Many students contact us every day for counselling and tell us that they struggle with their professional decisions because their parents do not allow them to pursue the education and profession of their choice. This problem spans across the country and many students feel pressured to pick a career they aren’t passionate about, because their parents want them to.
What to do in this situation? We will discuss this in this blog.
The first thing you must understand is that why your parents are insisting on a particular career. Your parents want the best for you, but sometimes they are not right about what really is the best for you. When it comes to children’s career decisions parents usually make their children pick the careers: that are trending, pay well, or are highly respected in the society. Here are some common fears in your parents mind which make them force you to chose a career of their choice,
1. Parents often push their kids towards popular jobs (like doctors or engineers) because they think it's the safest choice.
2. Parents worry that their child's chosen career might not be stable or successful.
3. They want their kids to pick professions with high job security, especially when things are uncertain economically.
4. The media can sometimes mislead parents about new and emerging careers, making them seem risky or unreliable.
So, when your parents ask you to pursue a career of their choice, they just want the best for you. However, as much as parents have a lot of experiences in their lives, you are living in a different time and age. So, it’s important that you make a wise and well-informed choice after convincing your parents.
How to Convince Your Parents?
In most situations parents force their children to pick the career of their choice because they think the children know less. And conflicts can easily arise if you try to aggressively confront your parents about this. Here is a guide to convince your parents for the career of your choice,
1. Calmly Research About Which Field You Want to Choose
Before you talk to your parents it’s important that you research the important things about the professional path you wish to take. Here is a list of things you should know,
1. What is the scope of the career of your choice?
2. Does it match with your Aptitude?
3. What education you need to pursue the career of your choice?
4. Is it easy or difficult to find a good job in the career of your choice?
5. How much do people in your chosen profession earn in average in the career of your choice?
6. How many years of experience you need to become a successful professional in your chosen field?
7. What kind of soft and hard skills do you need for the career of your choice?
8. Do you have, or can develop all these skills and expertise?
This research will help you understand your own choice as well. And you will have the most up to date knowledge about the careers you are interested in.
Must Read: How to Choose the Right Career?
2. Respectfully Ask Your Parents for an Important Discussion Regarding Your Career
After you have done this research, the next step is to ask your parents for a proper discussion. All you need to do is go to them, and say that you need to do a serious discussion with them about your career. You must make them feel included in this journey. So, as you ask for such a discussion acknowledge that they are the most important people in your life and you need their help, support, and prayers to succeed in your career.
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3. Understand Why Your Parents Want You to Choose a Certain Career
Once you sit with them, first ask them why they think that the career they are choosing is the best for you. You should try to understand what benefits they see for you in the chosen career. Remember, that you need to first attentively listen to what they have to say to convince them for your career
In this discussion you can weigh the benefits you can gain from the career of your own choice against the career of your parents’ choice. Who knows they really are right. And if that’s not the case you should think of why you don’t want to pursue the career of their choice.
4. Politely Explain Your Own Career Choice to Your Parents
After you have heard what your parents had to stay, strategically tell them about what you wish for yourself. Consider using the following points,
Start by telling them why you think you won’t be able to do well in the profession of their choosing. You can talk about how your innate abilities don’t match with the requirements of this profession, or how you have a different world view, or values that clash with this profession.
Then talk about the career alternative that you want to choose. Explain the career to them, and tell them how you can progress well in this field. Explain your parents how your own skills, abilities, and interests match your chosen field, and how you will use your own unique gifts to excel in your favorite career. Also tell them about the scope and average salary of your chosen field and give them your own plan to grow in it. This will make your parents understand that you are capable of making wise decisions for yourself.
End your discussion by saying that your career will impact the happiness and success of your life. And you feel like you will not be at peace if you chose a career that you feel isn’t a good fit for you and your future goals.
Hopefully, just a discussion will help your parents to understand that you have effectively researched about your career choice and you know what you are doing when you chose a profession for yourself.
Your parents love you and wish for the best for you! If you can gain their confidence by having a mature and respectful discussion, chances are that they will support your career choices.
Also Read: Are Pakistani Students Making the Right Career Choice?
Make Sure that You are Not Making the Same Mistakes as Your Parents!
Are you sure you are not repeating your parents mistake? Ask yourself why you are choosing the career you wish to pursue. Is it because you think it’s trendy, popular or pays high? Deciding a career is a very important step in life. Just like your parents don’t know fully about what is the best for you, you can also not be sure about what is the best career for you. For such an important life decision, you must talk to a professional career counselor before you chose your subjects for a degree or a start a job.
Proper Career Counselling and Aptitude Assessment by an expert counselor can scientifically determine the best career for you according to your personality, aptitude, and job market.
All the best for your career decisions! If you need any help in choosing the right career, you can contact us anytime.
Read More: How an Aptitude Test Can Help You Find the Right Career Path?
To book an appointment for Aptitude Assessment contact us at +92 333 5766716
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