A parent’s view
In a parent’s words
Parent of a DecadeAhead student · Read the student’s case study →
Most major and career exploration keeps students on the sidelines — take a quiz, watch a video, talk to someone. We let students try the work.
Start with a consultation See a Case Study9 hours over 2 weeks · Expert guided · Students aged 15–20
Take design. Ask what a designer does and the list sprawls: sketches, software, clients, materials, meetings. Ask what kind of designer and it sprawls again — interiors, products, websites, games.
But the work keeps coming back to a few recurring activities: gather user needs, design a solution, get feedback and adjust.
We found the 30 activities that are used in different combinations across hundreds of careers. We grouped the activities into 9 workstyles.
That is what students try.
|
01
Came in
Set on AI engineering
↓
Left with
Engineering, with a business minor
The evidence
Sell and Underwrite energized them too — alongside the Engage AI and Perform they expected. Create drained them. |
02
Came in
Strong in math and science, looking at forensics
↓
Left with
Computer engineering
The evidence
Troubleshooting and understanding systems energized them. Research drained them. |
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03
Came in
No particular direction
↓
Left with
Data science and applied math
The evidence
Modeling drivers, managing risk and trade-offs, and analyzing complex data energized them. |
04
Came in
Wanted to do creative writing and make original work
↓
Left with
Creative writing, now with evidence
The evidence
They tested design to see if that kind of creativity fit. Gathering user needs drained them; creating original work energized them. |
Parent of a DecadeAhead student · Read the student’s case study →
Nine live, one-to-one experiences across different kinds of professional work.
Students respond to the thirty activities while each experience is still fresh.
We identify the careers and majors that use more of what engaged them.
An answer to “Which major and why?” — from the work you have actually done.
No one picks a sport or an instrument by imagining it. They practice, and within an hour they know what fits. Careers work the same way. DecadeAhead is the practice field: over two weeks, students try thirty activities drawn from real professional work and compare which ones fit them.
Neither. A test asks what a student thinks they’d enjoy. We have them do the work first, then record what actually happened. And we don’t write applications, build school lists, or promise acceptances.
Two weeks, start to finish. Nine one-hour sessions, scheduled around school.
Yes. Every session is live and one-to-one over video, so it works wherever you are.
An interactive report families can use to explore scenarios: which professional activities energized the student, and the majors and careers that fit, shortlisted by pay, job outlook and education required. Plus an action plan to build early momentum.