What are you going to do after high school? Despite the hype, college isn't the only path to a successful future. Many
people find success and satisfaction in working in a trade such as construction, welding, auto mechanics, or plumbing; joining the
military, or working in a family business. Some even settle on a work-from-home career such as writing or freelance editing (be sure to look at the Home Business section of this website if you want to know more about that type of career).
Here are a few links to help you consider your options.
Research potential careers in the amazingly useful Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupation
Outlook Handbook. You'll learn about the duties, training required, salary range, working conditions, and number of jobs available both now and projected into the future. This is a very helpful resource.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Here's a link to the college alternatives section of my blog. You'll find some helpful articles there, including "Apprenticeships and Skilled Trades Offer an Alternative to College."
Read about college-free careers in this excellent article by Matthew Mariani
of the Occupational Outlook Quarterly, "High-Earning Workers Who Don't Have
College Degrees:"
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/employ/bachdeg/bach_deg.pdf
Construction provides many excellent career opportunities. Check them out at
this excellent site:
http://www.constructmyfuture.com/
A very nice site devoted to careers in the electricity industry:
http://www.electrifyingcareers.com/
If you are just considering a gap year between high school and college, here's a site devoted to that concept, with a very interesting program that includes 3 months of "language, service and cultural immersion in India or South America; a 12-week solo internship of your choice; career and job-readiness counseling, a curriculum of Life Skills Learning, and a formal Rite of Passage."
http://www.leapnow.org/leapyear/ |
