What career paths are parents suggesting for high school graduates?
Most modern pathways feel overwhelming because simply landing any entry-level job is a monumental task, let alone choosing between college degrees and trade schools. Parents find it difficult to know what options actually pay off or how to guide their kids when just getting them to graduate is the immediate hurdle.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1recommending specific career fields like cybersecurity, industrial maintenance, or engineering
- 2advising kids to get a job first and take a couple of classes while figuring things out
- 3discussing what parents are willing to pay for college and evaluating the financial value proposition
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m curious what are parents suggesting their kids do after high school right now? Go into the trades? Or if college, study what exactly?”source ↗
“It’s hard either way. Just landing a job feels like a monumental task.”source ↗
“if i can get him to graduate high school, it’ll be a damn miracle. i would LIKE my kids to go to college. so we’ll see.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Accounts receivable vs bank teller for a finance degree?
- 10Is teaching still a realistic option for me?
- 13Switching from audit to tax in accounting
- 5How to stop worrying about your adult child's lifestyle choices
- 5Industrial engineering or accounting?
- 5How do I know which skills actually matter for career relevance?