Career Dreams Begin in the Toybox

Sitting in a chair on stage in front of a few hundred people my palms were sweaty, the spotlight was on me, and I could hardly see a thing when I am asked the question, “When is the right time to start introducing kids to transportation?” With a few seconds to think I ponder the best response to give.

Growing up in a male-dominated industry like transportation from within a staffing company, then graduating with a Bachelor of Science in HR, meant these books were written in the stars from the start. It was natural that I did a lot of work in next-generation recruitment, and it made sense that I regularly spoke on the topic of Gen Z retention. None of this was a surprise to anyone. But what I did not expect was that the buck would stop in the toy box rather than the high schools.

Most people are familiar with the “Civics and Careers” class and “Bring Your Kid to Work Day” that the average fifteen-year-old partakes in. The average person would also say this is the place to start the introduction to any career, but I would disagree.

Research shows that 30% of kids are choosing their future career aspirations based on parental figure exposure. Then 70% of kids are choosing their future career aspirations based on media exposure. This is important because the average age that a kid is asked, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” is between four and five.

The dreams that they created between four and five get serious quickly because at about seven years of age, these crazy dreams start to turn into goals. By the time they are ten, most kids have a plan for what they want to do to get to where they want to go. By the time they are thirteen, they are choosing classes that will affect what courses they can take between fifteen and sixteen—which, of course, is when they are choosing the classes they use to apply to post-secondary education which of course streamline which schools and programs they can apply to in the first place. Then, at seventeen, they are applying to the courses they will attend from ages eighteen to twenty-two, which results in the prerequisites they need to apply for jobs after graduation—and ultimately, their ability to create independence.

Now, of course, I know we are in the day and age where parents don’t want their kids to grow up too quickly. So, some might struggle with this concept as they try to escape the idea of their children growing up. However, the average person works 90,000 hours in a lifetime, and there are estimated to be about 12,000 careers in the world—many that you would enjoy! But if 70% of kids are choosing what they want based on media exposure, as a society we are creating a workforce that inherently does not want to work an “average” role. They want to do what they have seen—which for that 70% will revolve around careers like influencers, athletes, and artists, AKA the people using the tools our children are watching to develop their careers. And all these careers are great and important—but if everyone chose them, society would not function.

The Wonder Workshop series follows a child named Lucy, who created a magical spaceship with her mom out of a fridge box and lots of TLC. The magic that she creates when having faith in her future self fuels the Wonder Workshop as it travels out of this dimension into other worlds like Candy Land, Playmania, and the Dino Disco, where they see all kinds of people doing their jobs. These action-filled books will keep kids entertained while also educating them.

Sitting up on stage, I raised the microphone to my mouth and said, “We need to meet them where they are at—in the toy box. It is never too soon to start setting them up for success.” I have this saying that all you can do is make the best decision for yourself with the information you have at the time. My goal is to put the information into the hands of the kids who need it and to give them what they need to set their future selves up for success.

While there are a lot of great toys and tools in the market to support the education of children in the career space, I believe there is a gap in the market for this age group with as wide of an industry and career outreach as I will touch. Based on my upbringing in transportation, I wanted to start the series specifically with a line of books dedicated to the transportation and logistics industry. From here, I plan to expand into other industries that have a similar skill gap. From there, I intend to cover as many industries as possible reaching from manufacturing and construction to cosmetology and health care.

White collar, blue collar, pink collar, and more. Frontline staff to CEO—every job has value, and every person has a place they belong. My goal is to connect the dots and bring the information people need to make the best decisions for themselves, both today and in the future. If you have a role you would like to highlight in one of the books, please reach out! I couldn’t make the series possible without the support of my sponsors—perhaps there is a fit for that to be you!

About the Author: Hannah Dannecker is the Managing Partner of the Better Together Group of companies, an accomplished author of five books, and a sought-after public speaker. Her work centers on building meaningful connections by helping employees access the information they need to make informed decisions for today and tomorrow, while also helping employers connect with the talent their businesses depend on. Passionate about next-generation development, Hannah speaks on strategies to recruit and retain emerging leaders and has created a children’s book series that introduces young readers to diverse career paths. At the heart of everything she does is a commitment to preparing the next generation for success.