FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT “28-DAY CAREER DISCOVERY”
1. Why start a career planning process with teens?
What’s wrong with waiting until college to sample an array
of courses and then decide on a major and career?
The families that come to us when their kids are already
20-somethings, wish they had done this much
earlier! By waiting, high schoolers miss the
opportunity to select colleges (or other specific specialized
training) that offer the right classes and major for their
desired career. Without career planning, students end up
changing schools, loosing credit hours, and have difficulty
accumulating enough credited classes to graduate. This type
of trial-and-error method, while common, is tedious and
unnecessarily time-consuming. Without clarity and an effective
plan, kids tend to take classes for the wrong
reasons, such as: their friends are taking
the class, they like the class description, and so on.
In today’s world, 30% of these
students leave college after their first year!
Those remaining often cut back on the number of classes
they’re taking due to indecision and a lack of direction.
Without a full course load and a sense of achievement,
they can easily get lost in distractions, often turning
to drugs and alcohol.
2. My daughter took career assessments at school.
Why not continue to have her school guidance counselor handle
career planning?
We appreciate the work that school counselors provide.
Unfortunately, high school and college counselors
are overloaded. There are an estimated 575 students for
every guidance counselor in the average school
and they cannot spend an adequate amount of time with each
student. We give your child the undivided attention he or
she deserves.
What’s more, college majors and career options often don’t
align well. This is an area that even provides great challenges
for the typical high school and college
counselors.
3. In what other ways does your program augment
the career assessments offered at school?
Typically, school counselors use career assessment instruments
that focus on scholastic aptitude and personal interests,
not motivation. Due to the inherent time constraints, counselors
give feedback on what the results mean through group summary
reports. Personal discussions are limited to providing some
resources for selecting and applying to a college. Counselors
rarely discuss the relationship between motivation and talent.
We take all critical factors into account.
There are four parts to the assessments. We conduct private
1:1 coaching discussions between each section to keep the
momentum going. It’s quick, easy, and fun. Each
student walks away with a complete personal career profile.
4. Are there any geographic constraints in taking
advantage of your Career Discovery program?
Our program is not dependent on geography—as long as you
have a telephone and a computer. Your son or daughter participates
in our 28-Day Career Discovery Experience program via tele-coaching
from the convenience of your home. This highly
convenient method has become the preferred
delivery system worldwide.
5. How will going beyond a traditional Career Counseling
process help my child?
Our 28-day program not only identifies natural talents,
but your child will get practical information about what
classes to take, how to select a college or a major, and
how to access job requirements and salary ranges. We match
learning styles, values, strengths, and preferences with
what work environment is most conducive for your child’s
overall well being. It’s the difference between
just getting a job and enjoying a career.
We offer a set of comprehensive career assessments, taking
all career factors into account that includes two hours
of one-on-one personalized career exploration. Your child’s
confidence soars. Kids make career choices right now that
provide huge advantages.
6. How long does it take? When you refer to 28
days, do you mean that my teenager will need to work on
career planning for 28 days straight?
Good question! No, there’s no need to spend every day for
28 days on our Career Discovery Experience. The time is
minimal and the program is motivating. It takes most teens
about four hours of fieldwork in addition to
the four 30-minute 1:1 coaching sessions to complete the
work WITHIN 28 days. Eager teens who want
fast results have created their personal career profile
in less than two weeks!
7. What are the qualifications of the coach who
will be helping my teen?
This program is lead by Barbara McRae, MCC, parent/teen
expert, and founder of TeenFrontier.com. She is a former
professional recruiter, Human Resources executive, and a
master certified coach. Barbara is an invaluable resource
who has personally recruited applicants in the following
industries: Financial Services, Law, Manufacturing, Telecommunications,
Entertainment, Health Care, High-Tech, Government agencies,
Retail, Agriculture, and various other Creative fields (culinary
arts, photographers, graphic artists, authors, writers,
artists, etc.). Barbara has helped thousands of teens, 20-somethings,
and adults make successful career choices.
In contrast, most guidance counselors and even many certified
career counselors, have more of an academic orientation
versus firsthand knowledge of viable career paths. Most
of their knowledge about career tracks and the answer to,
“What can I do with a degree in…?” stems from a series of
reference text books without an employer’s perspective.
Barbara has experience on both sides of the desk.
8. My teen refuses to attend college; how can you
help us?
We can help in several ways. First, we can
assess whether it makes sense for your teen to be college
bound. It’s not for everyone. A young man
we coached recently had no interest in going to college.
He discovered that three of the five possible career paths
he chose were highly respected professions that offered
a six-figure earning potential. He was delighted to know
that instead of college he would be getting specialized
training in a field that interested him. His parents had
been of the belief that college was always necessary to
earn a decent living. Now they are very supportive of their
son’s desired career path.
In another situation, a student changed her decision about
not attending college once she realized that she needs secondary
education to reach her lifestyle goals. She opted for an
associate’s degree in her desired field and was very pleased
with her achievement.
9. My son thinks he already knows what he wants
to do with his life. How could he benefit from career planning
with you?
Plenty of young adults think they know what they want out
of life and a career. Christopher thought he knew what he
wanted, too. He majored in Information Technology and changed
his major two more times, graduating with a degree in business
five years later. Still unfilled, it took him several additional
years to discover that he wasn’t taking his personal temperament
and values into account. At that point, he pursued a degree
in Non-Profit Administration. Did you know that
at least 30% of all college students take five or more years
to graduate—even if they think they know what they want
to study? We help you avoid costly mistakes.
Our program will help by verifying your son’s future career
direction and will help him set realistic goals or avoid
the frustration of unnecessary detours. By verifying his
path and consciously planning ahead, he will get the most
out of each semester—both in high school and in college.
In these cases, young people find that our validation is
immensely powerful for them. It empowers them to invest
in their strengths. We work together to identify ways to
make the most of your child’s motivation and potential.
Teens can begin learning more about their intended career
before declaring a major. They learn how to integrate their
desired profession with their lifestyle goals. While still
in high school, students can also seek out first-hand knowledge
through pertinent part-time or summer jobs.
10. Is it possible to purchase your assessment
materials without the 1:1 coaching component?
We don’t make our materials available for career identification
and planning without the coaching package. We believe that
without coaching, we are not serving the needs of our clients.
In ten years that we have been successful in helping students
of all ages to find their perfect career for themselves,
we have found that the results are dramatically
enhanced by our objective and customized coaching methods.
It takes a tremendous amount of inner motivation to facilitate
a career discovery process without professional support.
Most adults have great difficulty doing it themselves! Young
people, in particular, are greatly influenced by their friends
and/or the media and can easily get derailed. Even if someone
is committed to doing the work on their own, the choices
can be overwhelming.
11. We have a career coach in our family. What
is your opinion about having her coach my daughter?
Family members are usually emotionally
attached to the outcome and have difficulty
staying objective. Plus, kids are much more
receptive to coaching from an outside expert than they are
from their own family. It’s no different from trying to
teach your spouse how to play tennis—you are better off
sending him to a pro for lessons!
12. How much does this 28-day program cost?
We have two levels of program services available to meet
your needs. The cost is equivalent to most sports
camp or advanced teen driving programs--and
significantly less than an additional semester in college!
Parents consider it to be a highly worthwhile investment
that saves time, unnecessary educational expenses, and much
frustration for both parents and students.
13. Do you offer a guarantee?
Yes, we are highly confident that you will be delighted
with the direction your kids receive—critical next steps
and insights that last for a lifetime. We carefully tailor
our career planning program to fit the needs of pre-teens,
teens, and 20-somethings in addition to taking into account
the specific needs of each individual. Therefore, if the
student completes all the assessments, private coaching,
and related fieldwork within the 28 days allotted and has
not received any value during this time, we
will reimburse the entire tuition (minus the
materials that are yours to keep).
14. I have two teen daughters. I’d like my teens
to participate in your career discovery coaching program,
but they aren’t interested in doing it. Should I force them?
Parents immediately understand the value of our 28-Day
Career Discovery—often wishing that they had had an opportunity
to get clear about their path much earlier. Young
people can’t be expected to have 20/20 hindsight.
We suggest that you discuss your specific situation with
us (or have your kids talk with us) as part of your complimentary
consultation. Once teens understand how they can benefit,
that they won’t be judged, and that they will get useful
real-world tips, their resistance disappears.
A case in point is when a parent asked her college-bound
teen daughter to enroll. Kelly was focused on other matters,
didn’t think she needed it, and didn’t want to take the
time. After Kelly’s initial consultation, it was clear to
her that she was lacking a good deal of data about a career
choice she was contemplating. All of a sudden she was ready
to learn the truth about her future direction. Kelly was
most grateful that her mom insisted she check us out, before
dismissing this opportunity. We also suggest you take
a look at our student testimonials below.
Sign
up for 28-Day Career Discovery Experience now
TESTIMONIALS
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“What a relief! Thank you, Barbara. I finally know
what I want to do with my life. It feels great to
start making decisions now that will help me prepare
for my future.
~~ Tara – 16-year-old
“I was frustrated and couldn’t narrow down my major
in college. With your help, I suddenly got clear.
I’m very excited about the future and the information
that you shared with me is invaluable.
Andrew – 19-year-old
"This career coaching really works. It got me
to understand myself better and I now have a future
direction that fits me."
~~ Jason – 15-year-old
"While participating in the teen coaching program,
I feel I have overall grown into a better person.
I feel I have become more confident to pursue the
exact future that I want. I have gained ideals and
insight that will steer me in the right direction….Thanks
so much.”
~~Brittany – 17-year-old student
"I just wanted to tell you that we think you
are awesome! We’ve never seen Brett so excited and
motivated before."
~~ Parents of a 17-year-old
"Barbara, you have inspired me so much to follow
my dreams. I’ll never forget you!"
~~Justin – 13-year-old
"I’m so grateful to my mom for giving me the
gift of career coaching with you. I wish all teenagers
could benefit from your 28-day program.”
~~ Elana - 18-year-old
"I had already switched my major twice before
I met you. You have shown me that there is a perfect
career path for me that I know I will stick with because
it is who I am. Where were you when I was in high
school?
~~ Roarke – 20-year-old
"If only more parents would enroll their kids
in your program, then I’m sure less kids would get
confused and take drugs."
~~ Chris - 15- year-old former drug user
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up for 28-Day Career Discovery Experience now
