The path that takes you from high school student, to college or university graduate to employee can be tricky to navigate. There are a few simple steps you can follow to ease the transition; consider your interests and talents, develop your skills, choose your occupation and, find a job. Asking the right questions will help you to find the right answers . You can ask yourself, talk to Guidance councillors and professionals – starting with your relatives and teachers, career councillors, or do some research online. Other resources include career studies classes and clubs, as well as cooperative education programs like eCo-op. Take every opportunity to attend career fairs, go-to-work days, and informally interview everyone and anyone when you get a chance. As you set out to discover what career path you want to follow, keep in mind that choosing your classes, programs and eventually your career is an ongoing journey of discovery that you can start by taking these few steps in the right direction.
Step 1: Ask yourself these questions
- What subjects do I enjoy and why?
- In what subjects do I perform well?
- Are there classes I haven’t taken but am very curious about?
- If I could imagine myself waking up each and every morning happy to be gong to a job, what would I be doing?
- What is my dream occupation?
- What do I do for fun?
- What do I like, or did I like, about previous jobs or volunteer positions I’ve held
Do you see a trend? Is a picture forming? Now what college or university programs are available that will help you achieve your to your goal.
Step 2: Ask around
Ask someone who has already started their journey along the career path such as your parents, teachers, and other friends. How did they decide? What is their dream job? What level of education have they achieved? What have they learned along the way that might help you as you take these first steps? Remember that every person started from a different place and that many are pleasantly surprised about where their individual career path has taken them.
Step 2: Develop your skills
At this point in your journey you may not be sure which skills you will need. And, in the environment of changing technologies and the global marketplace, the skills you will need may not even exist yet. So start with a strong foundation – an education. Be sure to select programs during the high school years that will allow you to apply to your desired post-secondary course. If your school doesn’t offer a particular program, or you didn’t take something that you now need, don’t worry. There are lots of online credit schools that offer maths, sciences, arts, social studies and technology.
Step 3: Gain hands on experience
No better way to see if you enjoy a line of work than getting out there and trying it out. Hands-on experience will move closer to your goal of finding the career that suits you best. In a workplace, you begin to understand the dynamics of the environment and gain exposure to jobs you may not have known even existed. A combination of education and practical experience are powerful tools to help you understand where you would like to see your journey lead you. Consider volunteer internships.
Yes, some people know what they want to do from a young age, get the required education and live the lifestyle of their dreams. However if you don’t know, prepare for the journey ahead by following your heart, your head, and taking one small step after another along your life-long career path.
