Without career guidance, university feels like a waste for many parents

Career orientation is nearly absent in rural areas, with choices often based on any successful story parents have heard.

When I took the university entrance exam, I chose a pedagogy school because teaching was the only profession my farmer parents understood.

Failing the entrance exam, I switched to accounting, a field neither I nor my parents knew about. We had no idea what jobs an accounting diploma could lead to, but my parents gambled on anything that wasn't farming to escape poverty.

Fortunately, I graduated during a demand for accountants, so I easily found a job. Others from my hometown also studied accounting and secured jobs better than farming, with some becoming quite successful.

Recently, however, as certain job markets became saturated, graduates struggle to find employment or earn salaries that meet their expectations. Many have resorted to side jobs or returned home to work in factories, making their university education seem like a waste of time and money.

I've heard many parents say they no longer want their children to escape the fields by attending college, even if their grades could get them into top schools. Instead, they prefer their children work overseas, in factories, or help with family businesses, seeing college as a futile investment.

The dilemma is choosing a major that ensures a secure future. Will a popular major today still be relevant four years later?

In developed countries like those in Europe and America, career guidance begins when children are 12. I recently enrolled my child in a summer program focused on career aspirations and goal setting.

In a large-scale interview, over 80% of parents couldn't specify what they want their children to become, as they still see them as kids. Similarly, children's responses about future careers are naive and change frequently with their interests.

Understanding a child's capacity to set career goals is challenging, as their interests and the world around them constantly evolve. Parents cannot leave their children's development to chance; they must be proactive. Schools should teach subject skills programs, and there should be coordination between ministries, departments, and businesses to create a supportive system for young people to prepare for future careers.

Positioning oneself and setting career goals early helps individuals understand their mission, duties, and responsibilities to family and society. This approach fosters a generation of young people with clear goals, resilience, and the ability to integrate into the evolving world.