It’s that time again…Back to School. Some parents look forward to it. I am not one of them. I love having my kids home. I love spending time with them and having them have down time. Our lives are too scheduled. It’s good to kick back and relax.
The back to school season brings hope; new beginnings. And not just for students. Many businesses see renewed commitment, a shift in gears, a natural shift from summer’s slower days to more focus, drive and a faster pace. It is almost like a light switch after Labor Day for many of us!
For students, it is another year: new schools, new classmates, new subjects, perhaps choosing a major or researching colleges.
We can all help in that experience for students no matter the age. Some of us randomly hear about ‘bring your daughter to work day’ or career day at the high school, but most of us get so caught up in our own daily work lives we don’t think about what we have to offer students of a wide variety of ages: we have career knowledge to share. We can be a resource to answer questions, share what we do, what we like about what we do and what we don’t like. Sounds basic, but it really should be shared and not just part of our bio or resume!
Simply: we all have an opportunity to share our knowledge with a student! We can help them find their lane! 
I have been setting up informational interviews for my 15 year-old daughter to help her get a broader sense of career opportunities. Why? Because my background is business (marketing and finance) and my husband’s is also business (finance). She has limited exposure to other careers and I want to help her learn and evaluate what is possible to help her navigate and evaluate. She has expressed an interest in architecture or maybe interior design. I asked her about architecture and what kind she thought of and she said “I would like to design the next Eiffel Tower!” As her mom I think both lanes could be fabulous for her, but I want to help her understand what those careers may be like and to get an insight into all the various paths one could take within those fields.
I am a nerd. I admit that regularly. I believe in the power of information; of research; of talking to people to learn more about what they do and how they think. Like any parent, I want the best for my kids and especially as a female, I want my daughter to know she can be anything she wants to be. I have asked (forced) her to create a list of questions to ask the architects that have been kind enough to agree to meet with her. I have explained to her their time is valuable and she needs to show up prepared. As I guide her I think about how readily I would share my experiences with any student interested in marketing, finance and business careers in general to help them find their path and their passion.
How can you share your knowledge and your story of how you got to where you are today?
- Contact your local high schools to see if they have a career day
- Check out the local Boys & Girls Clubs
- Contact your local YMCA or YWCA as they may have programs you could participate in
- Your alma mater is a great place to help. For many years, I reached out to the Boston College career center and posted paid internships for students majoring in Marketing. I loved working with these students and exposing them to various aspects of marketing by having them work on real client work to help them learn what they liked and what they did not like as well as apply what they were learning in the classroom.
As the new school year begins, I am committing to proactively offering to conduct information interviews with high school and college students to help them find their lane. Are you up for sharing your experience with a student?