6 answers
Dominque
Student
Memphis, Tennessee
2
Questions
Asked
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Can you start your career early even if you are in school and do you have to finish school to start a career
I am a very silly person and I love to be a helpful person #career
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6 answers
Kymia Hatcher
Grad School/Data Coordinator
1
Answer
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Kymia’s Answer
It is never too early to start preparing yourself for a career. In high school, it is a good step to reflect on your interests, skills and strengths. You can begin to ask yourself at any age what it is that you're good at and how you want to use those skills in your life to help others, make money, etc. Once you know your strengths, if you do not know specifically what it is that you want to do as a career, you can research career options that satisfy those strengths to see if you find something that peaks your interests.
No matter what it is that you choose, keep in mind that life is ever-changing. Sometimes our plans don't map out exactly how we want them to and this also applies to the steps we take to achieve our dream careers. While it is possible to land your dream job on the first try, do not get too discouraged if it takes a few tries. Some things to prepare you for a job while you are in high school include: taking classes to sharpen your skills, following channels or videos on-line to learn new skills or growth in your interests on a particular subject, searching online for career paths that match your interests, or applying for part-time or flex/virtual/internship jobs that serve as "stepping stones" to the career you're looking into (examples: working as a bank teller if you eventually want to be a financial advisor, working in daycare/nannying if you want to pursue a career in caregiving, education or childhood development, choosing a job in customer service to gain experience for ANY entry position, etc).
I've outlined some extra steps below. If you are reading this and this is you, do not give up! Keep searching for opportunities to grow and achieve your goals. Extend yourself some grace and remember that your destination is often the journey itself. You will find success as long as you keep trying!
Choose part-time jobs that match your career goals.
Take classes (paid or free online) to grow or sharpen your skills.
Research or ask professionals in your preferred career field.
Do not be afraid to ask questions, especially if you need help!
Be nice to yourself; you will get to where you are going.
No matter what it is that you choose, keep in mind that life is ever-changing. Sometimes our plans don't map out exactly how we want them to and this also applies to the steps we take to achieve our dream careers. While it is possible to land your dream job on the first try, do not get too discouraged if it takes a few tries. Some things to prepare you for a job while you are in high school include: taking classes to sharpen your skills, following channels or videos on-line to learn new skills or growth in your interests on a particular subject, searching online for career paths that match your interests, or applying for part-time or flex/virtual/internship jobs that serve as "stepping stones" to the career you're looking into (examples: working as a bank teller if you eventually want to be a financial advisor, working in daycare/nannying if you want to pursue a career in caregiving, education or childhood development, choosing a job in customer service to gain experience for ANY entry position, etc).
I've outlined some extra steps below. If you are reading this and this is you, do not give up! Keep searching for opportunities to grow and achieve your goals. Extend yourself some grace and remember that your destination is often the journey itself. You will find success as long as you keep trying!
Kymia recommends the following next steps:
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
845
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
Hi Dominque,
You do not have to wait to start a career. I actually only decided to get my bachelor's degree after I had been doing my job as an instructor for many years. I actually went to college during an economic downturn when I could not get hired because I didn't have a degree. Getting a degree became a strategic advantage that I could not do without. I also found that I did better in college when I was working in the same field that I was studying. It made it feel like I was working longer, but it was familiar. I would say if you can do a job in a career that is also your college major is a great benefit. It will be important to eventually earn the college degree, because that often has an impact on your salary. It is true that a college degree will allow you to earn more money since you bring more knowledge and skill to the business.
Gloria
You do not have to wait to start a career. I actually only decided to get my bachelor's degree after I had been doing my job as an instructor for many years. I actually went to college during an economic downturn when I could not get hired because I didn't have a degree. Getting a degree became a strategic advantage that I could not do without. I also found that I did better in college when I was working in the same field that I was studying. It made it feel like I was working longer, but it was familiar. I would say if you can do a job in a career that is also your college major is a great benefit. It will be important to eventually earn the college degree, because that often has an impact on your salary. It is true that a college degree will allow you to earn more money since you bring more knowledge and skill to the business.
Gloria
Chris Beasley
Regional Director for an Insurance Carrier
18
Answers
Lansing, Michigan
Updated
Chris’s Answer
Hello Dominque:
Start right now. If your excited about starting your career, then now is the time. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Find summer internships offered in your career to get more experience while you are in school.
Find a mentor in your career field. A mentor and help you understand the challenges and opportunities in your specific field.
Start a blog on your career field. Research and add interesting articles. It will be a good step to start networking with other professionals
in your career field.
Look at possible universities that have degrees in your career field.
Find volunteer opportunities in your area that coincide with your career. Many companies are becoming more engaged with volunteerism
in their communities, so get involved.
It sounds like you are ready to get your career moving. Take a few of these ideas and make it happen. Good luck!
Start right now. If your excited about starting your career, then now is the time. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Find summer internships offered in your career to get more experience while you are in school.
Find a mentor in your career field. A mentor and help you understand the challenges and opportunities in your specific field.
Start a blog on your career field. Research and add interesting articles. It will be a good step to start networking with other professionals
in your career field.
Look at possible universities that have degrees in your career field.
Find volunteer opportunities in your area that coincide with your career. Many companies are becoming more engaged with volunteerism
in their communities, so get involved.
It sounds like you are ready to get your career moving. Take a few of these ideas and make it happen. Good luck!
Jeffrey Grau
Corporate strategy
22
Answers
Morristown, New Jersey
Updated
Jeffrey’s Answer
Hi Dominque,
I would think a lot depends on what career you are interested in. In general, there are probably many ways to get started in a career. Assuming you have found something interesting that you could see yourself spending a lot of time doing for pay, then probably the first thing would be to learn as much as you can about that career from books, articles, newspapers, and especially people you know who are currently doing that for a living.
Maybe one of these people can point you to volunteer opportunities in your field of interest. Or maybe you can even get paid for part-time work on weekends or in the evening. You might contact employment offices to see if there are part-time or volunteer job opportunities. Maybe you can visit or call (might be better in a COVID world) organizations, businesses, or wherever people work in your field of choice to learn what practical experience you can get.
Maybe there are professional organizations, clubs, etc. where people in your field gather online. You could find them on LinkedIn or even doing a Google search. If you need help identifying such groups, contact a local librarian. I am sure they could help you find groups you could get involved in related to your field.
There are probably books that give advice on how to get started in your field. There may also be articles you can find on the internet with similar advice.
The main point is that if you have really found your interest. Start immersing yourself in it by learning more about it, finding other people who are already doing it and get involved. Soon enough you will learn about ways to get started in your field.k
Good Luck,
Jeff Grau
I would think a lot depends on what career you are interested in. In general, there are probably many ways to get started in a career. Assuming you have found something interesting that you could see yourself spending a lot of time doing for pay, then probably the first thing would be to learn as much as you can about that career from books, articles, newspapers, and especially people you know who are currently doing that for a living.
Maybe one of these people can point you to volunteer opportunities in your field of interest. Or maybe you can even get paid for part-time work on weekends or in the evening. You might contact employment offices to see if there are part-time or volunteer job opportunities. Maybe you can visit or call (might be better in a COVID world) organizations, businesses, or wherever people work in your field of choice to learn what practical experience you can get.
Maybe there are professional organizations, clubs, etc. where people in your field gather online. You could find them on LinkedIn or even doing a Google search. If you need help identifying such groups, contact a local librarian. I am sure they could help you find groups you could get involved in related to your field.
There are probably books that give advice on how to get started in your field. There may also be articles you can find on the internet with similar advice.
The main point is that if you have really found your interest. Start immersing yourself in it by learning more about it, finding other people who are already doing it and get involved. Soon enough you will learn about ways to get started in your field.k
Good Luck,
Jeff Grau
J. T.
Workplace Coordinator
6
Answers
Hayward, California
Updated
J.’s Answer
I don't think that it is ever too early to build a career. In my role, I do event management as one of the many hats that I wear and I was able to use my personal experience and build on those skills during my college years (conducting formal events and preparing alumni events). If you have a general idea of where you want to go, then you can build on skills- organization, communication, etc.
Mark Hazlett
Director of Business Intelligence
3
Answers
Saint Cloud, Florida
Updated
Mark’s Answer
Hi! In my profession we like to hire interns. For the intern it gives them experience in a certain field before they graduate. It is like a trial period for the intern. Sometimes they fall in love with the career and other times they realize that it is not a good fit for them. My advice would be to search out Internships in the area you are interested in. These may be paid or unpaid internships. If you fall in love with the career, it will give you an advantage over others that do not have any work experience when they graduate. Good Luck!