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 Stop Asking Kids What They Want to Be: College, Careers, Salaries, and Future Jobs :  Every kid gets asked the classic question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” But is it time to retire that question? In this episode, Kim and Jake dig into why the question may be outdated, how careers and education have shifted, and what parents and teens should be focusing on instead.

Together, they explore:

• Why asking “who do you want to become?” may be better than “what do you want to be?”
• How brain development impacts career decisions for teens and young adults
• Ways parents can encourage exploration without adding pressure
• SMART goals for kids and teens (with real-life examples from Jake)
• Whether college is still worth the cost — and the latest statistics on tuition, debt, and lifetime earnings
• How companies really calculate salaries, raises, and promotions
• The impact of degrees vs. skills in today’s hiring market
• Which industries are most exposed to AI — and which are safer for the future

👉 Perfect for parents, teens, and anyone rethinking the traditional path from high school to career.

References & Research Mentioned:

• Conklin, Brooke. Stop Asking Kids What They Want to Be When They Grow Up. EduCoach Network. June 20, 2023.
• Garlinghouse, Rachel. We need to stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up. Business Insider. Jan 9, 2025.
• Shaffer, Suzanne. Helping Your Student with Career Choices. Parenting for College. Jan 20, 2022.
• Wakefield, Suzy Mygatt. Ten Steps to Help Students Focus on their Education and Career Plans. NCDA. Nov 1, 2005.
• Crowe, Ashley. 10 Educational Goal Examples to Keep Kids Motivated. Prodigy. Aug 15, 2025.
• HirePaths. Career Exploration: How to Encourage Kids of All Ages. Oct 4, 2021.
• Fry, Richard; Braga, Dana; Parker, Kim. Is College Worth It? Pew Research Center. May 23, 2024.
• Sciaudone, Christiana & Scheckel, Maddy. Is College Worth It? Business Insider. Feb 28, 2025.
• Fuller, Joseph. The College Degree Gap: Policy vs. Practice in Skills-Based Hiring. Harvard Business School & Burning Glass Institute. Feb 11, 2025.
• Stahle, Cory. Educational Requirements Are Gradually Disappearing From Job Postings. Indeed Hiring Lab. Feb 27, 2024.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Number of Jobs, Labor Market Experience, and Earnings Growth. Aug 2021.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Education Pays. 2022.
• U.S. Census Bureau. Educational Attainment in the United States: 2022. May 2022.
• Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. The College Payoff. 2021.
• WorldatWork. 2023 Salary Budget Survey. Sept 2023.
• World Economic Forum. Jobs of Tomorrow. 2020.
• World Economic Forum. Future of Jobs Report. 2023.
• Psychology Today. Goal Setting and Confidence in Kids. 2022.

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