How to Tell Your Parents You Don't Want to Follow in Their Footsteps
Define your passions., Develop your career plan., Organize your thoughts., Practice the conversation.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Define your passions.
If you make money your top priority, you are likely to end up in a career that you hate.
Instead, you should focus on doing things that interest you personally.
If you can start these things as a career right away, that’s great.
If not, make time for hobbies or volunteering to find things that fulfill you.Some common themes that people seek in their careers are the ability to be creative, the power to set their own schedule, financial stability, etc. -
Step 2: Develop your career plan.
Once you find things that you enjoy doing, you can start thinking about how they can be utilized in a career.
You can start by typing in an online search, or going to local businesses that you think could use your skills.
It is important to seek careers that utilize your unique talents, as this will set you apart from others and fuel your drive and passion.For example, if you love to write, but are not interested in writing novels, you could explore companies that need writers.
You can write content for web pages, advertisements, and a whole range of applications if you make it a priority to find those jobs.
Part of this plan should be planning for setbacks.
If you anticipate your parents will be upset by your choice to follow a different path, their disapproval may cause certain complications.
For instance, they may decide not to fund your college tuition if you choose to become a writer instead of taking over the family business as they had hoped.
Figure out how you would handle these setbacks by looking into scholarships and student loans, etc.
You can learn a lot about any field by reading literature in your chosen field and by studying the most successful individuals in that field.
You can start by reading biographies, or taking an internship under a respected professional in the field., You know why you want to choose this career, but your parents may not.
Use any extra materials you can find to make your point.
You can get handouts detailing your career.
Make sure that you include salary ranges, employability, and benefits that come with your chosen career.
Use this information to figure out the main points of your conversation and to make an outline.
You can take the outline with you to the conversation, or just practice it beforehand., This conversation can often be hard to have.
Beyond getting your thoughts organized, it can be a good idea to practice the conversation with a friend or another relative.
You could also write down any important points that you want to make, especially if they are hard to bring up. -
Step 3: Organize your thoughts.
-
Step 4: Practice the conversation.
Detailed Guide
If you make money your top priority, you are likely to end up in a career that you hate.
Instead, you should focus on doing things that interest you personally.
If you can start these things as a career right away, that’s great.
If not, make time for hobbies or volunteering to find things that fulfill you.Some common themes that people seek in their careers are the ability to be creative, the power to set their own schedule, financial stability, etc.
Once you find things that you enjoy doing, you can start thinking about how they can be utilized in a career.
You can start by typing in an online search, or going to local businesses that you think could use your skills.
It is important to seek careers that utilize your unique talents, as this will set you apart from others and fuel your drive and passion.For example, if you love to write, but are not interested in writing novels, you could explore companies that need writers.
You can write content for web pages, advertisements, and a whole range of applications if you make it a priority to find those jobs.
Part of this plan should be planning for setbacks.
If you anticipate your parents will be upset by your choice to follow a different path, their disapproval may cause certain complications.
For instance, they may decide not to fund your college tuition if you choose to become a writer instead of taking over the family business as they had hoped.
Figure out how you would handle these setbacks by looking into scholarships and student loans, etc.
You can learn a lot about any field by reading literature in your chosen field and by studying the most successful individuals in that field.
You can start by reading biographies, or taking an internship under a respected professional in the field., You know why you want to choose this career, but your parents may not.
Use any extra materials you can find to make your point.
You can get handouts detailing your career.
Make sure that you include salary ranges, employability, and benefits that come with your chosen career.
Use this information to figure out the main points of your conversation and to make an outline.
You can take the outline with you to the conversation, or just practice it beforehand., This conversation can often be hard to have.
Beyond getting your thoughts organized, it can be a good idea to practice the conversation with a friend or another relative.
You could also write down any important points that you want to make, especially if they are hard to bring up.
About the Author
Patricia Davis
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: