Does your child already know what they want to be when they grow up? Earlier this month we put this question to Knowledge First Financial customers. Almost 400 people participated in the survey, and one thing is for sure: most kids aren’t interested in following in their parents’ career footsteps. An overwhelming 88% of respondents said that their child does not want to work in the same field as them or other family members.

It’s not surprising that almost 24% of kids aren’t sure which career path they’ll want to follow, but many do have an inkling about the fields they may be interested in pursuing. It seems that kids have absorbed the message that there will be a high demand for people with STEM training in the near future. Topping the list of career interests is science which includes everything from research to astronomy and marine biology. Healthcare comes in second with career aspirations from being a therapist to nursing to becoming a doctor. Careers in technology (17%) came in third, closely followed by the arts (16^%) which includes graphic design, music, dance and acting. Coming in fifth at 15% is a profession as a police officer or fire fighter.

Parents are supporting their children’s career ambitions with many different strategies, and the most common one is encouraging their kids to explore their interests in order to discover what they’re passionate about. Many enrol their kids in arts classes, sports and other programs that will help their children get a taste of different types of career possibilities. They also read together and go to the library frequently. Others say they support their children’s aspirations by hiring subject-specific tutors. Whether kids have no clue what they want to do when they grow up or they have set their sights on a specific career, strategies like these will help them uncover their passions and set them on the path to pursing their dreams.