey"

Episode Transcript

Sonia Intro (00:01):
Welcome to College and Career Ready, the only
podcast that helps studentstransition from high school to
college and college to theircareer.
My name is Sonia Cacique.
I'm a former educator, certifiedschool counselor, career coach,
and founder of Discover U.
Together, we will redefine whatit truly means to be college and

(00:23):
career ready.
And with our community, youdon't have to do this alone.
So come with me and let's getstarted.
Hello, hello everyone.
And welcome back to the collegeand get ready podcast.
As always, I'm your host, SoniaKasike, proud owner of discover

(00:45):
you college and career coaching.
Today, we are tackling a topicthat is very close to my heart
and likely yours too, as aparent.
How to support your child asthey prepare for the next big
steps in their academic andcareer journey.
If you caught my last episode,you heard me share my own career

(01:06):
story.
a journey that didn't follow astraight line.
But that's what led me to thework I love today.
If you haven't checked thatepisode, it's episode number 97,
so make sure you check it out.
My goal in sharing my own storywas to share that a career path,
especially nowadays, is hardlyever linear.

(01:27):
For today's high school andcollege students, this is
actually an exciting time withinthe history of our workforce.
with new careers emerging everyday, there are countless ways
for young people to exploretheir interests.
Strengths and values.
So if you're a parent, guardian,or mentor wondering how to help

(01:49):
your child find their path, thisepisode is for you.
we'll explore why the best wayfor your child to prepare for
the future is by knowingthemselves.
deeply and understanding theirunique value.
As you can imagine, and as youhave seen, our kids are going
fast pace, go, go, go.
And with social media, it's aclick, click, scroll, scroll,

(02:11):
scroll.
but I am going to share with youwhy there is such huge value in
stopping for a moment andreflecting.
Plus, I'm thrilled to share thatin January, I'll be launching my
Career Connections course.
If you're listening in realtime, this will be in January
2025.

(02:32):
I will be launching my nextcohort of the Career Connections
course.
this four week course will be aguided program to help students
Reflect, discover, explore,plan, and take action to start
building career connections thatwill prepare them for the
rapidly changing job market.

(02:53):
And this is especially importantfor our college bound students
who won't be looking for thatfirst career post college
graduation Until three to fouryears later from when they start
college.
If you are interested, you canlearn all about my signature
course at collegecareerready.
org forward slash course.

(03:13):
But let's jump right in, myfriend, and see how you can
start supporting your child onthis exciting journey.
The first thing I'm going totalk about today is that careers
are not linear and why this isgood news for your child.
As parents, many of us grew upwith the idea that success meant

(03:34):
picking a career and stickingwith it for life.
But the job market has changedtremendously.
Innovation, growth, and success.
new technology and evolvinginterests are creating fresh
opportunities every single day.
You may be wondering, does mychild need to have everything

(03:56):
figured out today?
Well, the answer thankfully isno, not necessarily, but it is
important that they start now tostart learning about themselves
and clearly identifying theirstrengths.
Interests, values, and eventheir weaknesses.
It's exciting that they don'thave to choose just one path.

(04:19):
Jobs that didn't exist a decadeago, like social media manager.
Data scientists or UX designerare in high demand today.
And by the time your childfinishes college and is ready to
enter the workforce, There willbe even more new fields opening
up.
This means that they have theflexibility to explore different

(04:41):
avenues and adapt along the waywith the workforce.
The most important thing theycan do right now is to know
themselves, what they're goodat, what excites them, and what
they truly value.
As I mentioned, my careerconnections course will be a
perfect space for them todiscover this.
It's designed to help studentsexplore their strengths, set

(05:05):
goals, and start buildingconnections, my friend,
professional connections, careerconnections to help guide them
into future careers.
even the ones that don't yetexist.
The key to success for yourchild is to know themselves.
So you may ask, Sonia, what doesit mean to know themselves in

(05:28):
the context of career andcollege readiness?
Well, simply put my friend, itmeans being deeply aware of
their own skills, strengths,interests, values, and even
weaknesses.
When we talk about competing inthe job market, the real edge
comes from understanding whatthey bring to the table that's

(05:49):
uniquely theirs.
Okay, here are some things youcan do today to help your child.
Take a minute to stop with yourchild and have them ask
themselves, What are they trulygood at?
Maybe Naming those specificactivities and projects they
really enjoyed while they werein high school, or if they're in

(06:11):
high school right now, or incollege.
What activities or subjectsbring them a sense of joy or
accomplishment?
Let me tell you, Gen Z's havebeen misrepresented and
mislabeled.
A lot of people will say, GenZ's are unmotivated, and you
know, they're lazy, And I evendislike saying that word because

(06:34):
that is not true.
You know what Gen Z's are?
They are what I call the missionbased generation.
They have to find purpose inwhat they're doing, or they just
won't do it at all.
That is where people mislabelthem.
Let me tell you, Gen C ers, ifyou help them identify something

(06:55):
that they're interested andpassionate about, Oh, they will
go all in.
And guess what?
When they are all in, the sky'sthe limit.
Because they will flourish andthey will excel personally,
career wise, and financially.
Ask your child, what do theyvalue most in their schoolwork?

(07:16):
Is it the creativity?
Maybe helping others?
and being serviceful or is itsolving complex problems?
If they are unsure about some ofthese answers, don't worry.
Self discovery is a journey.
And if you don't believe me,check out episode number 80 when
I talk to two Young students whohave discovered a mission and a

(07:39):
passion and it all developedfrom connections.
That is episode number 80, thenetwork generation from
introverts to influencers withpodcast hosts of the Ben show
podcast.
And if you as a parent arestruggling to connect with your
child to even start thatconversation, we also have
episode number 66, Connect withyour teen using their primary

(08:01):
love language.
I will make sure to have thesetwo episodes on our show notes.
So the key is to start askingthe right questions and paying
attention to the things thatenergize and inspire them.
Just sit back and watch them.
There is so much you candiscover.
Within your child, when youreally start reflecting on their

(08:24):
growth ever since they werelittle as they started growing
up, and unfortunately, as theystarted hearing other people
telling them what they should doas a career path.
So sit back and reflect withyour own child.
When they are clear about theirstrengths and what drives them,
they will have the confidence tostart making the career
connections that really matterto help them find their ideal

(08:47):
career path.
One of the best things yourchild can do right now is to
develop a deep understanding ofthemselves.
This goes beyond what they wantto do and digs into who they
truly are.
Self awareness is truly afoundation for career success
and it helps young people standout as they move forward.

(09:10):
Let me tell you, they will standout in college admissions,
interviews, college admissionessays, their first interview,
because guess what?
Not many of our young childrentoday are really stopping and
reflecting on who they trulyare.
So when your child comes infront of an interviewer and

(09:30):
clearly defines who they are,their strengths, their passions,
their interests, that will besomething that stands out
amongst all other applicants.
I promise you that.
Now, This is where owning theirstory is important.
It's a standout factor.
Here's something incrediblyimportant that we sometimes

(09:50):
overlook in today's competitivelandscape.
Their story is powerful.
Each of us has experiences,challenges, and passions that
make us unique.
Maybe your child has a passionthat's a little outside the box
or has overcome an experiencethat shaped their perspective.
Embracing and sharing theirstory is one of the most
effective ways to stand out incollege application or job

(10:13):
interviews.
When students apply to collegeor internships, it's about more
than just achievement on paper.
And unfortunately, that is whatsociety has made us believe.
Just Google college admissionsexams or college admissions
requirements, and you're goingto have tons of pages talking
about SAT scores and class rankand class standing.

(10:37):
But guess what?
Your child can succeed in anycollege.
Of course, I want them to go tothe best college possible But if
they maximize the collegeexperience, they can excel.
If they make the right careerconnections, they will excel.
I can promise you that.

(10:58):
So it's very important that yes,I understand that in order to
get into college, they need allthese.
Numbers and GPA and standings.
I get it.
We cannot change that part ofthe system, but what we can
change is that once they get theminimum college admission
requirements, now we needsomething unique of theirs that

(11:20):
will help them stand out.
Or even if their personalprofile doesn't really match.
the median entry collegeapplicants profile, but if they
have something different andunique, That will get them to
stand out and possibly even goto colleges that they thought
they would not be consideredfor.

(11:41):
Admissions officers andemployers want to understand
what motivates them, whatchallenges they've overcome and
what unique qualities theybring.
Because let me tell you, you canhave the highest GPA.
Maybe you went to school that itwas just easier.
But if your child did not learnthe study techniques, the time

(12:01):
management skills, the studyskills, they will not succeed in
college.
And unfortunately, the averagedropout rate within the first
year is 1 4th.
That means one out of every fourstudents will drop out within
their first year in college.
And so in order for us asparents, as educators, as

(12:24):
community leaders, we have toteach our students how to use
the their time managementskills, study skills, and
independence as they're growingthrough high school.
So again, going back to theirpersonal story, it is important
for them to deep dive into whothey are, what they've overcome,
and how they can be successfulin the college that they're

(12:46):
applying for.
By helping your child discoverand own their story, you're
setting them up for success.
That is the perfect time forthem to share their story in a
way that feels authentic andimpactful.
In my career connections course,we'll work on ways to
communicate who they are andwhat they're bringing to the
table, whether through apersonal statement, an essay, or

(13:09):
an interview, this ability toconfidently share their story
will help them createconnections and seize new
opportunities.
All right, so how can they buildreal world connections and how
to take action?
Well, as we prepare students forrapidly changing job market,
Self awareness alone isn'tenough.
They need to know how to takeaction.

(13:30):
Once your child has a clear ideaof who they are, it's time to
explore real career paths andstart building connections.
in January, my CareerConnections course will guide
students through this essentialstep by step process.
It will allow them to stop,reflect on their values,

(13:51):
strengths, and goals, discovertheir strengths, and learn to
articulate them.
they will learn how to exploreand research different fields
that interest them and alignwith their talents.
And last but not least, we wrapup the course with planning and
taking action by setting goals,creating a roadmap, and making

(14:12):
their first professionalconnection.
This course includes practicaltools like creating their
LinkedIn profiles, networking,preparing for interviews, and
setting SMART goals that theycan work towards over time.
And if you don't believe justyet on the power of LinkedIn,
Check out episode number 87, howstudents can build connections

(14:35):
using LinkedIn from college to acareer in sports with one of my
students, That is episode number87 and I will make sure to have
that in the show notes.
In episode number 61, crafting astrategic LinkedIn presence for
ambitious students with Jesse,an undergrad student at Howard
University.

(14:55):
So you have plenty of resourcesto look into and to understand
the value of a LinkedIn profile.
But don't worry, I will walkyour child step by step on how
to create their LinkedIn profilewhen they attend my Career
Connections Signature Course inJanuary.
So make sure you hop on thewaitlist so you are alerted as

(15:16):
soon as the registration begins.
You can sign up going to collegecareer ready dot o r g forward
slash course By the end of thecourse your child will leave
with a clear sense of directionThe tools they need to take
their first steps and theconfidence to build a career
that feels meaningful to themAnd last but not least, I want

(15:39):
you to support your child in achanging world.
As parents, you want it to bethe best for your child, and
it's natural to feel someuncertainty in today's rapidly
changing world.
But remember, their future isn'tlimited by any one decision.
It's shaped by who they trulyare, and the experiences and

(16:00):
connections they build along theway.
I hope you can use some of thesetips and strategies to start
having meaningful conversationswith your adolescent or young
adult about themselves.
Remember, they can discover thecareer opportunities of tomorrow
through the career connectionsthey make today.
If you are interested inlearning how my signature Career

(16:21):
Connections course can helpstudents plan, take action, and
make informed choices that alignwith their unique strengths and
passions, then head on over tocollegecareerready.
org forward slash course.
The world is evolving andhelping them embrace their
unique story and connect withopportunities.
You're setting them up for along term success in careers and

(16:42):
careers.
them.
Thank you for joining me todayon the college and career ready
podcast.
If you're interested in learningmore about the career
connections course, starting inJanuary, then check out my
website or send me a directemail to info at college career
ready.
org.
We can hop on a quick 15 minutecall and answer any questions

(17:03):
that you may have.
The career connections course isthe perfect opportunity for your
child to start discoveringwhat's next.
and taking steps towards theirfuture.
Encourage them to explore,reflect, and connect, my friend.
And if you enjoyed this episode,please share it with another
parent or friend.
Next week, I will be sharing mylast episode of this season,

(17:24):
episode number 100, where I willshare with you everything I
learned from my journey ofpodcasting, what I learned in
the process, And how that hashelped me shape who I am today.
Until next time, my friends staywell, be present and enjoy the
journey.
Thank you for listening in.
If you enjoyed this episode, itwould mean so much to me if you

(17:47):
share it with a friend, acolleague, or your own
community.
If you share it on social mediaand tag me, I'll make sure to
personally thank you.
My two favorite places to hangout are Instagram and LinkedIn.
Check out our show notes for adirect link.
I'm so thankful for each andevery one of you.
And as always stay well, bepresent and enjoy the journey.

(18:08):
I'll talk to you next week.
Adios.