As a High Schooler, It is important to develop your career planning as it gives you the much-needed direction and makes it clear there where you see yourself in the future. It makes you aware of your strengths and weaknesses and the skills and knowledge required to achieve your future goals.
At an early stage, It is important to explore your interests as you choose your career. The sooner you understand what you do and don’t want to do for a career, the easier it will be to make the right career decisions.
In high school, there’s no pressure to pick a major or a career, so it’s the best time to experiment and take the courses that interest you, like Statistics, Microbiology, Computer Sciences, Literature, Foreign languages, etc.
A solid career plan is important in that it can provide a roadmap for your future. This, in turn, helps you make informed choices about your current job situation and future career moves. A broader career plan is also important when it comes to helping you stay inspired.
Here are 10 steps that CPR Foundation proposes to get a head start in planning a career right from your high school.
- Learn about yourself. Understanding what you enjoy—and what you’re good at—is the first step in exploring careers
- Identify and understand what kind of careers exist in the real world
- Complete your research on what skills are needed
- Talk to professionals who are in those careers to understand the details of what those careers look like
- Attend the “Career Days” at school to understand and get a feel of the different career options
- Try to get a Summer internship or part-time job experiences in those careers to understand if this is the profession or area you are interested in taking on a full time
- In high school, take the relevant courses that suit your interests
- Understand which Universities would help achieve the academic foundation to achieve your career goals
- Understand the requirements for those Universities and prepare for any entrance tests in advance
- Apply to those Colleges/Universities and lay a path for success
In short, these eight steps help you to plan ahead and methodically achieve your objectives.