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Probably the only time your child will listen to you is when they need career advice. You cannot tell your child what careers choice to pursue, simply guide their decisions.  Particularly as they are probably spending your money!
 

Below are listed key principles when helping your child determining their future career?
- So your son/daughter understands the possibilities, it's important they consider the various options. There maybe graduate jobs out there which your child has never considered or even knew existed. Research the possible industries, especially since these are ever changing in this fast moving society.
- Help your siblings realise their interests, what they are passionate about and equally important what they are good at. Take advantage of any gifted skills.
- Great advice often comes from the person themselves, listening can be as important as talking.
- Do you know of anyone who is in the line of work your child is interested in? Get them to speak to them, asking any questions and concerns they have. What options do they face?What makes a good university?
 

Choosing the right university is a tough decision and one that will affect your child's life for the next few years. You will want your child to go to a 'good university' and do 'a good' course. But how do you know what is good? One way of measuring this is the university league tables. Although there are many different tables published each year.

Decide what factors are most important and research which tables measure which factors, this is certainly more than a start.
 

1. How employable are the students after completing their degree?
Each higher education institution is required to collect statistics of students' destinations six months after they graduate. This information is available from individual university departments. You should also consider the type of work students are in. How helpful is the careers department because at the end of the day the aim is to get a good graduate job.
2. What the course involves?
Despite course names looking similar they may be completely different. Research their content, structure, are the modules of interest to you and how are they accessed. Do they include a placement year? This is an ideal opportunity usually arranged through the university to gain some work experience. Many future employers criticise graduates for a lack of work experience.
3. Accreditation
Does your chosen degree exempt you from future professional exams? For example the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), even if you are not considering at this point in time you always have the option.
4. Does is make a difference which degree you study?
Some careers require a specific degree for example medicine. The majority of degrees allow you to enter the career of your choice, although you should research this, especially if you have a specific career goal.
5. Social factors
Your child will be spending a good few years at university therefore it is important that to consider the non-academic aspects. The facilities the university has to offer, location, living costs and the social life. Visit the university to find out if you like it there.
 

Once your child has finished their degree, they are open to the real world. They will have developed many skills along the way and now is the time to put it into practice. Universities offer career advice to students, although some universities are more helpful than others. Recruitment agencies are a good way of helping you find work. The benefits of using The Graduate Recruitment Bureau over other agencies can be viewed here.