Good Life or Good Job? Helping Kids Aim for Both
College brochures used to pile up like autumn leaves at every high-school counselor’s office. Now, fewer than half of seventh- to twelfth-graders plan to follow the traditional two- or four-year college route. Six short years ago, it was nearly three-quarters. What changed? Many teens have started asking bigger questions than, “What will I major in?” They want to know, “What makes a life worth living?”
As parents and mentors, we can celebrate that deeper question. A “good job” still matters. Work funds groceries, missions trips, and the occasional extra-large pizza can be part of the adulting equation. Yet Scripture reminds us that life is “more than food, and the body more than clothes.” The good life God designed includes purpose, relationships, growth, and joyful service. Our challenge is to help kids see how careers and calling fit together rather than compete.
Rethink “Success”
Ask your child, “What does success look like to you?” You may hear “helping animals,” “inventing an app,” or “staying close to family.” Listen without correcting. Their answer reveals heart passions that point toward both vocation and flourishing. Money matters, but meaning motivates.
Spotlight New Pathways
Universities still shine when a field demands licensure—teaching, nursing, engineering. Yet apprenticeships, community colleges, micro-credentials, and gap-year service programs open doors for students who learn best by doing. Invite your teen to interview adults who found fulfillment through non-traditional routes. Stories stick longer than statistics.
Keep the Core Needs in View
Every child carries God-given heart needs: Security, Identity, Belonging, Purpose, and Competence. When those needs are met in healthy ways, kids walk taller and dream wider. A good job can meet Competence and even Purpose, but a genuinely good life speaks to all five. Keep the whole picture in focus.
Move from Either-Or to Both-And
Career and calling are not rival teams. They should shake hands and practice together. Encourage your teen to explore questions like:
How could this field let me serve others?
Will this path stretch the gifts God placed in me?
What rhythms will protect my relationships and faith?
When kids connect career plans to eternal values, the “good life versus good job” debate becomes a partnership instead of a tug-of-war.
8 Great Smarts in Action
Help your child process the good life–good job conversation through every smart God wired into them:
Word Smart: Journal a “day in the life” story of their future self, then discuss what feels exciting or empty.
Logic Smart: Create a pros-and-cons chart comparing degree, trade school, and entrepreneurship options.
Picture Smart: Build a vision board—magazine clippings or digital slides—that captures their dream life and work.
Music Smart: Craft a playlist of songs that inspire purpose; ask why each lyric resonates.
Body Smart: Shadow a professional on the job or volunteer for hands-on service to feel the work physically.
Nature Smart: Take a walk while talking about how different environments (urban, rural, remote) might shape their happiness and health.
People Smart: Host a round-table dinner with adults who follow varied paths; let your teen lead the Q&A.
Self Smart: Set aside quiet time for prayer and reflection, inviting God to speak about gifts, desires, and next steps.
When we nurture all eight smarts and every core need, we equip kids to pursue careers that pay the bills and lives that feed the soul. That is truly the best of both worlds.