Career and Educational Options

Choosing a career and determining how to prepare for that career can be very difficult.  Your child needs you to help him/her explore and evaluate his/her career and educational options.

-Identify abilities and interests:  help your child to see how his/her interests, strengths, and personality traits can be assets in the right career. 

-Explore career options:  if your child is interested in reading about a career, go to www.bls.gov/oco/.  

Educational Options: 

We encourage all students to pursue post high school education/training.  Make sure that your child understand the importance of getting a good education and strongly encourage your child to continue his/her education after high school.  Only about 20% of today’s careers require a four year college degree. In many cases, students can prepare for today’s high demand career fields by attending a community college or technical school.

-Career and Technology Programs in high school:  these programs are particularly appropriate for students who prefer a more practical, “hands-on” approach to learning.

-Four-year Colleges:  these schools vary greatly in their size, costs, admission policies and in the majors they offer.

-Community Colleges:  many of these schools do not require that a student has a college preparatory background, nor do they require SAT testing. Community colleges provide affordable, career-oriented programs that enable students to begin their careers after two years of college or less.  Business, law enforcement, real estate, and engineering technology are just a few of the careers that student can prepare for by going to a community college.  Students may also begin their education at a two-year college and then transfer to a four-year college to complete their bachelor’s degree.

-Career Schools:  these schools offer short-term training programs in a wide variety of career fields.  While some programs last only a few weeks, others take up to two years to complete.  Make sure that the school is accredited.

-Military:  the military offers qualified high school graduates free job training, opportunities for career advancement and travel.  For more information, go to www.military.com

-Apprenticeships:  apprentices learn a skilled trade through a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training.  These programs usually last 1-6 years; they can be difficult to get into.