What do you want to be when you grow up?
Written by Christine Villaruz, December 2025
Imagine, your younger self, and being asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” It is a question we’ve all been asked before at such a young age. An age where children don’t even know what the world of work looks like. Your younger-self may have said, “teacher,” “doctor,” “firefighter,” “professional athlete,” “musician,” or “artist.” These answers can be inspired by the people around us, what we saw on tv or movies, or even in the books we read. However, as adults, we may have realized knowing what we want to be is more complex than picking a job title– it is about understanding who we are.
Career Development Starts Early:
Career development begins as early as our first days in an educational setting. Students start learning foundational skills they will rely on throughout life: problem-solving, listening, sharing, communication, responsibility, social awareness, and even how to follow rules and expectations.
As students get older it is important to encourage exploration of hobbies, interests, dislikes, and curiosities while in school. Encourage after school activities, join a new club or sport, volunteer, or even take a wide range of classes. This can help an individual figure out strengths, understand weaknesses, and figure out passions.
Understanding personal growth and building on self-esteem throughout the school years helps individuals figure out who they are and question who they want to become. With each new experience, whether it is through a group project, a part-time job at a car dealership, or even being the Captain of a sports team, all of these experiences can help shape how individuals view themselves, and what they will value in their future work.
Career Counseling and Moving Forward:
According to Donald Super’s theory, career development is a lifelong process and uses the idea of self-concept to guide an individual to their career choice. Super’s theory also explains how outside influences such as family, culture, and societal expectations can also impact an individual's career choice (A.L. Brown, 2023).
Throughout life and our career path, we encounter moments that require us to pause and ask, “What’s next?” These decisions can feel overwhelming. Career Counselors help individuals navigate these pivotal moments by empowering them to make thoughtful and confident choices.
Career Counselors help clients explore questions such as:
What motivates me?
What environments help me thrive?
How can my strengths support the people I work with?
What are my core values?
How will this decision impact my family or future goals?
Whether someone is considering quitting a job, the stress of the possible lay offs, searching for similar careers, updating a resume, or beginning a job search Career Counselors are there to help provide clarity, direction, and support to help with, “What’s next.”
Career Counseling and Mental Health: A Powerful Connection
As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), I’ve seen how career challenges often coincide with mental health. Career uncertainty, burnout, or job dissatisfaction can contribute to stress, anxiety, and even depression.
Career counseling can provide a space to explore the clients’ alignment of their values and goals, to help find meaning in their work, and to manage the pressures that come with transitions, or self-doubt.
In my own practice, I integrate career counseling principles with therapeutic approaches like mindfulness and strengths-based strategies. I help clients reframe career challenges as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
I became interested in career counseling because I saw how often clients’ career struggles showed up in the therapy room — not just as “work issues,” but clients questioning their purpose. Career counseling isn’t just about landing a job — it’s about developing a sense of direction, personal fulfillment, and who you want to become.
So, what do you want to be when you grow up? Is a question asked when we are younger, but maybe now a better question might be, who do you want to become?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Reference:
National Career Development Association. (2023). Facilitating career development: An instructional program for career services providers and other career development providers (5th ed.). A. L. Brown (Ed.).
