• Discuss your child's skills, interests, abilities and goals to help plan for the future.
• Encourage participation in service-oriented activities in the community.
• Help children meet a variety of workers by arranging job observations, field trips, or personal interviews.
• Use guided money management and allow your child to make economic choices.
• Allow children to work part-time outside the home.
• Help your child make independent decisions.
• Encourage exploration of all kinds of post-secondary education opportunities.
• Involve yourself in your child's future planning.
• Give certain economic responsibilities.
• Encourage job awareness.
• Be flexible as the decision-making process evolves.

In addition, here are a few more parent involvement tips:

• Help your child assess his/her strengths and weaknesses while identifying talents and abilities—be realistic.
• Become aware of The Career Preparation System, which is a statewide initiative that has been established to enhance career awareness at all grade levels.
• Visit the Michigan Department of Career Development (www.MDCD.org) and the Talent Freeway (www.TalentFreeway.org) on the Internet.

Find out about the six Career Pathways:
• Arts & Communications
• Business Services Technology
• Education & Human Services
• Environmental Technologies
• Health Services
• Technical & Engineering Systems

• Help ensure success for your child by encouraging them to select classes, while in high school, which are relevant to the career he/she would like to have.

• Show your child the connections between learning at school and the world of work.

• Be aware of what your child likes to do. Take note of their hobbies, interests, favorite classes in school, after school activities, and think about possible careers that would fit his/her interests.

• Explore the Career Preparation programs and activities that are available at your child's school.

• Ask a school guidance counselor or career development specialist about MOIS and BRIDGES and how to use them for career research.

• Visit your local career center, job fairs, open houses, and other local career related events with your child.

• Be aware that there are many different avenues to success. Consider internships, mentorships, job shadowing, special programs, apprenticeships, on the job training, and volunteer activities as part of your child's career preparation.

• Be supportive of your child's career development decisions and give assistance if needed. Remember they should be making decisions based on their interest, aptitudes, and abilities.

• Ask other people what they like about their jobs.

• Surround your child with positive role models.

• Keep a folder/file of career related information (let your child help). Read and discuss this with your child.

• Visit your local library and research career opportunities together.

• The success of your child is important—ask what is being done in his/her school to help with the career planning process.

• Remember that career development is a lifelong process, but we all need a starting point.

• Participate in "Take Your Child to Work" days.

• Plan and take job field trips with your child.

• Keep abreast of the current and future job market trends. Remember that many of the jobs that high-tech and skilled professionals have today did not even exist 25 years ago.

• To achieve a satisfying, well-paying job, some careers will require a college degree while others will not. There are a variety of routes to success, which include education and training at the local career center, community college, technical school, apprenticeship programs, and the military. Discover what is best for each child as an individual.

Be aware of the employability skills that employers seek. Help your child to identify his/her employability skills and strengthen the areas that may be weak. Employers are more likely to hire those people that can demonstrate the following:

• Meet or exceed work quality requirements
• Can communicate written ideas effectively
• Work as a team member, show respect to all members
• Exhibit self-confidence, show pride in a job well done
• Get along with supervisors and accept suggestions
• Can communicate orally using proper grammar, choice of words, and tone of voice
• Demonstrate initiative, show leadership, take on new assignments
• Dependability, on time, prepared, completes tasks, work independently or in a group
• Follow directions
• Responsibility

If your child chooses to attend a post-secondary institution, help your child begin the search for financial aid during the child's junior year by doing the following:

• Talk to the school counselors or career development specialists
• Read the newspaper and community publications
• Contact the post-secondary institution's financial aid department
• Keep accurate records of work experiences, grades, special awards and recognition, and community service
• Pay attention to deadlines on applications
• Check the Internet for scholarships
• Be sure the child takes all tests necessary to qualify for scholarships—check with your school counselor

• Remember that all jobs have dignity if performed well

• Take time to talk with your child and listen to your child