In career choices, identity blocking often begins when adults ask children: What will you become when you grow up?
Thinking about this question can trigger a confused thinking about work and yourself. In an article published on CNBC, Adam Grant argues why this question is useless, in some cases even dangerous.
Adam Grant, a graduate of Harvard University and later a specialist at the University of Michigan, is a psychologist and professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of the best-selling books "Give and Take", "Originals", "Option B", and "Power moves". His latest book is "Think again: The power of knowing what you do not know".
"Choosing a career is not like finding a spiritual companion. It is possible that your ideal job has not even been invented yet. Some children dream too young. They give up following in the footsteps of family and never consider alternatives. "Some face the opposite problem: They had very big dreams, being associated with a vision that was unrealistic." - he writes.
Grant emphasizes that "children, when they see work in relation to what they do, rather than to what they are, become more open to exploring different possibilities."
“If your children decide to start a conversation about what they want to be when they grow up, show them that they do not need to choose a career; they can do many things. Get them thinking about all the things they want to do - maybe designing, studying space, creative writing, football or being a fitness YouTuber. ”
Grant emphasizes changing industries and new things.
"Old industries are changing and new ones are emerging faster than ever before. It has not been long since Google, Uber and Instagram did not exist. "Your future self may not exist now and your interests may change over time," he wrote.
