Coaching Teens Through an Essential Life Question: What Do I Want to Do When I Grow Up?

Have you ever coached a teenager? Have you ever thought of providing your own teen with a coach?

Jennifer Openshaw says it’s a good idea—on both fronts.

“The sad truth is that parents are understandably worried about how successfully their children will transition from the artificial world of school to the real world of business and life,” said Openshaw. “And even good students don’t know what they don’t know, and should know, about getting into good colleges, having the tools to succeed and ultimately reaching their dreams.”

Openshaw, an author and financial commentator, last year launched “Superfutures,” a program for teenagers that includes coaching—via “supercoaches”—at its core.

Why hire a “supercoach” for your teenager?

“Adults have coaches for just about everything, whether it’s whipping their bodies back into shape, re-engineering their careers or just making sure they’re being successful on the job,” said Openshaw, who has spoken about families and stress on programs like Oprah.

“So why not a coach for your teen as they head into the working world? We’re not talking about college coaches that focus only on your child’s college applications. We’re talking about SuperCoaches, extraordinary coaches committed to helping your teen succeed in college, career and life. Whether it’s getting those internships, engaging in the right extra-curricular activities, or simply providing an experienced voice to deal with the fears and decisions that come their way, our SuperCoaches will help your child build his or her skills and confidence. At the same time, our coaches prepare your child for tomorrow’s opportunities.”

The program’s coaches work with their teenage coachees to identify and explore potential career choices—and then work on the skills and training they’ll need to get there, and the interviewing skills they’ll need to land the job.

Openshaw says the “majority of students” are stressed about their futures, and that stress and uncertainty can ultimately be costly to parents, who can pay up to 25 percent more in college costs when a child isn’t really sure what he or she wants to do after graduation.

Superfutures also describes a syndrome of “career mismatch,” where a student graduates and enters the workforce, only to discover they’ve ended up doing something that’s just not for them. The result—job dissatisfaction and a huge cost (estimated at $44 billion) to employers.

Adding to the uncertainty—and stress—for college-bound teenagers, a study by the Gates Foundation finds fully 60 percent of high school students giving their guidance counselors low marks on helping them answer questions like “what do I want to do when I grow up?”

Superfutures hopes to use coaching to fill that gap. The group’s coaches were in Austin this week, attending the high-tech and social media convention South by South West (SxSW), where they unveiled a new and very teen-friendly coaching tool: a mobile coaching application for cell phones and other wireless devices.

“Busy parents and teens stressed about their futures can now simply text” and be connected with Superfutures’ staff of coaches.

In addition to career coaching, the group provides teenagers with leadership experiences, including a summer program at the United Nations—the “Youth Assembly”—that connects teenagers to world leaders and allows them to develop their own projects to address some of the world’s problems.

“We know more than ever that this is a global world, and the students who are part of that are the ones who will be prepared to compete in a tough job climate,” said Patrick Sciarratta, Co-Founder of the Youth Assembly at the United Nations and a member of SuperFutures’ Advisory Board. “SuperFutures is providing motivated high school students the chance to turn what they learn into action – into an experience that can make a difference in their college applications, their lives, even in the lives of others.”

This summer, the program will host a trip to Eastern Europe for teens to learn about responsibility and fair leadership, in addition to a repeat of the nine-day program at the UN and New York University.

“So many professional adults tell me they wish they had known about their career options when they were young,” says Laura Flanagan, a New York-based family therapist. “As a result, many have led frustrated lives, less fulfilling lives, wondering ‘what-if’. That’s why SuperFutures is so desperately needed – to give our youth the opportunity to explore their true passions and turn that into real success.”

So—have you had the experience of coaching a teenager through the enduring life question “what do I want to be when I grow up?” We’d love to hear your experiences, challenges and rewards.