your teen doesn't need a career plan...

But They Do Need a Career Exploration Plan.

At some point, usually around junior year of high school, someone will ask your teenager the question that sounds perfectly reasonable… but is actually a little ridiculous:

“So…what do you want to do with your life?”

No pressure. Just explain your entire future, please. 

The truth is, most teenagers are not remotely qualified to answer that question. And they shouldn't be. They haven't had enough experiences, met enough people, seen enough workplaces, or learned enough about the possibilities to know what they want to do for the next several decades.

That doesn't mean they should ignore the question, however. It means we should ask a better one. 

So,  I ask: What are you curious enough about to explore?

That's where career exploration comes in. I'm not suggesting that every 16-year-old needs a five-year career plan, a LinkedIn profile, and a carefully constructed explanation of how their summer internship at a nonprofit changed the trajectory of their life.

They don’t. 

Your teenager needs something much more useful: exposure. Exposure to careers they have never heard of. People whose jobs look nothing like the jobs their parents or neighbors have. Workplaces. Conversations. Job shadows. Part-time jobs. Volunteer experiences. Classes that aren't chosen because they “look good” on a college application.

Start paying attention to what your teen naturally gravitates toward.

Do they love solving problems? Building things? Writing? Organizing? Persuading? Caring for people? Understanding how things work? Working with numbers? Creating something from nothing?

Those interests are clues. They aren't a career decision. That's an important distinction.

We sometimes treat career exploration as though its purpose is to help a teenager pick a profession and stick with it. I think the opposite is true. The purpose of exploration is to gather information. Maybe your teen discovers that architecture sounds fascinating—until they spend an afternoon talking to an architect and realize they don't actually want to spend their days doing that work. Good. That's not wasted time. That's one career crossed off the list without paying $40,000 in tuition to find out.

The same is true of college. Instead of starting with “Where can my teen get in?”, I'd love to see more families begin with: “What does my teen want to explore, and which colleges will give them the opportunity to do it well?”

That's a very different way to build a college list.

Your teenager does not need to know exactly where they are going. But they should be learning how to figure out where they might want to go. And that is a skill worth taking to college—and into adulthood.

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About the Author

Amy Trinnaman is the founder of Amy Trinnaman Educational Consulting, LLC, where she provides personalized guidance to students and families navigating the complexities of college and boarding school admissions. With over 20 years of experience in education, Amy is dedicated to demystifying the admissions process and alleviating stress for her clients. She focuses on crafting tailored strategies that help students discover their strengths, set achievable goals, and present authentic, compelling applications. Amy's commitment is to connect students with educational opportunities that align with their academic aspirations and personal growth.