It is time for parents to upgrade themselves and transform into career gurus for their children, says Praveen Parameswar

The current outbreak has created a state of uncertainty across the globe and has been seen impacting various sectors as well as career paths. The future of careers is undetermined, as even the top-notch analysts fail to predict it right. Buzz words such as Genome Technology, Neurobiology, Drones, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Big data, Internet of Things, Astrophysics and similar areas of research are revolutionising the world of career.

In this scenario, the children in their teenage would not be able to analyse the changes around the world or understand the trends in education, take right decisions related to career and navigate to the most appropriate future all by themselves. They need external help which should ideally be learned support from parents.

The popular notion of “their career, their life; let them decide, do not interfere” does not work well with a lot of students and might even be tagged as a redundant thought in the 21st century. Instead, the modern times demand every parent to incarnate as newage career gurus, who get self-ready to make children ready for the future. This is the time to upgrade themselves and transform into career gurus from ordinary parents.

Here is how the guardians can upgrade themselves smoothly and guide their children to select the right future.

Learn about various career options, courses and universities

Parents should learn about the changes happening around the world of career. They should focus on being aware of the diverse opportunities that lie ahead of students, including professions such as blockchain experts, digital marketing professionals and microbiologists. The point is to achieve clarity about the different courses; right from being an oceanographer to finding the best universities to study public health management. This would help parents holding a meaningful conversation with children about their education and career. Once they start educating themselves about different streams and careers, their child will start listening to them mindfully.

Use scientific tools to discover the true potential of children and map them to suitable careers

Every career path is teeming with new opportunities and sectors are swarming with cut-throat competition, so it is imperative to understand the obstacles that lie for the students in the near future and address them. Although people are competing with human-colleagues at the moment, however, in the next 10 years, they might even have to organise rallies to ensure reservations for human beings in jobs. The next-generation children may have to compete with robots and machines to get employed. Only if the right people reach the right place, children can perform well in this competitive world. Accidental success or ‘any person doing any job’ scenario would not be the best solution or continue for long. Instead, the need of the hour demands parents to use scientific tools to understand the strengths, competencies and aptitude of children and guide them with the careers accordingly.

Interact with senior experts in various industries

In the past, people often used to take children to meet veterans from various walks of life and make them listen to the experiences of their elders. Today, it is important to get back to similar roots but with a fresher perspective and productive approach. It’s not about taking the child to the seniors, but instead, the parents should connect with acclaimed mentors to understand the pulse of the changes scenarios worldwide so that they can guide their children aptly. This will help them become aware of the diversity of professions and thus enable them to mentor kids better.

The new world is no more about passive parenting, but active involvement in the education and career decisions of children. This is fundamentally different from parents imposing their dreams on children. Instead of being a parent that imposes their thoughts on the child, this approach helps them in becoming the most trusted advisors of their children. This will further make students look up to their guardians and seek their guidance.

It is time for parents to question themselves and ask if they’re capable of providing the right kind of support to their children. This will further help them evolve into super parents and mentor their children rightly.

The writer is Chief Executive Officer, Lifology