If you are in high school right now, you are at a great point in your life. You have your whole life in front of you. And now is a good time to start thinking about your future, to make some initial plans; just remember that plans can be easily changed.
Remember too, that experts predict that the average person will change careers — not just jobs — more than five times in his or her lifetime. Now is the time to pursue your dreams!
And as you start thinking about one or more potential educational and career paths, here are 5 things to remember in the days ahead.
1. Take time to think about what you like to do; dream and imagine ideal careers. There are so many opportunities, so many different types of jobs and careers in a wide variety of industries — and there are also other career paths that are just emerging. Even if you are fairly sure of a career choice, take the time in high school to explore similar (or even vastly different) careers.
Explore all your options. Examine your likes and dislikes and take a few career-assessment tests. Answer the question, if you could have any job right now, what would it be — and why? Don’t let any barriers hold you back from finding the perfect career.
2. Challenge yourself in high school, but don’t overwhelm yourself. Get the most out of high school as possible. When you can, take the tough and challenging classes like Further Mathematics, History, and Languages, because you will learn more. Obviously, you need to stay focused on getting good grades, but don’t overload your schedule — or yourself — so that it makes you sick or leads to burn-out. Be sure to include at least one fun course in your schedule.
Example: If you have a passion for something, such as photography, catering or art; find a way to schedule the course along with your other subjects.
3. Work, volunteer, or otherwise gain some experience. As with your education, the more you are exposed to, the more options will open to you as you search out careers. Seek work and volunteer experiences in and out of school. And from a practical standpoint, work experience looks good on future job applications and resumes. And one other benefit if you are working in a paid position: spending money! Just remember that school and grades have to come first, so only work if you can balance your schedule, and manage your time.
Example: If you are interested in a career in journalism, look into a part-time freelance job at a local newspaper or an online blog. You could even start your own blog!
4. Get as much education as you can. We are now a society in which many jobs and careers require additional education or training beyond high school. Some careers even require a graduate degree before you can work in the field. Take advantage of all educational opportunities that come your way, such as summer educational opportunities and educational trips abroad (if yo can afford it). If financially possible, go on to the university; even in this terrible economic times, university graduates make a much higher salary, on average, than secondary school graduates.
Example: If you have a passion for Science or Math, why not consider entering for competitions like The EutelSat Star Awards, PZ Cussons Chemistry Challenge, and tech opportunities like the ICT Olympiad, or TEEP
5. Talk with as many adults as possible about careers and universities. The best way to find out about different careers is to ask people — family, neighbours, friends, teachers, counsellors — to tell you about their career and university experiences. If you have not already, begin to build a network of adults who know you and are willing to assist you in your educational and career endeavors. And for careers that truly interest you, consider asking each person if you can shadow him/her at work. You could also consider conducting informational interviews at the same time as the shadowing, or as a less intrusive method of learning more about jobs and careers.
Example: If you have a passion for Engineering and are considering a career as an engineer, ask one or more engineers if you can shadow them (that is, spending some time observing a professional on the job) or conduct an informational interview.
This article first appeared on quintcareers.com
