HELPFUL HINTS215
All of the presenters for my Gold Award gave important advice during their presentations towards teens, drawing from their own personal and professional experiences. Here are their best tips.
- Attendance is extremely important. Employers are more likely to hire someone who they believe will show up on time.
- Employers look for employees who have a good attendance record, who show initiative, those who can take care of the equipment provided to them, those who have good writing and communication skills, and those who can work successfully in teams.
- It is a good idea to shadow someone in your prospective career field while still in high school. You are able to experience the typical day in that field and you can see if you still wish to pursue that career path.
- Don't discount community college. It can be a valuable stepping stone to your career.
- STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields have many prospective employment opportunities.
- Stay true to what you want to do but be open to changes.
- To prepare for college, take advantage of electives, try to gain experience through internships or job shadowing, work a part time job, and get involved in extracurricular activities.
- Don't feel pressure to go to a traditional 4 year college. Trade schools can help you in ways you never thought possible.
- Don't pick a school based on its name- pick a school that has good financial aid opportunities and has strong programs you want to study.
- Try to find a mentor who is in your career field. They can talk to you about career options and everything going on in your life.
- If at all possible. try to take career aptitude tests (as shown on the Web Resources page). They can show you careers that you and your personality are suited to.