Some high school students have a pretty clear idea of what they want to do when they grow up. Some wish to become doctors, others engineers. Some share a deep desire to have a career in showbiz as an actor or a musician.
For some high school students, however, the question of ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ doesn’t always have an easy answer. Come college application time, many high school students can be seen perplexed over which college to apply for and which field to pursue.
Contrary to what most think, it is pretty common for many high school student to be so uncertain and indecisive over what they plan to do for the future. In fact, many high school counselors say that it’s okay to be confused, as long as students are aware of the ways in which they can explore various careers and find something that they are genuinely interested in learning about more.
One of the most important steps high school counselors outline to students applying to college is first and foremost to figure out what they’re passionate about. Is it caring for other people? Or perhaps tending to sick animals? Do they enjoy doing lab work or would they rather solve math problems for a living? Once they’ve determined what it is that interests them, then they can go on to find out the various skills and knowledge needed to pursue a career effectively in it.
If you’re a high school student and are uncertain about what you want to do, then the following tips should come in handy:
Learn More about Yourself
The first step towards figuring out what career you intend to pursue is to find out what you enjoy – and what you’re good at. Many students enjoy literature and studying the works of Shakespeare, Milton and other famous writers. Others find that they are pretty adept at putting things together and enjoy learning about the intricacy of complex processes of various machines.
It’s not necessary for your interests to fall into any one category either; with so many diverse professions now existing in the workplace, students can expect that their skills can be put to a multitude of uses. For example, if you’re good at math, you can not only hope to become a teacher, but you can also an accountant and even a budget analyst.
The reason student counselors consider this step to be so important is because work encompasses a huge portion of our lives. To be truly good at what we do, we have to enjoy doing it. And the very basis of that lies in figuring out what our interests are early on.
Do Your Homework
Once you’ve figured out the types of careers you could have with your skills and knowledge, take out time to conduct a thorough research of each of the professions that you have outlined. There are many resources available online for you to look through and gather information from.
You can even talk to people working in your choice of field first-hand to get a proper assessment of what you’re getting into. They’ll be able to give you a detailed account of what to expect should you consider entering their field once you graduate. In case you don’t know anyone who works in your opted field, you can get in touch with teachers, friends, counselors or even relatives who have contacts.
Once you’ve managed to locate a professional who is willing to help, then try to gather as much information about their jobs as you can. And this can be done via phone, email or in person. You can even ask to visit their workplace so that you can see for yourself what their daily work is like.
Finding out what you’re truly passionate about and whether you have the skills and knowledge to match the capabilities needed in your chosen field is significant as it lays the very foundation of future success in your career. With any luck, you will find work that you enjoy doing and through which you can make a valuable contribution towards society.