Guide to Career Planning for High School Students
Figuring out what to do for a career can be a challenge. Our guide helps you identify skills and interests, allows you to consider your future lifestyle, and aids you in using a variety of tools to figure out the best career for you.
High school is a time of rapid change and personal exploration for many students. It's also a great time to start thinking carefully about potential future careers and taking _______ to work toward those careers.
While considering a career might seem daunting, career exploration for high school students doesn't need to be stressful. By breaking the process down into easily manageable steps, students can consider their options and start preparing for future opportunities.
It is also important to keep in mind that while career preparation in high school can be highly valuable, not everyone chooses and then pursues a single career starting in adolescence, and that's okay too. This article is about how to consider your _______ , learn about your interests, and get a head start on your future.
Identifying Skills and Interests
The first thing to consider when engaging in career exploration is your _______ . What do you enjoy? What do you want to learn more about? There are lots of ways to go about this process, but the most important thing is to ask yourself questions about your interests and desires with an open mind. Consider the following questions to get started:
What school subjects do you enjoy? Why?
What extracurricular activities do you enjoy? Why?
What are you passionate about?
What kind of lifestyle do you want to have in the future?
What major goals do you have for your life and career?
Take a little time to _______ potential answers to these questions before moving on to the next sections, which will go into more detail about your skills, interests, and lifestyle goals. Taking a personality test can also help you work through these questions.
Skills
Any career assessment for high school students worth its salt is likely to start by discussing skills. Simply asking yourself, 'What am I good at?' might be somewhat helpful, but that's a limited line of inquiry. Instead of asking such a broad question, consider different kinds of _______ and how they connect to each other. It is important to think outside the box and consider skills that are not just academic in nature. Check out the following list and evaluate where you think your own skills lie. Refer to chart 1 for more information.
Interests
Understanding where your interests and passions lie is at least as _______ as your skills. Your career is going to take up an enormous portion of your life, so finding a career that matches up with your interests can make a big difference to your overall happiness later in life. Just like with your skillset, your interests do not have to be academic in nature for them to be valuable to your career planning. Some questions you can ask yourself about your interests include:
What do you most enjoy doing in your spare time?
What subjects or concepts make you light up?
When do you feel your curiosity sparked?
What are your favorite movies or books? What are they about?
What questions do you wonder about?
Maybe your favorite school subject is chemistry. Maybe you love knitting in your spare time. Or you never feel alive like you do when you learn about bugs. Several of your favorite books are poetry collections. You've always wanted to learn more about black holes. You love to play video games. All of these interests are valuable, and they can lead you toward different careers (even video games). Consider _______ careers or college degrees that focus on your interests to see what kinds of opportunities are available.
Different careers come with different lifestyles and align with different goals. While having a career that interests you is important, taking on a career that gives you the _______ you want can be just as rewarding (if not more rewarding) in the long term. Think of the following lifestyles and potential careers. Refer to chart 2 for more information.
Required Education
You will need to seriously consider _______ . What kind of education is required for your career of choice? You will need to start planning for college before the end of your high school career. That might mean taking the right kinds of courses in high school; many colleges will expect certain math or science courses for applications to certain faculties, for instance. If your career requires you to apply to college, make sure that you make your application as good as it can be.
It is important to think carefully about which colleges to apply to. You will need a school that meets not only your career and academic needs but also your personal needs. You might also have chosen a career that does not require a college degree; such careers can be lucrative, stable, and interesting for many people. In that case, you may want to look at applications to trade and vocational programs.
No matter what education your chosen career requires, make sure that you are prepared for the application process. If you feel you need it, consider pursuing career counseling for high school students through your school or community center.
Types of Jobs
There are many types of jobs and careers to consider. Each one will have its own skillset and educational requirements. This guide will discuss a few general groupings of jobs that can help you refine your search and get a better sense of what a career might entail. Major job types include:
There are other kinds of jobs not listed here, because there are hundreds of thousands of potential jobs, so make sure to get _______ in your search to find what works best for you.
