Don't equate college admission with the end of the world. Expert advice for teens and parents.

Contents:

• What to do if you didn't get in
• How to make the most of your "lost" year
• What to do if you are disappointed after admission.
• Disagreements with parents in choosing a profession. How to find a common language.
• Stereotypes and limitations when choosing a favorite business.
• In-demand professions today. Expert's Forecast
  

Katya, let's start with the simple. What should you do if you didn't get in?

If a teenager didn't get in after the 9th grade, then returning to school is the most logical option. But it could be different. I had a client who started taking a year-long graphic design course while in the 11th grade. And it wasn't my tip. She didn't want to study at a university using outdated programs, but wanted to start earning money right after school. And eventually, enroll in a university majoring in business to open your own design studio in the future.

What if we're talking about 11th grade?

Here it's a little different. If a teenager doesn't get in, they can go to work. As a waiter, a courier. Or they can prepare for admission next year or master another profession in the meantime. Today, you can build a slash career, choosing several directions at once. Perhaps a teenager will have doubts about whether they even enrolled in the right one. And this theory can be tested with a short distance course. I often recommend this to parents. After all, children can choose a profession based on the recommendation of their parents or according to societal stereotypes. And this year is a great opportunity to check the correctness of your choice and adjust your educational track for the new admission.

Okay, you can master a new profession in a year, but what if your parents can't afford the course?

School graduates are practically adults now. You can get a part-time job and pay for the course yourself. Or look for free programs at universities. You can take the same three-month course on targeting, and it definitely won't be expensive. And start earning money as a targetologist, gradually expanding your knowledge. Either in this profession or another. For example, you can then enroll in marketing. After all, targeting is a piece of marketing. You can even work in the Skillbox sales department, and after a probationary period, you'll have access to any training on the platform.

You can go to a consultation with a career expert to help you choose options. After all, it often seems like there are none. Or ask your loved ones for help. Look among your friends. Surely, your parents will have HR specialists at work who can help. As soon as you expand the circle of those who are in the know, you will definitely find alternative options.

How can a teenager support themselves if they were unable to get in?

I would advise both parents and children to support themselves even at the admissions stage. There is no need to equate admission to the end of the world from the start. Otherwise, it will be even more difficult to sort out later. There is no need to keep either yourself or your children under such stress. Understandably, this is a new stage in life, which is scary, but life does not end there. What will these experiences give you? If you worry more, will you definitely enroll?

What if the teenager got into the wrong place?

There are several possible options. And first, it's worth understanding how much the current curriculum differs from the specialty the teenager would like to study. I had a similar story. I applied to BSU to become a psychologist, but I was one point short of the budget. So, I went for a different specialty - "specialist in social work, psychologist." I assessed the situation. For me, it was critical to study at BSU. In terms of the program, I had more social work, not psychology. But I appreciated that they also had a lot of hours in psychology, and that I could benefit from it. And I appreciated that social work is also cool.

Not long ago, I had a client who was applying to a Czech university. He wanted to enroll in marketing, but it didn’t work out, and he enrolled in sociology. In practice, this specialty is more difficult to apply. But it has many economic and social disciplines that are great for marketing. And we found an option where he could “gain” knowledge in marketing. He did this already in his second year, and in his third year he went to do an internship in marketing.

So, the wrong university is not a death sentence?

You can find advantages for yourself, yes. For example, the university itself is great. Great classmates, or you enjoy studying. And the program is not so bad, and studying can be easy. You can always gain knowledge, even for free. No need to panic right away.

Make an effort, spend time improving what you lacked. If you didn’t get into the place you wanted. My friend got into the Institute of Foreign Languages ​​on the fourth try, and her classmate on the seventh. It was quite a long time ago, and they didn’t have the opportunity to study on a paid basis, they worked. There was no talk of any additional education in Belarus then.

You spent money on tutors or your child is studying on a paid basis. But your child doesn’t like what he or she is doing. What should you do?

Okay, you spent the money on tutors. But that's not bad either, it's knowledge. Pay for the education. It's a waste of money, yes. But imagine that you have to pay for another five years. Calculate that amount. Maybe the child will make an effort and get into a state-funded program next time? Because that's where they want to study.

Imagine you spend a crazy amount of money, and then the child puts that diploma on the shelf. For what? Imagine that every day your child comes home unhappy, and tells you about it for the next five years. And who will be the one to blame in the end? You forced me, and now I'm unhappy. Are parents ready to take on psychological responsibilities? Why? For what? What then?

Let's delve deeper into the topic of disagreements with parents. The child does not want to go to university, the parents insist that it is mandatory. What to do?

Who is mandatory? I would advise you to simply Google it. You will be surprised how many options there are besides university. What is often the motivation of parents? To have bread and butter. They want their child to have stability and money. And they are afraid that the child will be out of work in the future. You can Google how much plumbers and electricians earn today, who definitely do not have a higher education. And they often earn much more than white-collar workers sitting in an office. Or the child wants to become a game designer. What nonsense, a scam. Visit the services, study the salaries in this field, expand your horizons.

How should a child act in such cases? How to dissuade parents?

When I applied to be a psychologist, all my relatives, except my parents, kept saying that I was crazy and would end up washing floors. So what? Parents rely on the past, and this is normal in their worldview, there is no need to tell them they are wrong. You need to highlight the options. What could be different, the world is changeable.

If we talk about my clients, it often happens that parents bring their child for a consultation. And I have had stories when a child cannot argue with their parents. Parents may think that this is the only way. But the child sees it differently. He can go into sharp resistance, because he is going through separation, and he wants anything but what his parents suggest. And when there is a third party, it is easier for the child to accept. You can look for professions at the intersection, because parents do not always offer bad options. Sometimes they rely on the strengths of the child. And the child relies on the fact that his best friend is going there.

Now let's go over the main stereotypes. One profession for life?

That used to be the case. And parents sometimes instill this stereotype in their children's heads. But the world has changed. We choose a profession we enjoy now, so we can learn and gain successful experience. And it's possible to change it several times throughout life. Perhaps, understanding this will make the initial choice easier for both parents and children. After all, they'll have to face this choice more than once in their lives. And parents can teach their children to do it well right away. With pleasure, without fear.

Do you have to love what you do?

There is a saying that if work is a hobby, you will never work a single day in your life. This is an illusion. The level of love can vary. Some people are crazy about what they do, while others go to earn money. You may have hobbies that you put your heart and soul into, but you need to make money from them. Your work should be interesting to you, at a minimum. If you don't like your job, it will be hard to even earn enough to pursue your hobbies.

Have you encountered examples like career guidance?

One ​​of my clients was a guy who was studying to be an auto mechanic at a vocational school. During his studies, he realized he liked tinkering with cars, but only his own. He started resisting when he realized he would be doing this every day, and for others.

And we found an alternative. He wanted to study to be a system administrator—this topic also turned out to be close to his heart. Over time, he could go into DevOps and make a good living if he wanted. He kept cars as a hobby. So, we've found a job he'll enjoy, but at the same time, he'll have something he's passionate about.

You can love your job in different ways, but you definitely have to enjoy it. Here you need to imagine doing it every day. Even the most creative professions involve routine, and you definitely have to find it interesting.

Is it possible to choose both what you like and what brings in income?

I would definitely not recommend choosing a profession based on financial stability. If you go into a profession only for the money, then tomorrow it will be difficult for you to develop.

Financial stability is a fickle thing. For example, take procurement. Just a few years ago, operations employees earned little, the profession was in decline. But the world has changed in recent years, the economic situation has changed too, and now demand for this profession has actually increased. If you think you can't make money in your profession, take the time to find people. Every profession has opinion leaders. And today there is no profession in which you can't make money. Even if you work as a janitor, you can create a cleaning company and start earning money. Income is about internal limitations.

But not every janitor has an entrepreneurial spirit...

I recently ordered cleaning services, and a woman came to see me, and we got to talking. When she first moved to Moscow, she worked as a janitor. Over time, she started cleaning apartments. And a little later, she realized that if she invested in her appearance and cleaning products, she would be able to take on higher-paying orders. She eventually found a permanent job in a wealthy private home. She doesn't even clean there anymore; she just cleans clothes. She has a lot of free time, so she earns extra money by offering cleaning services. She's even bought an apartment in Moscow. It seems like simple manual labor, but it's still possible to earn money. This is about horizontal development.

And in conclusion of our conversation, I would like to know what professions are worth paying attention to today?

We live in a digital world, so all digital professions will be in demand. Marketing, design, IT, analytics will always be at the top. In addition, our world today is very unsettling, so the demand for helping professions such as psychologists, coaches and rehabilitation specialists will also grow. In the next few years, agricultural professions, doctors, professions in the field of pharmacology, logistics and procurement will be in demand.

Even the most experienced career guidance specialist and consultant can highlight various options, strengths, and suitable professions. But in the process of this game, you may discover something special that you really enjoy, something that neither you nor the consultant would have thought of at the start. Therefore, look for what fascinates you, even in the process of work.