A GUIDE FOR TEENS: FIND YOUR DREAM JOB

A.J. Rogers, Ph.D.

YOUR JOURNEY INTO ADULTHOOD: A WARM WELCOME

Hey there, future adult-in-training! It might seem like a leap from the playground to the professional world. But every game you played and every lesson you learned has shaped you for this exciting adventure called adulthood.

EMBRACING FREEDOM

From your perspective, adulthood is all about calling the shots. It feels like parents and teachers are conspiring to limit your independence.

Adults know that the real definition of freedom is:

• To work where you can get hired
• To live where you can afford to pay the rent
• To eat what you can afford to buy

THE FUTURE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

You barely have six years between elementary school and being considered a young adult. Are you prepared to get and keep a job, make enough to get your own place, and feed yourself? 

• Have you looked at the cost of apartments?
• Have you checked the cost of food?
• How much money will it take for you to live comfortably?
• Add it up.
• What are you trained to do that will give you that kind of take-home pay?

DREAMING OF DESIGNING VIDEO GAMES?

Fantastic! Whether you’ve got game ideas flowing or you’re still brainstorming, let’s dive into the world of video game design. Don’t worry about feeling overwhelmed. It’s the perfect time to explore the latest techniques and connect with industry insiders. Who knows, your dream job might be just a click away!

Do you have an idea? Good. How are you going to make it happen? Do you know the newest techniques in video game design? If not, do you know where to learn them? 

To find out:

• Get to know the people who do it.
• Find out how they got into the field.
• What skills do you need?
• What knowledge is required?
• Can you get it at your school?
• Do you have to go to college?
• How many years of college?
• What kind of degree do you need?
• What do your grades look like?

It seems overwhelming -- of course, it does! 

Should you give up? No. 

Why should you? 

You don’t have to worry about food, shelter, or clothing right now. This is the perfect time to figure out how to make your dreams happen. Not when you are on your own, struggling to survive.

BECOMING AN INFLUENCER: A DIGITAL JOURNEY

Are you thinking of conquering the digital landscape as an influencer? It sounds thrilling, right? It looks easy. You’ve been making videos since you were a little kid. All you have to do is figure out how to make them better and get an audience. Right? 

But what about the long game? Can you imagine spending your life thinking up new content and posting new videos regularly? That is what you have to do to keep your audience and the advertising dollars coming. Can you imagine doing it at age 40? Can you imagine your parents as influencers? 

But maybe you’re not interested in the above. Perhaps you don’t know what to pick.

CHOOSING YOUR PATH: A CAREER THAT FITS LIKE A GLOVE

Let’s start with the basics. Money and status are important, but you must remember that you will spend eight or more hours a day doing it. Your choice has to match your style and personality. Otherwise, you will be miserable.

• Do you like to be indoors or outdoors?
• Do you like to sit for 8 hours a day or be on your feet most of the time?
• Do you like working with your hands and figuring out how to fix things?
• Do you like to read a lot and learn new things?
• Do you like working with others, in a group, or alone?
• Do you like to teach others?
• Do you like predictable situations?
• Do you like unpredictable and changing situations?
• Do you like to be on the road, driving someplace?
• Do you like working with animals?
• Do you like working with kids?
• Do you like working on your music?
• Are you good at following instructions, or must you be your own boss?
• What subject was easiest for you?

You want to do something that comes naturally. 

ASK GOOGLE

You can google the questions above to get a list of careers to fit that style. Google “Best careers for working outdoors” to get a list of career types. Then, look each of them up for a description of what kind of work people do in each career. You can also ask Google about the typical salary for each career. You can google what type of training you need to enter that career. 

Let’s say that after reading all that, you still want to be a videogame designer or an influencer. Now is the time to research it. You can google “how to get into the game industry” for basic requirements and skill sets. 

You may decide it’s not for you. Still, you will have the experience of discovering how to make your dreams happen. Dreams are important. They keep you engaged and busy searching for knowledge. 

ASK PEOPLE IN THE FIELD

The best way to find out about a job is to ask many people already doing that work. That means that you must be brave and contact people in your field of choice and politely ask questions. You will be able to find them on Linkedin. 

Write out your “script” of introduction and all your questions so you don’t stumble when you get a person on the phone. Explain that you are trying to make a career choice for your future. You want to find out what their work is like. What skills and training do they need to be good at it? 

Sometimes, you can contact them by e-mail. Phone calls are better because they will help you with your people skills. 

It is bad manners to ask people how much they make. You can find that information online. You might google the question, “How much do video game designers make.” 

Calling people will be hard at first - and awkward. Some people will be too busy to talk to you. Others will take a long time and give you lots of good information and encouragement. As you make the calls, you will notice that it is getting easier with each call. Your delivery will improve, and your nervousness will melt away.

FIRST JOB JITTERS? NO WORRIES!

Have you been putting off getting that first job for fear that you don't know how to fill out the application? You can google “how to fill an application.” These days, most applications are online, so you can take your time filling them out. If a place of employment has a paper application, you can take it home and fill it out. 

Let’s say that you tend to be nervous in new situations with people you have never met before. I recommend that you practice interviewing for jobs you don't care much about. This will lower your anxiety level. Interviewing will not be as scary.

FIRST JOB INTERVIEW

Great! You have an interview time. Now you’re worried because you have never had an interview before. Google is by your side. You can google "job interview" and get lots of helpful hints. These days, many interviews are done by phone, Zoom, or FaceTime. Make sure you dress professionally and comb your hair. This applies to in-person and Zoom interviews. If you don’t, the person interviewing you will assume you don’t want the job. Once hired, you will represent the company. They will want someone who looks professional.

 After a few interviews, you will know what questions are asked and how people react to you. That means you fill out applications for jobs that are not your dream jobs and go to those interviews. Two things will happen. You will get accustomed to getting interviewed. This will pay off when your dream job comes along.

If your dream job is unavailable, you might take one of the jobs you interviewed for. You may find that you like working there. Or you might decide that this kind of work is not for you.

Give a new job three months. Do your best. If you still hate it, look for another job. Do not quit your job until you have a better one. Every job is a learning experience. If you hate your boss, figure out what you hate about him so that you will do things differently when you become a boss.

WORK HISTORY

Employers check your work history on your application or resume to establish if you will be a good worker. An experienced employer will always check your references.

• Would you hire someone who lies on their application?
• Would you expect him to be a good worker?
• Would you want to hire a bad worker?
• Would you want to hire someone who says he wants to work for you for the next few years but has only worked three months or less at each job they had?
• Would you expect that person to stay past the training period?

Employers expect to give you flexible hours and less pay if you work around a full-time school schedule. These employers do not expect you to stay with them when you finish school.

The best advice I can give you is to stay at a job until you find another one. When you change jobs, always do it to increase your earning power or reduce your commute time.

DEALING DRUGS AND STEALING AS A CAREER CHOICE

So, you decided that this sucks. It is too much work for not enough money, so you'll sell drugs or steal instead. Do you like going to juvenile halls, jail, and prison? That's the future you want for yourself - to be behind bars waiting for someone to bring you your meal?

Oh, I see. You have it all figured out. You won't get caught.

The jails and prisons are full of people who had it all figured out. Even so, they managed to get themselves arrested and locked up. There, they scheme with like-minded people on how to avoid arrest in the future. But they keep returning to jail.

Does that sound easier or more fun than learning a trade, getting a job, or going to college? 

THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT

Ready to take charge of your future? This guide is just the beginning. Explore, dream, and conquer the adult world by asking lots of questions. Ask people you know, people you’ve never met, ask Google, ask Chat.

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