HoweEnterprise.com
May 17, 2021
What career paths can students take after high school? Hey Taylor: Any idea what kinds of careers a young adult might look into this day and age? Taylor I’ve been talkKovar ing with my son who just graduated high school about his plans for the future, and I feel like we’re both kind of stumped. - Taylor Hey Keith: First things first, there's nothing wrong with an 18year-old who doesn’t know exactly what they want from life! My plans have come a long way since I was in high school, and I think every part of the journey— the peaks and the valleys—have been equally important. There are a lot of growing job fields that may or may not interest your son. There’s always the option to change course later, but any one of the careers below could lead to a lot of happiness and success. Physician’s Assistant. Most people who want to be doctors know that from an early age. Your son might not want to go the med school route, but becoming a physician’s assistant requires much less schooling and still turns him into a licensed, wellpaid medical professional. He could make this the goal of his undergraduate studies and then change course at any point if he’s motivated to do so. Solar and Wind Technicians. If college doesn’t feel like the right choice right now, the renewable energy sectors are always hiring and training, and offering excellent pay. From fixing turbines to installing solar panels, someone can have a nice active job in a field that’s only going to expand in the coming years. Data Analyst. Every day our society moves more online, meaning
anyone who can help with data analytics continues to be a more employable member of society. These jobs almost always require at least a bachelor’s degree, but with the right focus you can land a good analyst position without dealing with the extra work and cost of getting a master’s. Gigs. Us parents like to look at long-term careers when helping our children, which is why I started this list with three specific options. However, a young adult trying to find his or her way might be just as well served by settling into the expansive gig economy and patching together a career quilt made of different part -time jobs. He can taxi people around, deliver food, perform odd jobs, write articles, design websites, tutor kids, buy and sell thrift items online, housekeeping, landscaping, etc. The list goes on almost indefinitely and makes a lot of sense for someone who’s not exactly sure what type of degree they want to get. With the job market coming back to life, opportunities are around every corner. I’d tell your son to start with an area of interest and then look for jobs or schooling programs within that field. Hope this helps! Legal Disclaimer: Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. To submit a question to be answered in this column, please send it via email to Question@GoFarWithKovar.com or via USPS to Taylor Kovar, 415 S 1st St, Suite 300, Lufkin, TX 75901.
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Living with children No small number of today’s parents view their children through psychological lenses, especially when it comes to misJohn behavior. InRosemond stead of regarding a given misbehavior as simply an error that needs to be corrected through the application of proper discipline, the parents in question interpret it. “What does it mean?” they ask and proceed to ascribe some psychological significance to it. In so doing, they transform verifiable concrete events into unverifiable abstract “issues.” This has happened because we mental health professionals tend to take our own theoretical (wholly speculative) meanderings too seriously. To paraphrase Rene’ Descartes, we think, therefore, we are correct. To today’s parents, understanding a child requires reading between the lines of his behavior, extracting the hidden layer of psychological meaning. Because parents are not qualified to perform this arcane procedure, they haul their children off to therapists, hoping to find out what’s “bothering” them. This tendency toward “psychological thinking” on the part of today’s parents was brought to mind by a mother who asked to speak with me concerning her seven-year-old son, whom she thought was depressed. “He’s negative about everything,” she said. “When I fix his breakfast, for example, he grumbles that my cooking stinks.” Now entertained, I asked her to elaborate. “No matter what, he doesn’t like
it,” she replied. “He hates the restaurants we choose, our neighborhood, his teachers, everything. He’s never happy or satisfied.” I told her she wasn’t describing depression but rather rude, selfcentered behavior – weeds that needed to be yanked unceremoniously from his behavioral garden and replaced with a patient planting of good manners and respect for others. I didn’t think he needed a therapist; rather, he needed some good old-fashioned discipline. I went on to give her some suggestions for the weeding I hoped would ensue. Before this mom can weed her child’s garden; however, she is going to have to weed her thought processes where his misbehavior is concerned. As it is, she looks at him through psychological filters that only mystify the reality of his behavior. In the end, she is confused, anxious, and guilt-ridden. She is, furthermore, unable to act with authority because she worries that anything she does might lower his self-esteem. If today’s parents would look at their children as behavior factories and themselves as quality control managers whose job is to eliminate unacceptable “product” before it reaches the public, a good number of mental health professionals might be weeded out of work. Family psychologist John Rosemond: johnrosemond.com, parent guru.com. John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of family psychology. In 1971, John earned his masters in psychology from Western Illinois University and was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.
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