Books & Media

Books

The Parents’ Guide to Career Planning for Your Twentysomething: How Parents Can Help Their College and Post-College Age Children Find Careers That Lead to Happiness and Success by [Capuano, Daryl]

“After reading your book, we finally understood how we could help our struggling son find a career path. Thank you!”  David and Susan G., Danbury, Connecticut

The Parents’ Guide To Career Planning for your Twentysomething

If your twentysomething is struggling with career issues, you likely feel ill-equipped to help. You might be right. Unless your own experiences have schooled you in the way the New World of Work operates, realize that some part of the way you understood careers has radically changed.

More significantly, you now are experiencing that the college to career transition is no longer the sure thing it seemed to be. This book is designed to help you help your twentysomething.

Despite the radical change in college to career transitions that have occurred in the last few decades, parents still tend to conflate the college decision with the career decision:

“Once we get Johnny off to college, he’ll figure out his career.” This misguided thinking was never quite right. Even in the go-go 80s and 90s, colleges did a lousy job of career preparation. But the work world revolution of the last few decades has exacerbated the problem. Economic realities—not an extension of helicoptering parents—have created the need for greater parental involvement with career issues.
I run The Learning Consultants, the largest private educational consultancy in Connecticut. The number of parents who have called seeking advice for their college-age children has multiplied exponentially in the last ten years. Those that live far away and would prefer not to meet virtually would ask, “What can I do for my children?” That’s what this book addresses. What can parents do to help their children find happy and successful careers?

Why the enhanced need for career advice from parents?

I started providing career counseling services before The Great Recession of 2007-09. Even then, most of our recent college graduate clients had experienced some form of post-collegiate misery. The problem for those clients was the mismatch between their career path and their particular interests, values, and preferences. But the career crisis for young adults has been magnified exponentially due to the restructured post-Great Recession economy. There is a far greater need to not only find a career match among many options but to simply find a career building job.

Moreover, the resources to parents and children alike on the subject have been scarce or ineffective.

The disconnect between our educational system and career choice has never wider.

Few twentysomethings have wise adults in their lives, outside of their parents, who can guide them. This leaves parents as the continuing source of guidance in their lives.

This book will help you help your children.

“I wanted my work to be meaningful but I had no idea how to make that a reality. This book is one of those hidden gems that can change the reader profoundly.”  Jennifer S., New Haven, Connecticut

Career Path of Abundance

I have read most every major career book. Some are very good. Some are good in specific ways. As a generality, the older books – What Color Is Your Parachute? etc. are good for providing broad wisdom. This is helpful. The challenge is that the “classics”, by definition, are written about the work world of last century. The New World of Work requires different thinking. The new books – The 4 Hour Work Week etc. wonderfully address the new reality of work but do not do a great job of conveying broad wisdom. Here’s what I mean: Tim Ferriss, author of 4 hour epitomizes the career guide who shows “his way”. Most could not do what Ferriss did. He started an online supplement business and automated most of the work so he could spend free time on his hobbies. This is not a criticism. It is a great mind shifting book and some of the tactics he suggests are excellent (some are not because while never totally crossing the line, he’s not exactly the most ethical guy).

Career Path of Abundance does not provide the answer to what you will do for the rest of your life. No book does. It will, however, provide principles to help you figure out what to do now, and next, and into the future. The New World of Work will require constant change. Wisdom is required because you will be compelled to make decisions throughout your life.

“I struggled with my early career. I didn’t want my son to suffer as I did and I knew that your thesis: “the root cause of underemployment in most young men is lack of motivation during high school” was exactly right.”  Scott G., Madison, Connecticut

Motivate Your Son

Approximately, one out of three young men cannot financially support themselves.

Why? The seeds of their failure to launch were planted in their teen years when they were not properly motivated. This lack of motivation led to poor work character. This, in turn, led to poor academic performance which limited both their college choices and readiness for college. Thereafter, in the face of the new economy, many of these young men floundered in college and have failed to obtain meaningful work.

But, there is hope. Our current economic landscape, perilous as it is, lends itself to extraordinary opportunities for your son. Some boys in this generation will attain far bigger success at a much younger age than any previous generation.  Your son could be one of these young men.  And, you will be the main reason for his success.

Learn how to:
– Transform your role from nagging boss to loving parent
– Shift your son’s inner drive
– Identify the best methods for effectively communicating with your son

If your son is a teenage boy or nearing his teen years, the time to help him is now.  Discover how you can change his life and set him on a course for lifetime success and happiness.

Other Media

99-1 PLR Interview: Part 1

99-1 PLR Interview: Part 2

Motivate Your Son: Part 1

Motivate Your Son: Part 2

Career Path of Abundance