Guidance, Action and Solutions

The Need for Guidance: An Introduction

In their early years, many women recall being asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Unfortunately, as young girls approach adolescence, they often set aside beneficial fantasies of becoming doctors, rocket scientists, owners of theme parks, or major league baseball team managers for the widely accepted dreams of being cheerleaders, models, or girlfriends of the most popular boys in school. While these traditional, short-lived ambitions of teenage girls are usually harmless, they often distract the young women from seriously planning their futures as independent, challenged, and fulfilled adults. Since studies indicate that both the ages of those who choose to marry and the divorce rate are rising, it is likely that a majority of young women will become self-supporting adults at some time during their lives. Like their male counterparts, school-aged girls can no longer avoid the realities of the fast-approaching world of work. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a question we must continue to ask young women as they approach, and experience, their teenage years.

This section of Advancing Women discusses the importance of education and career preparation in the lives of young women, and explores the influence of schools, parents, and society on the career decisions these women make.

Links:

The Facts About Women and Work
http://www.academic.org/work.html
Do Schools Guide Young Women in Career Choices?
Do Parents Guide Their Daughters in Career Decisions?
Does Society Encourage Girls to Develop Career Goals?
How Can We Improve Career Exploration Opportunities for Young Women?
You Can Change Career Outcomes
Career Guidance Resources and Professional Organizations