Letting Go of Job Titles

As a parent of a Leaving Cert student, you’re likely already navigating the excitement, uncertainty, and pressure that comes with supporting your son or daughter plan their next steps. It’s tempting to focus on helping them choose a “career” – something stable and recognizable that leads to a secure future.

However, starting from the idea of a job title can feel really constrictive for them. For some, it’s like narrowing their potential paths way too soon and this creates a fear. 

A fear that they are limiting their options. 

A fear that they won’t like it, be bored.

 A fear that they may drop out of college or that job that they invested so much in. 

It’s a natural a tendency for us to name jobs and careers that we may know about. Or talk about careers that meet what we now want in our work-life, such as ‘a stable, steady job with good pension’, or ‘freedom and flexibility with work hours’. 

If we approach this process of supporting our children from a much broader perspective, a wealth of options can open up for their future. Paths that, may or may not align with traditional career fields or job titles but, are rooted in purpose, joy, and their unique characteristics.

So how can we as parents support our teenagers make college or career decisions?

Step 1: Exploring Impact

Instead of asking “What career do you want?” try starting with a question about impact:

“What change would you like to see in the world?”

It’s a powerful, purpose-driven question that opens up a bigger conversation. By shifting the focus to impact, you encourage them to think about the mark they’d like to leave on the world.

For many students, they will draw a blank when it comes to this question. In client consultations, I use physical cards to help students understand what the challenges are in the world and identify what matters most to them.

When they’re exploring “impact,” they’re looking beyond job titles to what genuinely excites and motivates them. This approach allows them to consider multiple ways of making a difference, even within fields they might not initially have considered.

For example, maybe your child has identified that they are most interested in helping others learn more and reach their potential. They are also passionate about technology but are not inspired by the idea of sitting at a desk, in front of a pc, and programming all day long.  They might realize that their interest lies in using technology to make education more engaging and fun.

Step 2: Discovering Essence

Every one of us has an “essence” – a core quality that drives what we’re naturally drawn to, what inspires us, and what activities feel fulfilling. For teenagers, identifying this essence can point them towards further learning and work options that are more aligned with who they are, not just what they can do.

For instance, perhaps your son or daughter has shown a love for solving complex problems. Their essence might revolve around creativity and curiosity. This doesn’t mean they’re limited to roles like engineering or data analysis. Maybe they’d feel equally at home in a career that combines problem-solving with a love of design, such as urban planning or user experience research.

One of my clients a few years ago, was really unsure about what she would do after the Leaving Certificate. We discussed her love of shopping and how she always gravitated towards cosmetic halls, more specifically perfume counters. She had already identified chemistry as a subject that drew her in a bit more than some of her other subjects, so we linked chemistry to perfumery, and she ultimately opted to pursue a degree in chemistry with an eye on moving into the perfumery industry.

Encourage students to identify the common threads in what they love. Look for the ‘connectors’. By focusing on their essence, teenagers can make career decisions that feel authentic and fulfilling for them. 

Step 3: Identifying Their Unique Talents

Each of us has strengths that feel so natural we don’t always recognize them as special. These strengths, aptitudes or talents, are what others see as unique or inspiring about us.  

Taking aptitude tests, interest profilers and identifying strengths can be a big step in helping teenagers understand themselves but sometimes they need someone else to help them identify how they can use and apply these in ways that are meaningful and satisfying for them.

As a parent, you may already have some ideas about their talents. Maybe you’ve noticed they’re a natural listener, or they’re great at organizing events. Encourage them to see these skills as potential building blocks for meaningful work. For example, if your child is a natural at connecting with people and putting them at ease, they might thrive in roles that involve relationship building or community engagement.

Sometimes, they might need independent career guidance to see these skills as valuable. They may view their talents as too “ordinary” or assume they’re not overly special. Encourage them to explore how they might use their unique gifts to help others and consider how these skills can be used in multiple ways. This doesn’t mean they have to choose a career solely focused on one skill, but it provides a starting point to be more curious about the world of work and education pathways.

By considering their unique talents, they may find a direction they hadn’t considered, seeing how their strengths could be used in many creative, unexpected ways.

Releasing the “Career” Label and Embracing a Path

Deciding what’s next, after the leaving certificate, is less about arriving at one specific, final destination – a defined “career” – and more about a continuous process of growth, exploration, and contribution.

When students feel pressured to choose a career from the start, it can limit their sense of possibility, focusing too much on immediate stability rather than long-term fulfilment.

By supporting teenagers in exploring impact, essence, and their unique talents, you’re helping them cultivate a sense of direction rooted in who they are and what they’re passionate about. They may still end up with a traditional career title, but the journey to get there will be fuelled by curiosity and purpose, which will keep them engaged and energised when times get tough.

Your role as a parent isn’t to direct them to a perfect career path but to help them see the potential in themselves and in the world. When they understand that their work doesn’t have to be a rigid “career,” they gain the freedom to explore, adapt, and grow.

So, take a step back from a ‘career’ or ‘job title’ and broaden the conversation to work that speaks to their heart. A fulfilling path awaits each and every student.

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