Calling all parents of 14-25year olds

[Cheffie100]

So I'm doing the whole SAHM thing but my brain is itching to do something and I'm determined to start my own business that still allows me to be there for the kids especially in school holidays.

I would like to sound you guys out about me starting my own career coaching business for 14-25 year olds. I feel very passionate about helping young people with CV writing, interview techniques, approaching employers, career planning etc. I appreciate they get some support in schools but now funding has been cut I believe it's pretty basic.

Do you think this is a service people would pay for? I would look to charge £30 an hour and would tailor the service to the individual. It would be my intention to help motivate them and help them discover their career path / job and set them a plan as to what they need to do to get there and what skills they need to develop. Would you pay for something like this for your child? Any thoughts most welcome. Thanks

[justdontevenfuckingstart]

No I would not pay £30 an hour. I appreciate what you're trying to do but no I would not pay for that.

[Bluebird79]

I think this sounds like a really good service. My son has just had a meeting with a careers advisor from a local service called CONNEXIONS, I think they have contracts with certain schools. But it was a one off meeting, not a regular set up as you are suggesting. Not sure if I would pay £30 each time...but I think your idea has legs.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I'm not sure there would be a market for it, if I'm honest.

Parents who are professionals, or have degrees or been through higher education and the job market, would be able to do that themselves for their children.

Parents who are perhaps more naive about it all, or not interested in their children enough, or don't have much intelligence, wouldn't have the means or the commitment to spend £30 per hour on that sort of service.

I can't see who would actually use your services.

[Cheffie100]

Well I appreciate you taking the time to reply. Thanks

[stonecircle]

Well I would pay a LOT more than that for someone to spend as long as it took to galvanise my unmotivated 21 year old. He is intelligent, has lots of GCSEs, bombed his a levels because he didn't put enough effort in and now drifts along in a minimum wage dead end job. DH and I are both professionals but he needs someone less involved and more objective to talk to him. I've been wondering lately if there is anyone out there who does provide that sort of service and who wouldn't just be trying to shoehorn him into something for the sake of it.

[Lou2711]

Being 21, I would say there's no point in this. When I was at school we had local authority services that helped with this, then at uni we had modules based on careers and cvs/interviews/internships which were graded as part of our degree with help from uni careers service and academics. For those that don't go to uni, the job centre will help with these skills also so I think you would struggle.

Sorry don't want to seem harsh, just honest

[Paulat2112]

My mum says no

[Oliviaerinpope]

I'd be confident supporting my DC in those areas, I wouldn't need to pay someone to do it.

[justaweeone]

Have you thought about actually doing a qualification ?
Look at the CDI website.
Some school buy in careers advisors.

[NewLife4Me]

I did this with all 3 of ours, usually starting about 12 years old, just little bits of information. We looked at various jobs/ careers, choosing options at school, personalities suited to particular roles etc.
This coincides with talking about money, managing accounts and as they progress finance, loans, mortgages etc.
I wouldn't part with money for someone else to do it and connexions can be a good service in some parts.

[NewLife4Me]

stone

Maybe your sons problem comes from the fact you'd still pay for these things at 21.

I have one similar, same age so not judging. I stopped all payments a long time ago and he'll work it out for himself eventually. I'm not sure an outsider would help tbh, I'm sure their schools tried their best and i'm sure like we did, you tried your best too.

[QueenOnAPlate]

I'm not sure there would be a market for individuals, but maybe school/ colleges or virtual schools if you had relevant qualifications?

[Cheffie100]

Thanks everyone. I've posted this on a few forums and it seems to be a resounding no. I really appreciate all the replies before I ploughed anytime in to it

[Parsley1234]

There was a woman I can't remember her name - not very helpful sorry who dealt with all the very smart families children. She interviewed them looked at their strengths and weaknesses, got their exam predictions and looked at where they wanted to go to uni and helped them with preparation. She was a legend in those circles what she didn't know nobody knew, she had a great knack of getting the information out of a child and parents trusted her guidance, she was very old when she retired 75+ and she was not cheap! There is a market I believe but it's where you can get clients X

[stonecircle]

New life - sounds like you're judging to me.

[Leeds2]

I would expect DD's school. and uni, to provide this service so, no, I wouldn't pay extra for it. DD is 18 and, so far, the school have delivered.

May be worth marketing yourself to schools who don't provide a careers/higher education service, but I am unconvinced that parents would pay £30 per hour for advice.

[NewLife4Me]

stone
On the contrary, I sensed the frustration in your post, that i know so well myself.
There is no way I do anything for him that I wouldn't do for another adult iyswim.
He commented on us not making his tea tonight and said that we should be feeding him still.
He has ASD and it's been a battle, but we had to say enough is enough or he'll still be here at 30 expecting us to do things for him.
sorry, if you found my comment judgemental it wasn't my intention

[jeanne16]

Actually I think there is a market for these services, certainly in the well-heeled London independent schools. Although these schools provide help in these areas, parents are always on the look out for a bit of extra help, esp if it is to help with Oxbridge applications. Not dure how you would get started however.

[pearlylum]

OP it seems a little ironic that you are suggesting a venture in career counselling which seems unlikely to be successful.

[Middleagedmumoftwo]

I have two offspring aged 18/21, and they had very little career advice in school, so I definitely think there's a need for this service. Fortunately I've been around and interested enough to help them research their options and they've both done very well so far. My only worry is the cost...I'm not convinced the average parent will be willing to pay £30 an hour. There are online resources to help with it, and I tend to think you've got the parents who will help guide their child with the help of online info, and the parents who will leave their kids to their own devices for whatever reason, and if they're in the latter category are they going to stump up £30 an hour?

[GetAHaircutCarl]

At both my DCs schools they sat something called the Morrisby test.

I'm sure it cost a lot, so schools do have a budget for it ( independent schools for sure).

And the results were very generic.

That said this is a well known company that is considered to have the 'expertise' here. I guess you'd need to work out how you'd sell yourself as someone with similar/better expertise?

[Frrrrrrippery]

I suppose what you are suggesting is 'life coaching' for teens. Personally, I would never use it especially if the coach was unqualified. I'm not including most 'send us the cheque and we will send you the qualification' life coach qualifications. I'd want to see a proper qualification IYSWIM

Also, I'd want to see some relevant experience. I don't think going through the process yourself or your own kids going through it is enough. I've got four DC in university at the moment and whilst I'm very knowledgeable about certain courses I haven't got a clue about other areas.

I don't know if it's a viable business or not though. Maybe some people would pay for it but I wouldn't.

[2rebecca]

No, I look at enough CVs to feel able to advise my kids on their CVs. Many jobs have individualised application forms any way.
There is such a wide variety of jobs and career paths out there that I would be worried the whole range of options wouldn't be covered.
My kids are both motivated, maybe if you have an unmotivated teenager it would be helpful. Their schools were good as well but made it clear to them that they had to research stuff online themselves.

[RhodaBull]

I think I would have benefitted from this sort of service. I drifted around and struggled to get started in a career, even though I had extremely good qualifications. There was a Big Fat Zero careers service at school. I remember saying I wanted to work in publishing and the sour old careers woman saying, "Oh, that's too competitive - pick something else." And so I obediently binned that idea. At university I did the psychological tests and they came out with the usual "creative" leaning (even Jackie magazine told me that) but the careers bloke gave me a form for the M&S training scheme. Comparing notes with others afterwards, everyone had been handed the M&S training scheme form, no matter what their degree was in or their area of interest.

That being said, this is the age of the internet. I often wonder, "Why didn't I do such and such?" or "Why didn't I know that?" and then I remember that pre-mid 90s there was no real means of accessing information other than through contacts or real diligence, usually via (often unreplied to) letters. Today if my ds wanted to be, say, a mechanic/lawyer/butcher, I could find out what needed to be done to achieve this.