Parents Still Rule Roost When Counseling Teen Offspring On Future Jobs

Father – or mother – still knows best when Midwest teens seek information about future employment, according to a new survey.

Everest Institute asked high school students in six states, including Minnesota, how they find out about job and career choices. The highest percentage – 62 percent – named parents as their go-to source, exceeding guidance counselors (cited by 55 percent) and teachers (52 percent). (Multiple answers were permitted.)  

Teens turn to cyberspace in fewer numbers, as just 44 percent named the Internet as a source for career information. Only 18 percent said social media. Friends and other family members were less influential than parents, too, with 40 percent citing the former and merely 31 percent of respondents citing extended family sources.

“The role parents play in helping guide their children toward future careers remains so influential, even with the flood of information available on the Internet and elsewhere,” says Ken Sigmon, regional vice president of operations at Everest Institute in Minnesota.

Another poll, national in scope, revealed the significant influence parents wield in matters of education. The Everest-sponsored survey found the leading reason why young adults were high school dropouts was due to the absence of parental support or encouragement to earn their diplomas.

“It’s apparent from these studies that the role parents play in their teenage children’s career aspirations can never be underestimated,” adds Sigmon.

Midwest Teens Aspire for Healthcare, IT Positions

The Midwest survey also asked the high school students what field of work would provide them their “dream job.”

The top answer: a job in health care, cited by nearly one in five (19 percent) of those polled. A career in computer and information technology (IT) ranked second at 16 percent, followed by a job in education, named by 10 percent. No other “dream job” ranked higher than 6 percent.

The Everest teen poll results are based on the responses of 300 high school students, ages 14 to 18, living in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Ohio. The online survey was conducted in late November.

About Everest Institute

Everest Institute provides career-oriented diploma programs in the health care, skilled trades and business fields. Programs vary by campus. Everest has nearly 100 schools in the U.S. and Canada, and is owned by Corinthian Colleges, Inc., one of the largest post-secondary education companies in North America. For more information, visit www.everest.edu.  For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, please visit our website at www.everest.edu/disclosures. AC-0179.