The power of influencers in shaping student career interests
Be sure to check out the suggested Huddle question at the bottom of this article to have an engaging conversation on this topic with your students in class!
In a recent Junior Achievement USA and EY survey, research found that 76% of teens expressed a willingness to explore entrepreneurship as a potential career path. The report also reveals that this newfound interest is driven by “social media influencers” and “successful business people” they see online. This research highlights not only the growing desire of students to start their own businesses but also the profound impact that social media influencers have on student interests.
Why should educators care? It’s not merely about informing students of different career paths; it’s about acknowledging and harnessing social media and representation’s influence on their goals. Let’s dive in.
Unpacking Student Perspectives on Entrepreneurship
While the allure of entrepreneurship captivates the minds of many students, a closer look reveals uncertainties and concerns that students have with starting their own businesses. Junior Achievement surveyed 1,003 students, ages 13-17, who volunteered to participate in the study. They found that out of these participants, 56% of students acknowledge the need for more information on how to succeed as an entrepreneur.
This indicates a gap between interest and practical knowledge. While social media is piquing student interest in entrepreneurship, students need more guidance on what entrepreneurship as a career path means. For educators, it’s more than just fostering student dreams. It means providing the tools and guidance necessary for those dreams to flourish.
Digging deeper, 30% of students expressed concerns about the perceived riskiness of starting a business. The perceived lack of financial reward (23%) and doubts about personal fit (11%) also linger in their minds. Understanding these reservations is important for educators because it offers a window into the fears and hesitations that could prevent students from pursuing their career goals, especially entrepreneurship.
TSI’s Take
Recognizing the strong influence of social media influencers, educators can guide students to find smart, responsible influencers online that align with their interests and passions. By connecting students with influencers online that highlight different career fields, students can develop their career interests, gain knowledge on what certain jobs entail, and connect with people who can help them succeed in their career goals.
The Junior Achievement Survey reveals just how much social media influencers impact student behavior. Influencers excite students about different career fields– increasing students’ engagement and desire to learn. We all want our students to be hard workers, in and out of the classroom, to be successful adults. Helping them find their influencer is a significant first step in supporting them.
Here are some tips to help your students find their influencers online:
- Huddle with your students about their career interests and show them how to find influencers online:
- LinkedIn is an excellent tool for doing this, but it works best only with older students. However, educators can encourage all students on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to look up videos about different careers. Whether it’s a “day in the life of a writer” or “how I became a successful entrepreneur,” students are bound to find positive, informative content.
- Ask students what careers they want to learn more about in school:
- We now know that many students want to know more about entrepreneurship, but what other career fields can you, as an educator, teach them more about? You can proactively inform and educate your students by huddling with students on their learning goals.
- Inform students about influencers they should avoid:
- Influencers who will only provide advice on a certain topic if you pay them or have been found to share misinformation are not people students should be looking up to. Tell your students to be weary of influencers looking to make money off their followers or promoting content that seems too good to be true.
The surge in entrepreneurial aspirations among teens is a testament to the evolving landscape of career choices influenced by social media. By intertwining inspiration with practical knowledge and emphasizing the importance of finding authenticity and positive influencers, educators pave the way for a generation of students who chase success and embody it in alignment with their true selves.
There are many ways to encourage your students to find positive influencers on social media, and we’re here to help you empower them. We dive into these strategies and so much more in our 11th grade #WinAtSocial Lesson, Seeing is believing: Finding mentors and role models to elevate your interests. Want to run this lesson with your students? Request a demo for #WinAtSocial today.
#WinAtSocial Huddle Question
Huddle with your students
Let’s explore your dreams for the future! What kind of jobs are you curious about or have caught your eye in the past? When thinking about your career goals, what made you interested in those fields? Did you ever see something on social media that got you thinking about a certain job? If you did, share what you saw and chat about how it made you interested in that type of work.
The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in empowering students by understanding students. Through #WinAtSocial, our gamified, peer-to-peer learning platform, we equip students, educators, and families to navigate their social world – in the classroom and beyond, online and offline – in healthy, high-character ways. Our unique, student-respected approach empowers and equips, rather than scares and restricts. We incorporate timely topics about social media, tech use, and current events that are impacting student well-being and learning. #WinAtSocial Lessons teach life skills for the modern day, capture student voice, and provide school leaders with actionable insights. Through these insights, students play an essential role in school efforts to support their own health, happiness, and future success as we enable high-impact teaching, meaningful family conversations, and a healthy school culture.