This is my first post, but I’ve been lurking ever since my youngest DD started applying to colleges. She’s now a very happy sophomore at a small East Coast LAC, studying chemistry and English. H and I couldn’t be prouder, but the mama bear in me is worried as she has been stressing over career planning a lot lately.
DD has always been a very strong student and enjoys science. She’s been encouraged by many people to pursue medical school, but doesn’t feel led in that direction as she would like to have a job with better work-life balance. She’s thought about pharmacy and dentistry. One path that she does feel quite drawn to is education-- being a high school chemistry or biology teacher. She works as a math tutor and just loves it.
I will admit that I would prefer for DD not to become a teacher-- not because of salary or prestige, but because we have many relatives who are teachers and are frustrated with their jobs. The burnout rate for new teachers is scary. DD herself is uncertain and doesn’t really know how to go about narrowing down options, as she has spent time shadowing different professionals and can see herself pursuing lots of paths.
For those of you who have “launched” kids already, how can I help support her as she goes through this exciting but scary time? What advice did you give your children? I know everything will work out in the end, but it’s so bewildering in the meantime!
Summer jobs and internships can be invaluable in figuring out what you like vs what you don’t. I had friends who taught in private schools for a few years (where you don’t need credentials often). Some loved it, some decided to get their PhDs and teach in college. And some decided teaching wasn’t the way to go.
I’ve known people with her interests go into science writing for popular journals. One of DH’s graduated PhD students is doing something where she writes papers for pharmaceutical companies. I also know people who have left science research for patent law which apparently pays quite well.
She should also take advantage of the opportunity to do informational interviews with alumni from her college who are working in the fields she is interested in. I assume she already knows several high school math and science teachers whom she can talk to. But there are surely alums who are doing dentistry or working in pharma - or other fields that might potentially be of interest. There are also many jobs in healthcare that offer good work/life balance and don’t require an MD - in research (lab mgr, epidemiology, biostatistics), in policy (analysts, lobbyists), in management (healthcare institutions). And that doesn’t include all highly skilled people who work with doctors - therapists, PAs, caregivers of all sorts…all of whom require a strong background in the sciences.
It’s a big world and ‘teacher’ is one of choices that students often make because it’s the only other occupation they know well besides doctors and nurses - unless they have someone in their family who is in one of these other occupations. Hence the value of those informational interviews to widen their horizons.
I have a freshman and I am not focusing on a career path right now (maybe I am just tired?). I told her to take classes that she likes, take advantage of opportunities, and it will all fall into place. She also loves the sciences. I also have an older kid and she seems to be figuring it out.
I would not automatically write off medical school. A member of my extended family is an ER doctor who was able to work part time while raising her kids. One of the pediatricians in the practice we used was also part time. Obviously some specialties don’t lend themselves to flexible hours, but some do.
What I tell my kids is they need to be self supporting, and their first career doesn’t need to be their last career. OP’s daughter can start out as a teacher. She may love it or she may get frustrated. If it doesn’t turn out as expected, she’ll have other options. The skills she learns from teaching are very transferrable to corporate world, and she could certainly go to graduate school later to become a doctor, pharmacist or CEO of a company.
I agree with mathmom that internships and summer jobs are good ways for her to figure out what she likes and doesn’t like. D1 is 4 years into her first job and she is wondering if she should continue. D2 thought she wanted to go into corporate law, but after 2 summer internships in public services, she is considering law in the public sector. D2 and I have had few discussions on her potential earnings in the public sector, so she is factoring it in how much loans she should take out for law school. This is one thing to consider if your kid wants to go into lower earning career, graduating with large student loans would eliminate a lot of options for them.
This young lady should spend a part of her holiday break shadowing a HS science teacher. Then maybe do the same during her spring break. And I don’t mean one day…I mean several days in a row.
It is important to see what educators do in their work day before deciding if that is a career choice. To be honest, what students see their teachers doing in class is the tip of the iceberg!
Agree with Oldfort. The first job does not necessarily need to be a lifetime career. It doesn’t. Many college grads pursue careers that have little to do,with their actual college major. And according to experts in futuristics, the current generation will switch careers 4-5 times in their lifetimes…or more.
I think it is a bit early, too. Most of all she should not feel she has to have it all figured out by the time she graduates. I think it is helpful for our kids to know that some 'wise wandering" is helpful and okay, that life happens in zigs and zags, that decisions are not irrevocable, and that often a variety of experiences with work will go into a pot with an eventual successful niche. It can take time. From an early age they hear about career choice, as if you choose one and go with it, and it just doesn’t always work like that. A corollary seems to be some level of support from parents at first, if tolerated, or some time living at home (I read 82% of college grads do this, read “The Boomerang Generation”).
That said, volunteering and interning can be invaluable. She can also consider Teach for America after graduation.
In the medical field, nursing is often a choice for kids who have already done a BA or BS. I can think of 4 young people that I know personally, off the bat, who have gone that route. Physician’s assistants are highly paid and function like nurse practitioners: a great newish field. I know when I go to my doc I see a PA or NP and am really happy with their care.
So much pressure on kids these days, but the job market is so much better than is was during the recession
Thanks for all the input! I agree that her first career will probably not be her last career, and there’s plenty of time yet to be thinking about options. She is a planner and likes to have things “figured out” WAY in advance… especially with regard to prerequisites for various professional schools, etc.
@N’s Mom, she has done some informational interviews with family friends in various fields related to science. I think she has some of the “head knowledge” of pros and cons for different careers but is struggling to figure out her own priorities. Hard to know exactly what you’re looking for in a career if you’ve never had one!
Thanks again for all the comments-- you are all so thoughtful and gracious!
Mom- it is her life and her decision. You do not “let” her do anything, you can merely provide roadblocks when she expresses interest in something. You can be thankful she is already considering what to do with her love of chemistry. Now is the time for her to figure out if she should be taking the required courses to become a teacher- an education major includes many courses other do not take. I presume her college offers student teaching and other licensure prerequisites (I was shocked to find out from a friend that Emory offers the major but not the courses leading to credentials) . She may also be figuring out which other subjects she should become proficient at for being a HS science teacher. btw- sciences tend to be one of the needed positions in HS’s so job prospects will be good. Kudos to her for already eliminating some professions and the thoughts of grad school in Chemistry or English.
We could not tell our son what to do- strong willed et al. Surprised by his practical streak which became a second major and job field he enjoys and finds intellectually stimulating. We’ll see what he is doing by the time he turns 30.
Your D likely will find her path- fits with being an organized chemistry major (I was one who then did medicine). Happy to hear she embraces English as well- multifaceted. All you can do is keep posted and watch her life unfold. Part of the letting go process. Good that she is thinking ahead to the real world instead of “what do I do now” come graduation. Sounds like she is indulging in getting an education plus being practical about life after college. Refreshing after hearing about too many students who are job focused from day one instead of learning about a subject because they want the knowledge.
I would not suggest being a PA unless the person truly wanted to work in medicine. It sounds like this student has considered medical fields and decided they are not for her. So many people assume anyone majoring in a science has premed, predentistry, pre any other health care field as their desired goal. It sounds like this person likes chemistry well enough to major in it without wanting to be a chemist either and so is looking at other careers that utilize this interest.
Remember that teaching is a vast field- ranging from kindergarten-preK to HS students in age and development plus art to science as fields of interest for the older grades. A very diverse occupation title. And, every job has its pros and cons. Autonomy is one- a reason most who may not get accepted to medical school will not choose being a PA (and nursing is an entirely different field as well).
@wis75 You’re so right. My D is pretty strong willed as well (I wanted her to go to an in-state U, H wanted her to go to his alma mater, and she tossed both suggestions LOL.) But she is very organized and practical so I trust her judgment… just want to lend some perspective/advice if I can.
Her college does not have an education major or a licensure program, so she would likely have to take some additional classes after graduation or work out the certification another way. It’s squishy because the requirements vary by state and she’s not sure if she wants to move back to our home state after graduation. The good thing is she will come out of college with savings rather than student loans so won’t have a financial axe hanging over her head.
But again this is a ways in the future and she may discover another path in the meantime.
Big warning to her. An education major without the required methods et al classes or student teaching is useless for teaching job flexibility- especially at more desirable places (going the route of private schools not requiring licensure is not usually a viable long term solution). It likely would be hard to find a college willing to take her for just those courses- some places limit teaching majors because of the limited resources in student teaching places. I do not understand colleges offering teaching majors when they can’t offer the classes needed to get licensure.
Perhaps this school was good for her first two years but she needs to transfer to be able to include teaching as her major. Chemistry most often requires more than a bachelor’s degree - don’t know how well she would be prepared for that at her college. As long as she is looking to the future she might consider how her school meets her goals. A wonderful introduction to college life but perhaps lacking in meeting her now refined goals. She could get the best of both worlds- the wonderful time at her present school plus the academics she needs to pursue her goals at a different place. The final two years are more about the major than experiencing the critical thinking of the intro courses. She may be diverging from the paths of her current social group with her goals as well.
So- career advice would be along the lines of where to get her degree and not just in which major. Nothing wrong with getting the best of both worlds- some years developing in her chosen environment plus practical considerations for her career. And no I-told-you-so from parents about her choice of college, either. By all means she should not limit her career choices to those available at her school. Better to do five years of undergrad because of a transfer than to miss out on a lifetime of doing what works best for her.
She could get a masters degree in secondary education.
She could try to get a teaching job in a private school. Those do not require state certification.
She could apply to Teach for America for when she graduates. She would receive some "teacher training" and then be placed in a teaching position. Again...no certification needed. It's a two year commitment. The mission of TFA is to train leaders, not specifically teachers. But if she liked teaching in TFA, she could continue. I believe the program also provides a stipend for masters work which can be done while a TFA teacher.
Your D might want to look at schools that specialize in STEM education-they exist from the elementary grades on up. Some are non-traditional project-based schools where the teachers are given quite a bit of latitude, and who are people who either considered or did go into traditional STEM fields before going into teaching. There is a foundation in the greater Seattle area that runs teachers’ institutes in the summers and partners with schools in other areas to help “grow” such teachers. I can PM you the information if your D would be interested.
My D is at such a school and the teachers are very involved and some have even cried when they’ve had to move for a spouse or promotion of their own. Some come back year after year to see their former students at graduations. Not all teachers are unhappy and quit early on. Many of these teachers began their teaching careers here.
While your D would need to decide where she wants to teach and live and look at certification there, some states have reciprocity agreements with others (I believe VA does with 45 others states, for example).
Just some options for your D-another would be to start teaching at one level and move up. My niece began as a middle school math and language teacher, moved up to HS and now teaches in the community college system as well. She too was a high achiever at a small LAC East Coast college which offered her many options in other careers, but she has never regretted going into teaching. She got her undergrad in teaching, but has since added 2 Master’s. She has been at it for 10 years now. Good luck to your D.
My D is a chemistry major, and we were nervous about job opportunities in that field, but it is her passion and we are so glad she is pursuing it. She entered college not knowing what she would do with a chemistry degree. She is doing research with one of her chemistry professors, and enjoyed her food science internship this past summer.
Food Science is a broad field that has several job opportunities for chemistry majors. We thought a grad degree in Food Science would be required, but she was offered an entry level job in management with her internship company.
Tutoring and/or teaching homeschool students is her fall back option for later in life if she needs to scale back her work to get a balance with family. She is not keen on a traditional teaching position, but is good at explaining difficult concepts in an easy to understand manner, so we think tutoring would be a good fit for her.
My D is in a similar boat at a LAC. There are many allied medical fields with a good work-life balance such as occupational therapist, physical therapist, physicians assistant, speech therapist. My D is in the process of shadowing some people in these fields to see which.if any she might want to pursue.
