Tips to help teens explore career opportunities

1. ‘Test drive’ a career

Hands-on experience not only helps students learn if they will like a career, it can provide them with marketable skills later on if they do decide to enter a certain field. There are several ways to “test drive” a career.

Some schools provide testing to help students identify areas of interest and demonstrated skill for a career, vocation or trade. Another option is to research internship opportunities in a profession of interest. Internships provide valuable opportunities for hands-on experience in a field and interaction with practicing professionals.

High school and college students can make arrangements to shadow someone in the career of interest. This also provides one-on-one interaction and personal experience that can be helpful in selecting a career. Some schools have career days when executives from a variety of fields are invited to a school for "show and tell" and to chat with students about their careers and opportunities for advancement.

“Students must find out what the real job is like, what an average day is like and what the real tasks in a job are. It is okay not to know what area they want to pursue. That’s why I encourage students to take a variety of classes in areas unfamiliar to them,” says Mlynarczyk.

2. Keep options open

Students should not rush through the process of selecting a career and should understand that they might change their mind several times, Mlynarczyk says.

“Students need to balance between working on the present and preparing for the future,” he adds. “It’s important to keep their options open because they will not know the condition of the workforce when they are ready to graduate. For example, look at all the new developments with Internet and technology over the last 20 years. Approach the career selection process with an entrepreneurial spirit.”

How ever students arrive at a career choice it’s also important to understand that it is natural to change their minds. Many successful professionals have had to try various fields before deciding what they liked best and what best complemented their natural drive, skill and talent. The ultimate goal is to find a career that sparks enthusiasm, brings out the best qualities and leads to becoming a happy and productive citizen.

 - ARA Content