Get Ahead with Daryl Capuano

Wise Career Choice: Navigating the Future with Confidence

In today’s fast-changing world of work, choosing the right career is more complex—and more important—than ever. At the heart of this journey is a question many families struggle with: What path will truly align with my child’s strengths, interests, and the demands of tomorrow’s economy?

That’s where I come in.

I work directly with parents and their high school or college-age children to bring clarity to one of life’s most important decisions: the career path. My approach is not just about choosing a major or selecting a program. It’s about understanding the individual first—what energizes them, what skills come naturally, and where those abilities intersect with emerging opportunities.

My expertise in what I call the New World of Work enables me to provide guidance about current trends and where to invest educational dollars. 

What I Do

• Career Exploration: Through personalized assessments, conversations, and data-backed tools, we uncover career paths that align with the young adult’s personality, values, and future goals.
• Education Mapping: Once a career direction is clear, we identify the majors, colleges, or alternative programs (like certifications or apprenticeships) that will best support that trajectory.
• Guided Decision-Making: I provide a structured, thoughtful process that relieves the pressure from parents and gives students a sense of empowerment and clarity.

Why It Matters NowThe nature of work is undergoing seismic shifts. Automation, AI, remote work, and evolving industries mean that traditional career advice no longer applies wholesale. Many well-meaning parents find themselves unsure how to guide their children wisely—and many teens are overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.

Choosing a career today is not about picking a job. It’s about aligning identity with opportunity, and that takes strategy.

Who I Work With

• Parents seeking expert guidance for their children
• High school juniors and seniors unsure about college paths
• College students considering changing majors or reevaluating future goals

The Outcome Families leave our sessions with:

• A clear, actionable roadmap for academic and career planning
• Confidence in the direction their child is headed
• Peace of mind knowing the decisions are grounded in both personal insight and market reality

Make a Wise Career Choice Don’t leave this decision to guesswork, peer trends, or outdated advice. Let’s build a future that fits.

College or college alternatives?

Given the radical change in the world economy, parents are now considering career implications more strongly when deciding how to invest their hard-earned money in their children’s education.

Career counseling is now becoming a needed investment before, during, and after college.

We note that “fit” is and always will be an important consideration for college choice. But, practical reality demands that figuring out your child’s potential college major/career path becomes a bigger part of college selection.

Even prior to the great restructuring of our economy, I would urge parents of those who had children who seemed either ill-suited or ill-prepared for college to consider alternatives to college.  

The challenge - which I fully understand - is that the overwhelming majority of those who meet with educational consultants are from families of college-educated parents and often grandparents.   Their children are suburban cultured and rarely have been exposed to the trades or the military.  Both are excellent practical options for those not heading to college.  Neither seems attractive for most suburban teens.  When I mention "plumbing", which is probably one of the best trades to consider, most shut the conversation down quickly.

Simply put, despite the recent hype about college alternatives, the world is not particularly kind to 18 year olds.  Media frezied articles about the latest tech whiz who dropped out of college when realizing he could learn how to create an app on his own are focused on outliers.  The Mark Zuckerberbergs of the world are rare.  And... he went to Harvard before dropping out.

Regardless, the type of student who has immersed himself in learning technology almost always wants to attend college.  
This means that college is on the horizon for most.  College counseling has been part of my work for the last twenty years.  
While I know there are many other good college counselors, I have not found many who are also well versed in the world of college to career.  That may be where I could help you.

Navigating the vast landscape of career opportunities can be daunting for young adults, and equally challenging for the parents who support them. My last book on the subject directly addresses the intricate dance between parental guidance and a young adult's quest for independence.

Our process:

(1) Career profiling testsThe level of self-awareness for most teens is limited, at least in relation to career counseling.

(2) Interactive career counseling sessionOur expertise stems from taking the data from our career tests plus interviewing our clients to craft a customized vision and strategy

(3) Distinct outcomes

• Discover which colleges and programs will suit your child’s intended career path.
• Understand the “investment decision” related to college and career income in terms or ROI (return on investment
• Determine what “next steps” for career exploration make sense

Happy to help your children on their journey.