How to Set Your Child Up for Career Success

One of the most beneficial ways to prepare your child for a successful career is to both encourage and introduce role models who empower them to pursue their passions. These mentors show children what’s possible in a tangible way — through example.

Mentors and role models are especially effective when it comes to influencing a child’s actions and behavior. Because children are born lacking social skills, much of their early learning is achieved through mimicry. Parents play a crucial role in this early development, but they don’t have to go at it alone. Instead, by identifying individuals who promote positive attributes, parents can introduce influential figures into the lives of their children to support constructive teaching at home.

Read below for three ways role models can help children discover the career of their dreams:

The Importance of Empowerment

Instead of simply hoping that their children will find stable employment, increasingly, parents dream that their kids will one day work in a field that provides them with meaning and fulfillment. To give kids the best chance at building this type of career, it is crucial to help them develop a sense of agency at an early age, so they will feel empowered to overcome challenges and setbacks. By instilling the belief that they can achieve their goals, role models have the ability to give children the confidence to explore topics that interest them.

Exploring Different Career Opportunities

Especially at an early age, children are only aware of what they are exposed to. Because traditional schooling typically introduces students to only a small number of career paths, a student might not pursue a type of work simply because they are unaware of the possibility. Parents can correct this problem by introducing role models who work in many different fields. Because no one person can represent the numerous dreams and aspirations that a child might have, it is important that parents introduce many different positive role models, and not commit to a one-size-fits-all solution.

Inspiring Minority and Underrepresented Children

According to pivotal research conducted in the early 2000s, students who had role models that matched their race and gender performed better in school, thought more about their futures, and listed more life goals that placed a focus on their education or future career. For children whose race and or gender might be underrepresented in a career field they are interested in, having a role model they can relate to can encourage them to dream big and pursue a career path they might have previously thought unavailable.

NIHF Champions STEM Role Models

To learn more about NIHF’s mission to inspire children by introducing them to some of the world’s greatest inventors, visit our website!