Helping Your Young Adult Find Their Path: How Parents Can Support Career Exploration Without Taking Over

As parents, we spend years teaching our kids how to cross the street safely, tie their shoes, and finish their homework. But what happens when they grow up and the questions become much bigger?

What should I do with my life? Should I go to college? What career path is right for me?

If your young adult is overwhelmed or unsure where to start you're not alone. Today’s career landscape looks nothing like it did a generation ago. Gone are the linear paths of graduate-college-job-family. Instead, we’re seeing more students living at home longer, switching majors or careers multiple times, and feeling the pressure to “figure it all out” by age 22.

In a recent conversation, educational and career consultant Diane Geller offered compassionate, clear-eyed guidance on how parents can support their child’s career journey without hijacking it. Here’s what we learned and why this conversation is so important for families raising neurodivergent kids or young adults who are still “figuring it out.”

A Changing Landscape Requires a Different Kind of Support

Diane started our conversation by naming what so many parents are feeling: this generation’s path to adulthood looks very different than it did before. Today’s young adults face:

• An unpredictable job market

• Career fields that didn’t exist five years ago—and may not in another five

• A mental health crisis that impacts motivation, confidence, and executive functioning

• The social pressure to “have it all figured out” while still learning who they are

For neurodivergent learners, the journey can feel even more complex. The traditional milestones—graduating, launching, settling into a job—may happen on a different timeline, and that’s not only okay… it’s expected.

So what’s a parent’s role in all of this?

The 6 Roles Every Parent Plays in Career Exploration

Diane offered a beautiful framework for the multifaceted ways parents can support career exploration. Instead of seeing yourself as a problem-solver (or resume editor-in-chief), think of your role in six distinct ways:

1. Advisor & Emotional Supporter

Be a sounding board. Ask open-ended questions. Encourage exploration without judgment. This helps your child feel safe and heard, especially when they’re navigating uncertainty.

2. Information Provider

Share what you know—about careers, work environments, or people in your network—but let them take the lead. It’s about offering breadcrumbs, not building the entire trail.

3. Role Model

Demonstrate a healthy relationship with work. Talk openly about how you’ve handled challenges, changes, or even career pivots. Your attitude shapes theirs more than you think.

4. Facilitator of Opportunities

Encourage your child to seek out internships, job shadowing, or volunteer work. These don’t have to be formal or paid—just experiences that build confidence and spark curiosity.

5. Advocate

Especially for neurodivergent young adults, parents may still need to advocate for accommodations or support systems. But as Diane reminded us, advocacy should slowly transition into self-advocacy as your child grows.

6. Promoter of Independence

Ultimately, your goal is to work yourself out of a job. Help your child gain the tools to navigate applications, interviews, and decision-making with increasing autonomy.

From Resume Tips to Real-World Skills: What Employers Want Now

Today’s employers are less focused on “what you did” and more interested in how you think, solve problems, and adapt. Diane shared that many companies are:

• Asking behavioral interview questions (e.g., “Tell me about a time you failed…”)

• Prioritizing soft skills like teamwork, initiative, and communication

• Using AI systems that scan for keywords in resumes

So what does this mean for your teen or twenty-something?

• They need to learn how to tell their story—how to connect experiences like babysitting, volunteering, or scooping ice cream to real-world strengths.

• They should practice the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer interview questions clearly and confidently.

• They benefit from using editable resume templates and tailoring each resume to the job description—quality over quantity.

Let Exploration Be the Resume

One of the biggest “aha” moments in our talk was this: The best resume is built through exploration.

Parents often worry, “What will look good on a resume?” But Diane urges us to flip the question: What will help my child grow, discover, and build skills they can talk about?

That could be:

• Volunteering at an animal shelter

• Interviewing family friends about their careers

• Leading a school club or helping coach a team

• Taking an online course in a subject they’re curious about

Not everything needs to lead directly to a job. Exploration builds confidence, clarity, and connection—and that’s exactly what young adults need most right now.

A Note About Neurodivergent Learners

Neurodivergent young adults—those with ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, or anxiety—may need extra scaffolding in their career journey. That could include:

• Practicing how to describe their strengths and challenges

• Developing self-awareness around executive function skills

• Building emotional regulation and resilience to handle rejection

• Receiving support in how to initiate communication with employers or mentors

Diane emphasized that while many neurodivergent students struggle with open-ended questions or summarizing their strengths, they often thrive with the right tools, repetition, and non-parental guidance. That’s where career consultants, coaches, and other third-party adults can make a huge difference.

What Parents Can Do Right Now

If your young adult is struggling with motivation, direction, or confidence about the future, here are a few next steps you can take:

✅ Normalize exploration – Talk about how careers unfold over time. Share your own pivots and learning curves.

✅ Encourage real-world experience – Even if it’s a few hours a week, every bit of exposure helps build self-knowledge and skills.

✅ Use resources like Diane’s – Career consultants can help teens and young adults clarify interests, practice job skills, and discover aligned paths.

✅ Hold the space, not the steering wheel – Resist the urge to “fix” or micromanage. Instead, offer guidance, encouragement, and trust.

✅ Remember the goal – A personally fulfilling life—not just a “perfect” resume—is what we’re aiming for.

Final Thoughts: It Takes a Village (and a Lot of Listening)

Diane reminded us that career development is not a sprint—it’s a lifelong process that evolves with each new stage of life. Whether your child is 18 or 28, the best gift you can give is space to grow, explore, and believe in themselves.

Because in the end, what matters most isn’t whether they choose the “right” major or land their first job quickly.

What matters is that they feel seen, supported, and empowered to become the person they’re meant to be.

Want to learn more about Diane’s work? Visit DianeGeller.com for resources, career planning tools, and ways to connect.

And if you’re a parent navigating this journey, you don’t have to do it alone. Join our free community at Parent Your ADHD Child with Confidence!, where we celebrate strengths, share strategies, and support one another through every stage of parenting.