Career selection should be the first step when a student is planning their future. Once a career is chosen, then it’s time to select a major and choose a college that offers that major. Often parents and teens alike select the college first, then choose a major based on some type of interest, and finally sort of fall into a career. Starting with career selection first will help the student be more directed and happy with the outcome of the college investment.
But how do you select a career when you’re still in high school? First, figure out the student’s natural aptitudes. There are many resources to help accomplish this task. A great resource is Career Vision, which is a division of the Ball Foundation. Career Vision will, for a fee, provide several aptitude and interest tests. From these results, the counselor will take the world of careers and narrow that world to a pie slice that fits not only the student’s interest, but also their natural aptitudes. They will then provide a list of careers and career areas for the student to start to explore. Don’t we all want to be in a career that we like and where we excel? For more information, go to www.careervision.org. Another on-line resource is “Your Child’s Career” at the following address www.yourchildscareer.org. This is a free resource for parents and kids. The guidance office at schools will often have tests to help the students as well.
Studies have shown that teens, who select a career based solely on interests, are not happy with the results 8 out of 11 times. How many adults are unhappy in their careers? Our 25 years of experience has shows that the students who select a major based on their aptitude and interest areas, stick with their initially selected college major 99% of the time. Nationally, 57% of college students take up to six years to get their degree because they switch their major. At a cost of $20,000 to %50,000 a year, that’s a lot of extra money spent on classes from changing majors.