The high school years are one of the most exciting times in a student’s K12 experience. It is a time when many important decisions will be made regarding further education and the right career path. The key to a student’s success in selecting a career is writing down your goals and interests. Some high school students get frustrated because their goals are not clear. Take time to brainstorm with your high school counselor and ask about a career test. A career test can reveal areas of interest that you should consider. Also ask your counselor if they have contacts that you should interview. You may not find all of the answers right away but you can get pointed in the right direction.
If you have a great potential career idea you can take action by beginning to do research on that career. You do not need to wait until your senior year of high school to start your career search. Use your goals to drive your enthusiasm about interviewing people and obtaining a great list of contacts. Consider all of the things you enjoy doing and then create a list. Meet with some of the people that have a career in your area of interest. Most people have selected a career because they are interested in a specific type of work. Some students start their career by getting training at a college or a trade school. Today you will need all of the education that you can obtain. When you are interested in your career you will devote more time and energy to it. There are 10 things you can do to start your career search:
1. Create a resume that tells your story.
2. Take a career test like the Self Directed Search
3. If you are clear on your career goals then talk with family and counselors about finding a mentor.
4. Regularly conduct career research by talking to people, librarians, the internet and career counselors.
5. Volunteer to do an internship at a company.
6. Go to your local state representative’s office to ask about jobs with the government.
7. Read career books and stories about successful people.
8. Take notes when visitors speak at a career day that’s held at your school.
9. Visit a college campus when they have a guest speaker that may interest you.
10. Ask for three contacts each time that you meet with someone who can help you with your career.
Your career search can be a fun time when you get to explore career interests. Ask people to keep you in mind when they are considering interns. You can make yourself visible just by volunteering your time. Many jobs occur from relationships that are developed while people are volunteering. Your career search can be a wonderful journey that yields you a life time of success. Dr. Stephen Jones is a consultant, speaker and author of three books for students and parents tiled Seven Secrets of How to Study, the Ultimate Parents Guide and the ultimate Scholarship Guide at
http://www.sytudyskills2u.com.
Posted By: Stephen Jones
Thursday, September 6th 2012 at 6:23PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
