High school is a time of rapid change and personal exploration for many students. It’s also a great time to start thinking carefully about potential future careers and taking steps to work toward those careers. While considering a career might seem daunting, career exploration for high school students doesn’t need to be stressful. By breaking the process down into easily manageable steps, students can consider their options and start preparing for future opportunities.

It is also important to keep in mind that while career preparation in high school can be highly valuable, not everyone chooses and then pursues a single career starting in adolescence, and that’s okay too. This article is about how to consider your options, learn about your interests, and get a head start on your future.

Identifying Skills and Interests

The first thing to consider when engaging in career exploration is your skills and interests. What do you enjoy? What do you want to learn more about? There are lots of ways to go about this process, but the most important thing is to ask yourself questions about your interests and desires with an open mind. Consider the following questions to get started:

• What school subjects do you enjoy? Why?
• What extracurricular activities do you enjoy? Why?
• What are you passionate about?
• What kind of lifestyle do you want to have in the future?
• What major goals do you have for your life and career?

Take a little time to brainstorm potential answers to these questions before moving on to the next sections, which will go into more detail about your skills, interests, and lifestyle goals. Taking a personality test can also help you work through these questions.