This article helps high school students plan for careers. The first section talks about and the Occupational Outlook Handbook can help you get started.
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 2 attending a college or university to earn a certificate or a degree. Knowing what type of career preparation you need begins with thinking about what type of career you want. This article helps high school students plan for careers. The first section talks about exploring your interests. The second section highlights the importance of internships, jobs, and other opportunities for getting experience. The third section describes some education or training options, both in high school and afterward. The fourth section offers some thoughts on pursuing your dream career. And the final section lists sources for more information. Explore your interests Schneider, a school counselor at Sheboygan South High School in their minds multiple times, perhaps even after they enter the workforce. into the types of careers you might like can help set you up for success. careers and put time into investigating them and learning about their skills Learn about yourself Use the answers to those questions to identify careers that may have similar tasks. High school junior Kate Sours, for example, loves spending time with kids as a babysitter and enjoys helping people. So she focused on those two interests when she began considering potential careers. public schools in Smyrna, Georgia.
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 3 Identify possible careers those interests to use. If you love sports, for example, you might consider a career as a gym teacher , recreational therapist , or coach . If you like math, a career as a cost estimator , accountant , or budget analyst might be a good fit. most of them involve more than one skill area. School counselors, teachers, and parents can help point you in the direction of occupations that match your interests and skills. School counselors, for example, often have tools that they use to link interests and skills with careers. Free online resources, such as My Next Move , also help with career exploration. Another approach to identifying potential career interests is to consider local employers and the types of jobs they have. There are many jobs in manufacturing and healthcare near the high school where Schneider works, for Exploring careers that combine working with children and helping people led Sours to nursing Do your research Career Outlook and the Occupational Outlook Handbook can help you get started. Other sources of information include career-day programs, mentoring, and opportunities offered through your school to learn more about the world of work.
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 4 occupations that interest you, ask people such as parents, friends, or teachers for their contacts. Some schools Meet with them in person for informational interviews to learn more about what they do. Or ask if you can shadow them on the job to see what their daily work is like. for example, shadowed her aunt, who works in a hospital as a physical therapist . Sours liked the hospital environment so much that she attended a week-long nursing camp, where she got to see the many tasks that nurses Get experience If job shadowing gives you a taste of what an occupation is like, imagine how helpful getting experience could be. Students can begin getting career-related experiences in high school through internships , employment, and other activities. Put forth your best you .)
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 5 Internships Completing an internship is an excellent way to get experience. Internships are temporary, supervised assignments designed to give students or recent graduates practical job training. Sometimes, internships or other experiential learning positions are built into educational programs, and students receive academic credit for to do everything from contacting local newspapers for ads to writing program notes to directing the middle school career goals. At other schools, students seek out internships on their own. Academic credit may not be awarded, but gaining hands-on experience can still be worthwhile. Check with your school counselor to see if opportunities exist at your school. Jobs Summer or part-time employment is another way to get experience. Paid jobs allow you to earn money, which can help you learn how to budget and save for future goals or expenses. For some students, summer is a great time to explore careers through employment. As the chart shows, young people worked in a variety of industries in July 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 6 The U.S. Department of Labor has rules about youth employment . These rules differ depending on your age, but they often limit the types of jobs and number of hours you can work. States may have additional restrictions. Hartline advises that students who work during the school year start with a few hours and build from there, once she says. Regardless of when or where they work, school counselors say, students who pursue employment can learn from
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 8 Plan and achieve. Make sure your high school course plan prepares you for entering the next phase of training or education in your desired career. To enter an electrician apprenticeship, for example, you may need a year of high school algebra. Your school counselor can help you plan your schedule to ensure that you take the required classes. Employers and postsecondary schools often look to your high school record to gauge how you might perform on the job or in an educational program. And finishing high school shows that you can set goals and follow through. Career programs. Your high school may offer options for exploring careers while earning credit toward graduation. Some of these options also allow you to earn industry certifications, licensure, or college credit. In her high school, for example, Sours attends a career academy for health and medical sciences. She is learning about healthcare careers and will have a chance to apply some of her skills and knowledge as she continues in the program at the local community college. Career academies and other types of technical education are available in many schools to provide hands-on career training. Classes in fields such as business and finance , culinary arts , and information technology are designed to prepare you for work or postsecondary school.
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 9 College prep. If you know your goal is college, school counselors usually recommend taking the most rigorous Some college-prep programs, such as Advanced Placement and dual enrollment, may help you get a head start on earning a postsecondary degree. Taking classes in these programs may allow you to waive some college course requirements, either by achieving a high score on exams or by completing a course for both high school and college credit. Admission to college is not based on coursework alone, however. Not all high schools offer advanced academics programs, and not all students take them. You may still have more options than you think, depending on your career goals. After high school About two-thirds of high school graduates from the class of 2013 enrolled in college that fall, according to BLS: 42 percent in baccalaureate (4-year) colleges and 24 percent in 2-year schools. Of the remaining one-third of 2013 graduates, who opted not to go to college, 74 percent entered the labor force. College-bound high school graduates may not know it, but BLS data show that wages are usually higher, and unemployment rates lower school programs may offer the type of career preparation you need for the occupation that interests you. Job training. If you get a job or enter the military job. Some employers may even pay for you to get related credentials, such as industry certification. The type and length of on-the-job training you get depends on the occupation. For example, community health workers typically need 1 month or less of experience on the job and informal training, in addition to a high school diploma, to become competent in the occupation. Apprenticeships are a form of job training in which a sponsor, such as an employer, pays a trainee to learn and work in a particular occupation. Some jobs in the military include apprenticeship training, but others involve different types of hands-on learning.
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 10 Vocational school. Also known as trade or technical schools, vocational schools have programs designed to give you hands-on training in a specific field. Many of these programs lead to non-degree credentials, such as a certificate or diploma. Occupations that you can prepare for at these types of schools include automotive mechanic and emergency medical technician (EMT). Some vocational schools specialize in a certain occupation or career field, such as truck driving , culinary arts , or cosmetology . Others provide a diverse range of programs, such as medical assisting and precision production . Earning a certificate allows you to prepare for a career in a relatively short amount of time: Nearly all certificate programs take fewer than 2 years to complete. For example, you may earn a nursing assistant certificate in less than 1 year. , which may qualify you for occupations such as dental hygienist and funeral services manager , are available through public community colleges and other 2-year schools. programs. been broadly focused. According to the National Center for Education Statistics , the most popular fields of study unsure of what you want to study. It also allows you to save money on tuition, because community colleges are usually less expensive than baccalaureate colleges and universities. Still not sure what you want to study? Look at some studies. For example, job opportunities and starting salaries
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U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS 11 Average starting salaries for Class of 2014 college graduates, by major field of study Major category 2014 average starting salary See footnotes at end of table. Overall $48,707 Engineering 62,891 Computer science 62,103 Business 57,229 Communications 48,253 Math and sciences 44,299 Education 40,267 Humanities and social sciences 38,049 Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers, September 2014 Salary survey To keep your options open as you choose a major, school counselors suggest entering a liberal arts program. Take future. gap year year gives you a chance to pursue meaningful volunteer, work, or travel experiences. But school counselors Whatever career path you choose, says Schneider, remember that you can change your mind at any time. And have the confidence to work toward your ideal career, school counselors say, even if it seems out of reach. For more information Visit your public or school library for books and other resources about careers. The has a career exploration page that can help you match your interests with selected occupations. For detailed occupational profiles, see the Occupational Outlook Handbook .
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