Karla is a friend of yours, and she just told you that her daughter, Zoe, is uninterested in going to college. Instead, Zoe is considering one of the vocational programs that her high school offers. Karla is skeptical that this will prepare Zoe for life on her own. What information can you give Karla that she might find helpful?

Opportunities for vocational training and to obtaining relevant work experience will help young people try out careers and get relevant training for specific jobs. In addition, training programs should relay specific expectations for youth with regard to their responsibility in career training and decision making as well as the educational and vocational support they can expect in return.Many young people find themselves employed in careers that are not their first choice, often explaining that they simply "fell into it," without exerting much effort or a choice. Young people's jobs frequently do not match their interests and education. These mismatches are common during the early years of employment as young adults are learning about their competencies and preferences and comparing them with the reality they encounter in the workplace. The day-to-day tasks entailed by a given occupation often differ from young people's expectations, as young people are typically faced with more clerical and other paperwork, longer work hours, less supportive and instructive supervisors, and lower pay than expected. The reality that vocational expectations are not always achieved can be a shock and can influence self-concept and occupational development as young adults revise their expectations.