Our world is changing at a rapid pace, and with that, the traditional timeline of finishing high school, then graduating from college, then landing a job a year or so later is disappearing. Many students today are not only beginning to explore their potential career pathways while still in high school, but are also starting to take early steps to prepare themselves to enter the workforce as soon as they graduate.
While it’s rare for a 15-year-old to decide on a career to last for the rest of their life, there is nothing stopping a 15-year-old student from beginning to explore their early career options in more detail, including identifying their natural strengths, acquiring key skills, and exploring where their key interests could lead in terms of career options.
So when kids start asking the real questions about their future early on, they end up more confident and more prepared for what comes next.
So how do we make that happen?
Moving Beyond Traditional Guidance
Historically, this kind of early guidance has come through annual meetings with a school counselor and a series of abstract aptitude tests, taken in quiet, fluorescent-lit computer labs around the country.
Increasing numbers of high schools and universities are now creating ecologies of education: connected spaces and programs where students can see how what they’re learning in the classroom applies beyond it. That includes outreach like Motimatic higher ed programs, which reach students in the spaces where they’re already active online, such as during late-night study sessions, offering early exposure to potential fields of study and a range of career options. Programs like these meet students where they already are, which makes discovering and choosing a career feel more approachable.
It is crucial to note that when students are engaged in ongoing conversations about their futures, they can and do take ownership of their choices in school. This translates into seeing their education as a means of getting to where they want to go – a series of doors to many choices.
The Power of Hands-On Experience
Getting to read about a potential career in a nice, glossy brochure is so much different than really experiencing the daily grind of that kind of job. Therefore, the best way of giving students of this age group hands-on experience of what a particular kind of career is like is to give them the chance to really experience it for themselves, however briefly.
Several methods exist by which students can gain early practical experience.
- Job Shadowing: Allowing students to observe professionals at work for a day or more, in order to gain insight into work environments, communication, etc.
- Informational Interviews: Students can interview professionals working in a specific field and gain more insight and ask specific questions about their job.
- Internships and Apprenticeships: Short-term positions or summer programs where students are involved in projects that help build skills and a professional network of contacts.
- Career and Technical Education (CTE): Programs in schools and in after-school programs that focus on specialties like construction, automotive repair, information technology, and health sciences, and combine academic and technical studies.
What if a student tries something and realizes they hate it?
Well, honestly, that’s actually a win.
By trying out a few different career paths and seeing if they fit, students can test their assumptions about a potential career. Finding out that a certain career isn’t for them can be just as valuable as finding a new passion or interest. In the end, it saves them a lot of time, energy, and resources.
Integrating Skills Into the Daily Curriculum
Jobs within various industries and career paths that students have interest in should also be taught within the curriculum for their respective subjects, in order to increase exposure to various career options and the skills required in each of the various industries and careers.
A history project can teach students how to research and give presentations. A science lab can teach students how to analyze data and solve problems in a group setting. By showing students how to apply the skills they learn in a classroom setting, teachers can help them see the value in their schoolwork.
And what about life outside the classroom?
In addition to teaching skills that can be applied to any career, schools can also teach “soft skills.” These are communication, time management, adaptability, and critical thinking. All of these are skills that are needed in almost every job.
The Role of Mentorship and Community
No one embarks on a career exploration alone. Students are supported by many different people, including a number of mentors along the way. Some students may connect with their mentors through their community organizations, through a school’s alumni association, or even through their employer. Students learn a great deal from their mentors about the many twists and turns that can occur along a career path.
Mentors help their charges understand the professional world. By sharing their own failures and career changes (mine included), mentors help students see just how rare a straight-line career path really is.
But hearing from adults who’ve had to learn and change course in their own careers makes clear that no one goes through it alone.
Local businesses and community organizations also need to play a role. Site visits, guest speakers and partnerships with schools are all ways for businesses to invest in their future workforce and give students a taste of what life is like in local industries.
Building Confidence for the Long Haul
Early career pathway exploration is critical to a young person’s sense of self-efficacy and to their approach to their future in general. If they have the tools, information and opportunities to explore who they are and what they like to do, they will approach their future with a sense of curiosity rather than a sense of fear or anxiety.
The goal isn’t to have everything figured out by graduation day.
By allowing early career pathway exploration, educators, family and community members can support students in gaining the necessary skills and confidence to overcome future challenges in the ever-changing world of work.