College and Career Clarity
If you’re the parent of a 15 to 25-year-old and you’re worried they don’t have a clear direction for what comes next, you’re not alone.
Too many young people are asked to make big decisions about their future without a process to figure out what actually fits. When they guess, wait, or follow the wrong advice, it often leads to wasted time, lost momentum, and frustration.
College and Career Clarity helps families prepare their teen or young adult to launch into adulthood with clarity and confidence.
Hosted by Lisa Marker-Robbins, a career coach with over 30 years of experience, this podcast focuses on what actually leads to a successful launch: building self-awareness, exploring options, and validating the right path before making high-stakes decisions.
You’ll learn:
• How to help your teen or young adult build real direction before choosing what’s next
• How to avoid common missteps that leave young people stuck, starting over, or lacking confidence
• What it actually takes to move forward with clarity, confidence, and traction
Whether your teen or young adult is planning for what comes after high school, navigating college, or already out and trying to find their path, this podcast will give you a clearer way forward.
Episodes
243 episodes
Think Your Young Person Isn't a Leader? Look Again
Leadership does not always look like a team captain, club president, or the person at the front of the room.In this episode of College and Career Clarity, Lisa Marker-Robbins explores how leadership can show up throug...
Could Your Help Be Holding Your Young Person Back? with Jason Robinovitz
Helping a young person succeed can sometimes keep them from becoming independent.In this episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins and Jason Robinovitz examine how support can either build independence in teens and young adults o...
College Majors, Admissions, and Career Direction: Your Questions Answered
Choosing a college major can raise bigger questions about career direction, admissions, and whether a student has enough clarity to make the right next decision.In this episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins answers questions about bein...
Who Should Be on Your Teen's College Planning Team? with Stephanie Simpson
Parents often assume their teen's school counselor can handle every part of the college planning process, but the reality is far more collaborative.In this episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins and Stephanie Simpson, CEO of the Indepen...
#238 The “Why This Major Essay” Isn't Really About Your Major
The college essay that asks, "Why this major?" is about far more than getting into college.In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins explains why this common admissions prompt reflects a question students will continue answeri...
How to Tell If a College Will Prepare Students for Career Success with Julia Lapan, UVA
Choosing a college is about far more than rankings, majors, and graduation rates.Lisa Marker-Robbins sits down with Dr. Julia Lapan from the University of Virginia to explore what families should look for in a college experien...
How Families Eliminate the Best Career Fits Too Soon
Many families eliminate strong career options long before a student has enough information to make a confident decision.In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins challenges the belief that career planning should follow one cle...
The Career Lens Most Parents Never Consider
Helping a young person choose a career starts with asking better questions, not having every answer.In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins challenges the common ways families approach career planning and introduces a fresh ...
Mid-Year Career Clarity Check: Is Your Family Behind?
Time has a way of speeding up, especially when major decisions about school, careers, and independence are on the horizon.In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins encourages parents to pause for a mid-year career clarity chec...
What Parents Get Wrong About Their Kid's Confidence
Many parents assume confidence comes before action, but Lisa Marker-Robbins explains why that belief often keeps young people stuck.In this solo episode, she explores why teens, college students, and young adults are more likely to pursu...
The Step Where Career Clarity Falls Apart—and Why
Career exploration often starts with enthusiasm but stalls at the exact point where clarity is supposed to take shape.In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins shares a pattern she has observed after helping thousands of famil...
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The Missing Skills Behind Independence with Katie Azevedo
Success in school, college, and work often depends on skills that many young people are never formally taught.In this episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins talks with Katie Azevedo about the executive function systems that help students...
Stop Trying to Impress Colleges: What Admissions Really Want with Susan Knoppow
What if the biggest mistake in college admissions is trying to impress colleges instead of helping them understand who you are?In this episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins sits down with Susan Knoppow to discuss what admissions officer...
The Summer Mistake That Leaves Families Panicked by Labor Day
What if the biggest summer mistake isn't doing too much, but doing too little with the extra time available?In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins explains why families who treat summer as a time to simply relax often reach...
Why Capable Kids End Up Stuck in Miserable Jobs
What if the biggest challenge facing young adults isn’t a lack of opportunity, but a lack of intentional direction early on?In this episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins explores how delayed self-awareness and career exploration can le...
3 Ways Well-Meaning Parents Hurt Independence (Without Realizing It)
What if the biggest obstacle to a young adult’s independence isn’t lack of support, but too much of the wrong kind?In this episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins explores the subtle ways well-meaning parents can unintentionally undermin...
What Your “On Track” Child Might Be Missing
What if students who seem “on track” are actually headed in the wrong direction?In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins challenges the traditional focus on grades, college acceptance, and achievement, revealing why th...
The Real Deadline for Choosing a College Major (What Families Often Miss)
What if the real college major deadline isn’t when applications are submitted, but when students should be prepared to demonstrate direction?In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins explains why college-bound students need to be ready t...
Why “Feeling Clear” Can Lead Your Child in the Wrong Direction
What if the moment your child finally feels “clear” is actually the moment they’re most at risk of making the wrong decision?In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins challenges the assumption that clarity means readiness, explain...
The Connection Skill That Builds Confidence with Dr. Tracy Brower
In this episode, Lisa and Dr. Tracy discuss:The growing importance of human connection in building confidence, identity, and life directionThe impact of loneliness and social disconnection on younger generations...
How Apprenticeships Are Changing Fast and Why It Matters with John Loyack and Andrew Gardner
In this episode, Lisa, John, and Andrew discuss:Apprenticeships are expanding beyond traditional trades into diverse modern industriesBlending education with real-world work through earn-and-learn pathwaysRi...
The #1 Predictor of Your Child’s Career Success (It’s Not What You Think)
What if the biggest predictor of your child’s future success isn’t their grades, college, or intelligence, but how well they truly understand themselves?In this solo episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins explores this counterin...
Why Career Focused College Starts Earlier with Champlain’s Alex Hernandez
In this episode, Lisa and President Hernandez discuss:Early career integration in college educationEmbedding real employer projects and simulations directly into classroom learningReimagining traditional gen...
Is That Career Credential Right for Your Kid? How to Boost Outcomes
There are more than 23,000 career credentials available today—so how do you know which ones are worth pursuing?In this episode, Lisa Marker-Robbins breaks down how families and young professionals can cut through the noise usin...
How to Protect Your Kids' Digital Wellbeing in the AI Age with Dr. Sajita Setia
In this episode, Lisa and Dr. Sajita discuss:Digital well-being in an increasingly screen-based and AI-driven worldThe benefits and risks of artificial intelligence and digital tools for young people’s learning and d...
