What makes a job fulfilling versus a job where you can’t wait for the day to be over? What makes the difference for adults who like their job versus those who are going through the motions? One major factor is that you find purpose in your job. This is also called internal motivation. There are other factors, such as the location, salary, and benefits, that are also important. This is external motivation. But if you know that your work is making a difference in the world, big or small, this is often very motivating. How do we help our teens find this kind of motivation as they move toward adulthood?
My background is in working with high school students. I taught French at a large public school, then subbed at a small public school before taking the job as a Curriculum Consultant here at Rainbow thirteen years ago. As I started studying the curriculum and learning from the other consultants and employees, I came home all chatty and happy. The kids, who were familiar with me being a classroom teacher, wanted to know what was up with this new job. I remember telling them, “Imagine you get paid to do something so natural to you that it doesn’t feel like work.”
That created a spark I didn’t know I was igniting. That prompted them to start talking about what comes easily to them. For the older one, it was academics, working with animals, and singing. For the younger one, it was basketball, hanging out with friends, and serving others. Then we started talking about jobs in the hypothetical sense: If you could do anything for a living, what would you do? What activities and extracurriculars would be useful in achieving that goal? From that point on, I never had to push them about schoolwork or their time management. They were internally motivated!
What if it really is that simple? A discussion in middle school or early high school about what a child feels are their natural talents, considering what that might look like as an adult career (or an iteration of the career), and giving them the tools to make it happen or move toward the goal. There are tools you can use in this conversation. Books such as Discover What You’re Best At by Linda Gale include diagnostic questions and careers that relate to various answers. What Color is Your Parachute? For Teens by Carol Christen is another one that helps a teen learn about themselves and explore career options. There are some digital options for exploration too. Foundations in Career Discovery with Ken Coleman explores various industries and helps teens create a path to achieve their goal. And a new one to RRC, Rubin Education’s course Aspire, has videos from professionals working in a wide range of careers, many of which require minimal post-secondary training, and uses discussion questions to determine compatibility for students considering their options.
For a concrete tool, try our free Transcript Worksheet Planner by Grade and the companion High School Academic Transcript. Consider a possible career path, then map it out. You can create different possibilities, print it, try another path, print it, and look at them side by side. What you are looking for is a spark. Something that trips a trigger for your teen, causing them to think, Yeah! I could do that! It’s not about going to college or not; it’s about lighting a fire in their mind of what is possible and then making a plan they want to follow. When it comes from the child, they feel ownership. And while we adults know that plans change, a teenager who is motivated and on a path toward achieving their goal of choice is the one who can make things happen! Your job is now to watch, listen, assist, and provide support while they take the reins over this next chapter—and how exciting for them!
