Embarking on the journey of career planning might seem daunting, especially for K-12 students. Megan Lovely, a high school senior with aspirations to become a director, exemplifies early career focus by actively interning and applying to colleges. However, many students are still exploring their paths, and that’s perfectly normal. Just like Megan, you can start paving your way towards a fulfilling future well before graduation.
“Begin exploring your interests as early as freshman year,” advises Mark Danaher, a career counselor. “High school years pass by swiftly.” Planning for your career is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires preparation, whether through technical courses in high school or further education at a college or university. Understanding the career preparation you need starts with identifying the career you desire.
This guide is designed to equip K-12 students with essential career planning tools. We’ll delve into exploring your interests, underscore the value of gaining practical experience through internships and jobs, discuss diverse education and training pathways both during and after high school, and offer insights on pursuing your dream career. Finally, we’ll point you to valuable resources for further exploration.
Discovering Your Interests: The Foundation of Career Planning
Alt Text: Two high school students enthusiastically conduct a chemistry experiment in a lab, highlighting the importance of exploring interests in STEM fields during early career planning.
High school is the ideal time to initiate career exploration. As Steve Schneider, a school counselor, aptly puts it, “Throughout your life, you’ve been asked about your future aspirations. High school is when you begin to actively work towards realizing them.”
It’s perfectly acceptable for K-12 students to be uncertain about their future career paths. Career paths can evolve, and some future jobs may not even exist yet. The goal isn’t to lock yourself into a single career in high school, but rather to develop the ability to explore careers, investigate your skills and interests, and learn about the possibilities.
Self-Reflection: Understanding Your Strengths and Passions
Understanding yourself – your passions and aptitudes – is the crucial first step in career exploration. “If you’re unsure about your career path, ask yourself, ‘What subjects do I genuinely enjoy learning about?’” suggests Schneider. “If science captivates you, what aspects resonate most – the hands-on lab work or the in-depth research?”
Use these self-discoveries to pinpoint careers that involve similar activities. For instance, Kate Sours, a high school junior, enjoys babysitting and helping others. These passions guided her towards considering careers in healthcare.
Julie Hartline, a school counseling consultant, emphasizes the significance of aligning your interests with your career because work occupies a substantial part of life. “The essence of career planning is to ensure you wake up each morning anticipating your workday with enthusiasm,” she states.
Identifying Potential Career Paths Aligned with Your Interests
Once you have a clearer picture of your favorite subjects and activities, the next step is to explore careers that utilize these interests. If you are passionate about sports, you might explore careers such as a physical education teacher, recreational therapist, or athletic coach. If math is your strong suit, consider roles like cost estimator, accountant, or budget analyst.
These are just starting points. The career landscape is vast, with numerous occupations blending various skill sets. School counselors, teachers, and parents can offer valuable guidance in identifying careers that align with your interests and skills. School counselors often employ tools to link interests and skills to suitable careers. Online platforms like My Next Move are also excellent free resources for career exploration.
Considering local industries and employers can also spark career ideas. In areas with strong manufacturing or healthcare sectors, for example, students can explore diverse roles within these fields, ranging from positions requiring short-term training to those demanding advanced degrees.
Kate Sours’s interest in working with children and helping people led her to nursing. She’s now contemplating specializing in neonatal intensive care or pediatrics.
Sours emphasizes the importance of broad exploration rather than premature narrowing of options. “Keep an open mind,” she advises. “Some jobs might initially seem unappealing, but deeper exploration could reveal unexpected interests and passions.”
In-Depth Career Research: Gathering Information
After identifying potential careers, thorough research is essential. Resources like Career Outlook and the Occupational Outlook Handbook are excellent starting points. Career fairs, mentorship programs, and school-organized career learning opportunities are also invaluable resources.
Alt Text: A high school student and a librarian collaborate on career research using a computer in a library, emphasizing the importance of research and guidance in career planning.
Direct conversations with professionals in your fields of interest can provide firsthand insights. If you lack direct contacts, leverage your network – parents, friends, teachers – to find connections. Some schools have business liaisons who can connect students with employers, and school counselors can also assist with networking.
Reach out to professionals via phone, email, or online forums. Conduct informational interviews to gain deeper understanding of their daily tasks and career paths. Job shadowing offers an immersive experience, allowing you to observe the day-to-day realities of a specific occupation.
Firsthand experience is invaluable in determining career fit. Sours, for instance, shadowed her aunt, a physical therapist, and attended a nursing camp, solidifying her interest in healthcare. “Both experiences were incredibly fun and educational,” she recalls.
Gaining Practical Experience: Internships, Jobs, and Activities
Job shadowing provides a glimpse into a career, but hands-on experience offers deeper insights. K-12 students can gain valuable career-related experience through internships, part-time jobs, and extracurricular activities.
Diverse experiences help refine your understanding of what you enjoy and what doesn’t resonate with you. These experiences also cultivate crucial job skills, such as punctuality and responsibility. (See sidebar: Put forth your best you.)
However, school counselors emphasize that academics should remain the priority. “Gaining experience as a student is beneficial, but not at the expense of academic performance,” stresses Hartline. Danaher concurs, “School should be your primary focus.”
Internships: Previewing Professions
Internships are temporary, supervised work assignments designed to provide practical job training. They are an exceptional way to gain career experience. Some educational programs integrate internships for academic credit.
Lovely’s high school, for example, offers credit-bearing internships. Her internship with the school theater director provided diverse experiences, from advertising to directing middle school productions, solidifying her career aspirations in directing.
Students can also independently seek internships, which, while not always credit-bearing, still offer invaluable hands-on experience. Consult your school counselor for available internship opportunities.
Part-time Jobs: Building Skills and Responsibility
Summer or part-time jobs provide another avenue for gaining experience and earning income. Paid employment teaches budgeting and saving, while also offering exposure to the working world.
Summer jobs are particularly valuable for career exploration. As illustrated in the chart from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), young people are employed across various industries.
Alt Text: Pie chart displaying teen and young adult employment distribution by industry in July 2014, highlighting the leisure and hospitality sector as the largest employer, crucial data for K-12 students exploring job options.
Teen and young adult employment by industry, July 2014*
| Industry | Percent distribution |
|—|—|
| Leisure and hospitality | 25% |
| Retail trade | 19 |
| Education and health services | 11 |
| Professional and business services | 8 |
| Manufacturing | 7 |
| Government | 7 |
| Other services | 5 |
| Construction | 4 |
| Financial activities | 4 |
| Other** | 10 |
| Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey. Data are not seasonally adjusted. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/youth.t03.htm *Total represents the 52 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds who were employed in July 2014. **Includes agriculture and related; mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; wholesale trade; transportation and utilities; information; and self-employed, unincorporated, and unpaid family workers. |
The U.S. Department of Labor has youth employment regulations that vary by age, often limiting job types and work hours. States may impose additional restrictions.
Hartline suggests that students working during the school year start with limited hours and gradually increase them, ensuring it doesn’t negatively impact their studies. “Work can be a motivator or a distraction, depending on the student,” she notes.
Regardless of the context, work experience offers valuable learning. Michael Carter, a college counseling director, emphasizes, “There’s no substitute for work experience. It’s hard to appreciate career preferences hypothetically without real-world exposure.”
Extracurricular Activities: Exploring Interests Beyond the Classroom
Participating in extracurricular activities like yearbook committee, science club, or debate team can ignite career interests.
Alt Text: High school volunteers participate in a community cleanup, demonstrating the value of extracurricular activities in developing civic responsibility and teamwork skills for K-12 career development.
Community service and leadership roles in student government or honor societies hone work-related skills. Subject-specific camps, like engineering or writing camps, allow focused academic skill development relevant to future careers.
Student organizations such as SkillsUSA, DECA, and Future Business Leaders of America promote career readiness.
Volunteering not only benefits your community but also enriches your experience and demonstrates motivation and engagement to future employers and colleges. These diverse activities help shape your career thinking and inform your preparation strategies.
Training and Education: Pathways to Your Chosen Career
Career preparation begins in K-12 but extends beyond graduation. Most careers necessitate post-high school training or education, including on-the-job training, apprenticeships, certificates, non-degree awards, and college degrees.
The required training depends on your chosen career. High schools offer opportunities for career training and college credit accrual. Post-graduation, training options expand. As you approach workforce entry, narrowing your choices becomes increasingly important.
Career Preparation Within High School
A solid K-12 education is foundational for any career. Problem-solving, communication, and research skills learned in high school are universally valuable. Academic success and participation in career training or college prep programs demonstrate your readiness to apply these skills.
Strategic Planning and Achievement. Align your high school coursework with the prerequisites for your desired career’s training or education phase. For example, electrician apprenticeships might require a year of algebra. Your school counselor can help you plan your schedule accordingly.
Employers and colleges often review your high school record to assess your potential. Graduating high school itself demonstrates goal-setting and follow-through. Laura Inscoe, a counseling dean, advises, “Start strong in freshman year and maintain that momentum throughout high school.”
However, counselors also reassure students that less-than-perfect grades are not insurmountable barriers. “Strong academics open doors, but less stellar grades don’t necessarily close them,” says Danaher. “You might just take a different route.”
Career-Focused Programs. High schools often offer career exploration programs that grant graduation credit, industry certifications, licenses, or college credit.
Sours, for example, attends a health and medical sciences career academy, gaining knowledge of healthcare careers and practical skills. She will graduate with certifications and college credits towards an applied nursing degree.
Career academies and technical education programs provide hands-on career training in fields like business, culinary arts, and IT, preparing students for work or further education.
Alt Text: High school students attentively engaged in classroom learning, emphasizing the crucial role of K-12 education in laying the groundwork for future career success.
College Preparatory Pathways. For students aiming for college, counselors recommend challenging academic courses that align with their abilities. This strengthens college applications and prepares students for college-level rigor.
Programs like Advanced Placement and dual enrollment offer opportunities to earn college credit while in high school, potentially reducing college course requirements.
College admissions consider more than just coursework, however. Diverse high schools and student backgrounds are acknowledged, ensuring varied pathways to higher education.
Post-High School Training and Education Options
Approximately two-thirds of 2013 high school graduates enrolled in college that fall, according to BLS data, with 42 percent in 4-year colleges and 24 percent in 2-year schools. Of the remaining third, 74 percent entered the workforce.
College graduates generally experience higher wages and lower unemployment rates compared to those with only a high school diploma.
Associate’s and bachelor’s degrees span diverse fields, but job training and vocational programs can provide more direct career preparation.
Job-Specific Training. Direct entry into jobs or the military post-high school involves job-specific training. Some employers may even sponsor related certifications.
On-the-job training varies by occupation. Community health workers, for example, typically need minimal on-the-job training alongside a high school diploma.
Apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job training with learning under a sponsor, like an employer. Military careers also offer diverse hands-on learning experiences.
Alt Text: Vocational school students diligently practice culinary arts in a professional kitchen setting, illustrating hands-on career training options for K-12 students interested in skilled trades.
Vocational and Trade Schools. Vocational schools, also known as trade or technical schools, offer hands-on training in specific fields, often leading to certificates or diplomas. Fields include automotive mechanics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
Some vocational schools specialize in areas like truck driving, culinary arts, or cosmetology, while others offer broader programs like medical assisting and precision production.
Certificates offer relatively quick career preparation, typically under two years. Nursing assistant certificates, for example, can be earned in under a year.
Associate’s Degrees. Associate’s degrees, available at community colleges and 2-year schools (and some 4-year schools), can qualify you for roles like dental hygienist and funeral services manager.
Popular associate’s degree fields include liberal arts, general studies, and humanities.
Earning an associate’s degree before pursuing a bachelor’s can be beneficial for students unsure of their major or seeking to reduce tuition costs, as community colleges are generally more affordable.
Bachelor’s Degrees. If a bachelor’s degree is your goal, counselors can assist with college applications and financial aid. Having a clear purpose for pursuing a degree is crucial.
Choosing a major is an early step. Career exploration in K-12 makes major selection easier. “Your undergraduate program should stem from your academic strengths in high school,” advises Carter.
If undecided about your major, consider researching job market data and starting salaries, which vary by major. While data can inform your decision, passion should be the primary driver. “Don’t base your decision solely on money,” advises Hartline. “Find something you’ll genuinely love.”
Average starting salaries for Class of 2014 college graduates, by major field of study
| Major category | 2014 average starting salary |
|—|—|
| 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 |
For flexibility in major selection, consider a liberal arts program, exploring various subjects to identify your interests and potential career paths.
Flexibility and Passion: Navigating Your Unique Career Journey
Career paths are diverse, and there’s no single “right” way to start. A “gap year” after high school can provide time for exploration through volunteering, work, or travel, helping you discover your passion. However, counselors recommend a structured plan for gap years to ensure productivity.
Remember that career changes are always possible. “You can always shift course,” emphasizes Schneider. “A career isn’t a life sentence. Re-evaluate your skills and interests if you feel unfulfilled.”
Have confidence to pursue your dream career, even if it seems ambitious. “Create a plan and pursue it,” advises Danaher, “even if others doubt you. You might not become an NBA star, but you might find a fulfilling role within the sports industry.”
Valuable Resources for K-12 Career Planning
Utilize your school and public libraries for career resources. The BLS K-12 website offers career exploration tools matching interests with occupations. The Occupational Outlook Handbook provides detailed career profiles.
Your state’s labor market information office may offer localized career data and tools.
Additional government career resources include:
My Next Move: Career identification based on keywords, industries, interests, and training.
YouthRules!: Information on federal and state youth employment regulations.
Career One Stop: Job seeking and career exploration resources.
StudentAid.gov: College preparation and funding guidance.
Put forth your best you
Developing positive habits in K-12 sets the stage for future career success. Career counselor Mark Danaher suggests students cultivate “college and work readiness” by practicing punctuality, responsibility for schoolwork, and professional communication with teachers.
Appropriate dress and behavior are also crucial, especially in interactions with potential employers. “Your behavior differs between social settings and professional environments,” notes Julie Hartline. “Be mindful of your demeanor.”
Online presence matters too. “Social media offers networking benefits, but requires caution,” says Michael Carter.
Employers and college admissions officers often review online profiles. “They assess your character as a potential representative of their organization,” explains Carter. “Ensure your online presence reflects your desired image. Use social media responsibly.”
Elka Torpey, economist, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, BLS.
