In the words of Confucius, if you do what you love, “you will never have to work a day in your life.”  However, doing what you love may not be easy for everyone, particularly when parents do not approve of the career choice. While some rebel against their parents and go ahead with their chosen path, for many others, going against parents can be challenging.

If your views on the career path vary considerably from what your parents want for you, the following points can help you sort out your differences:

Identify your dreams

The first step is to know your own mind and what career path excites you. In the era of globalisation and digitalisation, opportunities and options are unlimited. Millennials and GenZers are choosing nontraditional career paths, whether it is to scoop out ice creams, start a nonprofit organisation, or patenting an innovation. Reflect on your capabilities, interests, passion, and aptitude and write down the ideas that occur to you. Narrow down on career paths that interest you the most. Once you identify the ‘dream’ career, conduct in-depth research into the field. Even if you already know what you are going to do, it is important to consult a career and life coach to know if it is the right fit for your abilities and interests.

Understand the views of your parents

Your parents want the best for you and have known you for the longest time. Trust that your parents want you to lead a stable and successful life and believe that you would be happy in a field they have chosen for you.  Try to understand the reasons or logic behind what your parents have chosen for you. It may be that they want you to pursue something that they wanted to but were not able to.

Discuss your views and career interests while trying to find common ground with your parents. It is important to be respectful even if you don’t agree with your parents’ views. Clarify that you will go ahead in your chosen field only after considering the pros, cons, and risks involved. You can suggest that you and your parents seek career clarity coaching together to help sort out your differences.

Consult a nontraditional career coach

One of the most crucial decisions you will ever make in your life is related to your career choice. What you choose to do has a huge impact on the rest of your life. With most of your adult life being spent working, it is important to choose a career that makes you happy. If your parents do not approve of your choice and you appear to be stuck in a stalemate situation as far as your career debate is concerned, it is time to seek career clarity coaching. A creative career coach not only conducts a detailed assessment of your skills, passion, and interests but guides you on suitable career options in an unbiased way.

A career and life coach can also talk to your parents and convince them to take your career views and dreams seriously.  Alternatively, the nontraditional career coach can provide suitable creative career options, point out errors, if any, in your thinking while helping you identify unconventional career options that may be the right fit for your abilities, passion, and aptitude.