Best Career Advice For High School Students

From who to ask to prom to what Snapchat pic to send, high schoolers have a lot of questions on their minds. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is another one, and it’s definitely not too soon to start thinking about a serious answer. If you’re a high school student (or the anxious parent of one), use these tips to jump-start your career search today:

Think Beyond Grades: Yes, getting good grades in high school is important, but focusing solely on straight A’s could backfire. For one, focusing too much on academic performance won’t leave you with any time to explore extracurriculars, like working on the school newspaper or serving on student government. Extracurriculars are important because they serve as a form of career exploration — hey, maybe you’ll fall in love with journalism after working on the paper for a few years. Plus, most college admission officers care about extracurriculars just as much as grades. Colleges want to admit students who are passionate and engaged both in the classroom and out!

Explore Opportunities Outside of School: Right now, both your academic and social lives revolve around school, but to really explore the myriad career opportunities out there, you’ll need to step outside the classroom every once in a while. Try volunteering or interning at an organization that aligns with your interests. Love animals? See if you can walk dogs at the local shelter. Crazy about baseball? Sign up to help coach a little league team. And don’t write off typical after-school jobs, either. While, say, scooping ice cream may seem boring, after-school jobs can bring in some cash and help you figure out your work preferences, like whether you’re a “people person” or prefer to work alone.

Get the Career Low Down From Grown Ups: Don’t forget to tap into the network that’s already around you. Talk to your teachers, guidance counselors, and — yes! — even your parents about how they landed in their careers. Even if you’re not interested in the careers that these grown ups are now in, learning about the process they used to get to where they are now can be helpful. And don’t overlook your friend’s parents, either. If you find your BFF’s mom’s job as a high-powered attorney totally intriguing, see if you can job shadow her for a day or two. Seeing what a day of work actually consists of can be eye-opening.

Start Your Search Online: If you really have no idea what you want to be when you grow up, use online tools to start your search. Take career quizzes to get ideas on what professions naturally align with your skills, interests, and personality traits, then use online career exploration sites like Glassdoor to narrow your options down further. But don’t stress too much about figuring it all out; right now, you should just concentrate on finding a field or two that interests you, rather than a specific career. Chances are, you’ll change your mind a few times before you find a career that really sticks, and that’s okay! But starting to explore career options now can help you decide what (if any) college you want to go to and what your potential major may be.

What’s the best career tip you’ve received as a high schooler? Share your best career advice for high school students with us in the comments below!