Career development often begins with articulating personal purpose, which can clarify career goal setting.
Of course, the goals of next-gen participants don’t always match the path of the previous generation, says Drew Egan, director of family education at the CFL. So their career development isn’t simply preparing them to take over the family business or to follow in the family’s footsteps. It’s setting them up for success and helping them express their differences no matter what path they take.
“Often, in finding your purpose and thinking about your vision, you may come up with ideas that are distinct and different from your current family business and that can grow into something larger,” Egan says. “We educate next-gen family members on how to pursue their purpose and their passions. What’s most fulfilling to them is where they’ll likely be the most successful and will help build family wealth.”
We customize the CFL’s career education program to each participant, and include topics such as resume building, networking, interviewing, signing up for benefits, and coping with rejection. Other discussions include establishing short-, mid-, and long-term career goals and planning the steps to achieve them.
Career development education begins much earlier than high school or college, says Ashley Silvers, a next-gen education associate at the CFL.
“We start working with kids as young as 8,” Silvers says. Topics for younger next-gen participants include skills assessments, college prep, and entrepreneurship. “We get them thinking about their talents and the needs in their community, and connecting the two.”