What Your Kid Should Discover About a Job of Interest to Avoid a Regrettable Choice

Know Before You Go: Part 2

I’ve had great experiences buying used cars.

One thing that’s allowed me to avoid making a regrettable choice is a non-negotiable research process that includes consulting CarFax, checking CarComplaints.com, and having my own mechanic thoroughly inspect the vehicle.

One time, I drove three hours to stay true to my protocol. I was definitely tempted to compromise due to the distance, but I'm glad I didn't.

My mechanic discovered a slight leak that was only visible under close inspection. It would have cost thousands of dollars to fix!

A simple search revealed a serious problem with the vehicle I was interested in.

This is exactly what young people need when choosing a career. . .

Simple research for a close-up inspection to surface the serious problems with a job they're interested in.

A Costly Mistake
After ten years of youth-focused career guidance work, one of the most costly mistakes I see young people make is investing time, money, and effort to pursue a job they know little to nothing about.

They don’t take the time to thoroughly inspect the job, which often has serious problems that will eventually be discovered and cause them to regret their choice and change their minds.

These eventual discoveries also leave them feeling frustrated and confused, realizing they committed to a path that was never a good fit in the first place.

Simply put, they go before they know.

Research Blueprint
In this email, I want to teach you a unique framework I’ve created that helps young people avoid regrettable career choices and save thousands of dollars!

It equips them with an inspection system they can use to identify problems with their job choices before committing.

Welcome to The Job Research Blueprint™.

This framework outlines the nine facets of a job that should be considered before deciding to pursue it.

Duties:
These are the daily activities of the job.

Skills:
These are the aptitudes necessary for success.

Content:
These are the things that are worked with on a regular basis.

Setting:
This is the context in which the work is done.

Outcome:
This is the primary result of the work.

Salary:
This is the income potential of the job.

Outlook+:
This is the prediction about the job’s growth and AI impact.

Requirements:
These are the things necessary for securing the job.

Pathway:
These are the steps required to get into the job.

Just like a close-up inspection on a vehicle can surface costly problems, this research process helps reveal serious issues with a job before a young person commits years of preparation and thousands of dollars.

When young people take time to inspect a job using this framework, they dramatically reduce the risk of wasted time, money, and effort. Instead of discovering problems after they are already invested, they can make informed decisions upfront and move forward with greater clarity.

The Know Before You Go Series

Part 1: How Most Young People Choose A Career Path and Why It’s a Serious Problem

Part 2: What Your Kid Should Discover About a Job of Interest to Avoid a Regrettable Choice

Part 3: Three Proven Strategies for Critical Job Research

Part 4: Essential Questions for Evaluating the Fit of a Job

START A CONVO

Initiate a conversation with your child about this subject using the following prompts:

What are the main things young people usually research about a job of interest?
Why do you think most young people don't take the time to thoroughly research a job of Interest?

FREE RESOURCES

Student Resource:

This resource introduces students to the Job Research Blueprint™ and shows them how to use it. Check it out yourself and send the link to your kid…https://link.lifeafter12th.com/jobxploration

Parent Resource:

I made this just for you! It's a digital flipbook on this topic that shows parents how their teen or 20-something can....

Quickly identify a job of interest with four unique methods.
Thoroughly understand all of the critical facts in minutes.
Easily inspect the findings for significant turn-offs.

Get your copy HERE.

ADDITIONAL RELATED RESOURCES

> The Know Before You Go not-a-book-book on Amazon

> The Know Before You Go digital course

> The Know Before You Go personalized coaching

About the Author

Jay DuSold

Jay has spent over three decades working with young people and parents as a mentor and life coach. He started focusing exclusively on career guidance in 2014 after helping his son figure out career direction while he was a junior in high school.

As a youth career guide, he helps teens and twenty-somethings around the world identify a job fit to gain clarity and confidence about career direction so they’ll reach their full potential and avoid the waste of getting it wrong.

As an author and speaker, he equips young people to think differently about their identity, true success, and figuring out where they can be awesome in the world of work. He also empowers youth advocates and organizations to more effectively support the young people they serve through their career guidance initiatives.