It runs in the family. Or does it?

Wade told me he’d wanted to be a vet, mainly because he loved dogs. But when the Uni course wasn’t quite what he expected, he quit, walking immediately across campus to enrol in law – the work his father did and he’d grown up around.

It was familiar, a good career, and he needed an answer to the ‘what now’ question facing him.

Looking back, Wade says his understanding of other possibilities was really quite limited. He knows now that he had an interest in the humanities, but it never occurred to him to study in that area.

His reason? He didn’t see himself as a teacher, and he thought the hours (and drinking habits) of a journalist back in the day would probably kill him (he may have been onto something there!)

When a young person’s picture of other possibilities is limited to what they see around them, a parent’s occupation could look like an obvious choice for them – without anyone insisting on it or stopping to consider what else might fit.

That’s the subtle part of family influence in career choices. The work activities are already familiar. The path feels within reach. And there’s someone in their circle who knows how to get there.

And for a young person, a familiar path can feel easier to choose when the stakes are high – especially when they’re not sure what other options are available.

But given support and the right tools, young people can explore the kinds of tasks and activities they’d enjoy doing at work. That might lead them to discovering areas of work they hadn’t considered – beyond those they’ve seen around them.

Or they might find that the familiar path holds plenty of appeal and matches their own work interests.

Either way, they’ll have a clearer understanding of their own work interests and what’s out there in the world of work before choosing their next steps.

Following in a parent’s footsteps could be a wonderful choice for a young person. Knowing their own work interests can help them work out whether it’s right one for them.

Wade isn’t his real name – it’s Wake, and he’s my darling husband who still loves dogs and wishes Work Sync had been around to help him understand the possibilities for him.