Careers start well before the first day of a new job. That’s why it’s important for parents and teachers to help high school students pick a career and prepare for the future. Sitting down and discussing possible career choices can help you get an idea of future career opportunities. Here are some tips to get started.

Choosing a career after high school is one of the most important decisions a youth will make. Discussing possible career choices for high school students can help them get an idea of what they would like to do in the future. Here are some tips to get started on how to choose a career after high school:

1. Help Your Student Discover Their Interests and Talents
Employ your child’s natural gifts, hobbies, and talents as the basis for your discussion about choosing a career path after high school.

2. Consider Your High Schooler’s Academic Strengths
Which academic subjects interest your student the most? Create a list of their favorite high school subjects, as well as the subjects in which they excel the most. Encourage your child to be specific. For example, if their top two subjects are science and math, be specific about the subject area or level—biology, chemistry, algebra, calculus, and so on.  This is a helpful and inspiring exercise to generate career ideas for high school students that align with their interests and skills.

3. Identify Your Student’s 5 Greatest Personal or Social Strengths
To expand on this exercise, have your student create another list of their top five greatest personal or social strengths. It’s sometimes difficult to identify one’s own strengths. As a helpful starting point, your student can ask other people in their life for key traits to get them started. If your child’s strengths and abilities need more clarification, your student can ask their friends, teachers, or coaches to pick the traits that best describe them. Your high schooler can also take aptitude tests that can help pinpoint their strengths.

4. Explore Trending Careers
Trending career lists can be a helpful starting point for choosing a career path after high school.

5. Discuss Career Options with Our High School Counselor Ms. Miller
You can also encourage your student to meet with our wonderful high school counselor Ms. Miller.  She can help students prepare for college, careers, and more. In addition to career planning she can also help provide criteria for selecting colleges and applying for scholarships and college admission.

For more insight, take this quiz that helps students pick a college major or career.
After taking the quiz, your child can explore additional career resources for high school students that will help visualize the career path of their choice.