Career Planning Starts Now
I don't know about you, but I wanted to be Indiana Jones when I grew up. Until, of course, I realized my entire day would be sweating in the dirt with bugs and no glory (or a fedora). Luckily I had a plan B.
Sure, having a career seems so far away. I mean, first you have to survive high school, then after that is four years of college, but then what if you want to get a master's degree? That's another two years, at least. And if you want to insist everyone call you doctor all your life, you could well be into your 30s by the time you get your PhD and actually get into the work force, let alone start on your true career.
Phew. Let's take a breath for a sec. That's a lot of school and a lot of decisions.
So how do you know what to do? What if you like science and art? What if you're just good with your hands. Is there a college degree for that? There's an entire oyster out there, and it's yours. But how do you get it? Luckily, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics is way ahead of you.
Log on to http://www.bls.gov/k12/. Pick what kind of person you are. Are you good at Math? Love to Read? Like Money? Choose your strength or your passion and you'll be shown answers to the million dollar questions like,
Realistically, how much might I get paid if I were a writer?
Or, How do you prepare now, in high school, for a job in Sports?
This site is really great at answering the real questions you have with unbias statistics and practicality (unlike your mother who says she'll love you even if you become a homeless wandering poet).
Before you pick what you want to do with the rest of your life, it's a good idea to be prepared. Let bls.gov help you. In this case it's true; knowledge is power.
P.S. Dates for our Summer Online Writing Courses are now available on our website, at TeenInk.com. The best part about online summer writing classes? You can still sleep in and watch a ton of TV, because class is when you want it to be. And come next year, you'll be a stronger writer...and still be caught up on your favorite shows.
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