When the Old Career Advice No Longer Works: A Reframing Moment for Parents

I’ve been helping people find their next job, role, or path for 23 years.

We’ve always said “things are changing.”

But now… I feel the shift in a completely different way.

 Especially in the past year.

 If I had to point to one group feeling it the most, it would be: college graduates. And right behind them? Their parents.

I hear from many of you. Moms and dads who are worried. Who want to guide their children—but don’t quite know what to say anymore.

 And the truth is… this isn’t your fault.

We are all trying to make sense of a world of work that looks very different from the one we grew up in.

There is uncertainty. There are mixed signals. And yes—there is a level of “feeling lost” many of us are quietly carrying.

So I wanted to dedicate this to you.

Not as a perfect answer… but as grounded guidance from someone who has worked with individuals across generations—and inside organizations—for over two decades, while staying deeply connected to what is actually happening in the world of work.

 What needs to change in how we guide our children:

1. We need different conversations about work

Their world is not your world. The assumptions many of us grew up with simply don’t hold in the same way anymore.

Before giving advice, we need to pause and understand what has actually changed.

2. There is no longer one “safe” path

Most of us were raised with a formula:

Work hard → get good grades → go to a good school → get a good job → stay secure

That formula is no longer reliable for the majority. You see it in the layoffs. You see it in the uncertainty across industries.

 It still works for some—but not for everyone.

3. Education alone is not preparing them for this market

This is a hard truth—but an important one. Many young people are doing everything they were told: they study, they graduate, they follow the “right” steps…

And yet, they enter the job market feeling unprepared. Not because they failed— but because the system has not fully caught up with what the market now requires.

 Skills like:

• networking

• positioning

• communicating value

• solopreneurship/entrepreneurship

• navigating uncertainty are rarely taught in school.

As parents, we don’t need to reject education. But we do need to see its limits—and help our children build what is missing alongside it.

4. A big brand name is not the goal

 Many large companies are:

• harder to enter

• harder to stay in

• constantly restructuring

 Smaller and mid-sized organizations can often offer:

• more flexibility

• more human environments

• more opportunity to grow quickly

 We need to expand what “a good job” looks like.

5. College is one option—not the only option

 This is an important shift.

Four-year college is not the only path to a meaningful, well-paying career. Trade schools, community colleges, and skilled professions are becoming increasingly valuable.

In fact, Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley shared that they have thousands of open technician roles—some paying over $100K—and they still cannot find enough people to fill them. The gap is real.

 And it tells us something important: we need to broaden what we consider “success.”

6. Teach them the AND mindset (not either/or)

 Encourage your child to:

• earn money AND

• continue exploring what they truly want

 A job is not a final identity. It is a step. There is no job “beneath” them. Every role builds skills, confidence, and direction. Those who make money from any job even if it is not their ideal one yet are doing a lot better than staying home and feeling depressed. 

7. Help them think beyond employment

Before large organizations existed, people created value on their own. We were all entrepreneurs. We had to think what we are good at: baking, sewing, farming, shoe making, carpentry etc. 

That hasn’t disappeared—it’s coming back in a new form.

Encourage them to:

• explore side projects

• develop skills they can monetize

• stay open to building something of their own

What used to feel risky—starting something— now exists alongside another reality: depending on finding and retaining jobs are also risky.

8. Remove pressure. Replace it with curiosity.

 Instead of saying: “What should you become?”

 Try:

• “What are you curious about?”

• “What are you good at?”

• “What do you want to try next?”

They are growing up in a different world. In some ways, they understand it better than we do.

 Give them space to explore it.

A final thought

 We don’t have one clear answer. Nobody does. 

 But one thing is certain:

 The guidance we give must evolve.

 Your child doesn’t need you to have all the answers.

 They need:

• openness

• encouragement

• and the freedom to explore without fear

And most importantly, they need to know this: Even in uncertain times, they will find their way.

 A question for you

Would it feel helpful to have a space where we can talk about this together - openly, honestly, and without pressure?

 Where you can:

• ask your questions

• hear what is actually working today

• and learn how to support your child in a changing world

 I’m considering hosting a small online session for parents navigating this exact situation. If this resonates, just reply “interested” or send me a message here at LinkedIn.

 I’ll make sure you’re the first to hear when I open it.

Also do not forget that you are doing the best you can as parents in this crazy world we live in. Be kind to yourself too.

Best,

Ozlem Brooke Erol