Jump Starting Your Career in High School

Hi everyone and Happy Thursday!! I don't know about you, but I am particularly ready for the weekend ... only two more days!! Today, I want to talk to you all about how you can get started on building your career while you are still in high school or college.

Oftentimes, I feel like students are really excited about their future career and want to jump start into it right away. I was no different as a high school and college student. Because of this passion for the field you plan to work in, you should certainly channel some of your energy, time, and focus into it if it is your passion! So, here are some of my tips and ways that you can build your career while you are still a student!

1. Start a Blog - Blogging is not just for the experts and professionals, you too can get started building your career by creating a blog that caters to a topic you are interested in. Every career is applicable but especially: education, business/marketing, fashion and style, engineering, writing/communications, and the arts. For some of them you may need to brainstorm a little harder, but creating a blog that helps you learn about your future career, as well as, establish that you're hardworking and passionate is especially amazing. This can connect you with other people in the industry and expose you to other opportunities in your future field!

Starting a blog about something your passionate about only helps
your knowledge of the subject grow!

2. Find a Summer Job - While this may be fairly obvious, finding a summer job that fits the career you would like is a great way to jump start your career experience. If you are interested in studying art, try working at an art store or gallery. If you are interested in business, any position in retail or sales can really help you gain general experience and understanding about the business world, which will be incredibly helpful. Babysitting is always useful if you plan on working with other people in the future (think: education, speech pathology, social work, psychology ... etc.). These jobs can set you up for even more opportunities once you get into college!

3. Create a Business - You don't need to be 30 years old with a college education to start your own business. Think about what you love doing and what you may be able to offer your community or the area surrounding your home. If you love photography and want to study it in college, offer to take pictures of area families or set up an Etsy account and sell your favorite photographs. If you want to be a mechanic or retailer, offer to help out family members with odd jobs in their vehicles like changing the oil or cleaning them! This gives you customer service experience and great references for once you officially apply for full-time jobs! ( My boyfriend was 15 years old when he started a lawn mowing business, once he had a few clients in his community, he opened it up to other lawn work and landscaping projects!)

4. Volunteer - I talk about volunteering a lot (Check out this post and this post) but it is truly amazing how you can start your career just by simply volunteering with someone once a week. If you want to study Hospitality, volunteer with Relay for Life or with a festival near your hometown, if you plan on studying Education, then offer to help a teacher or tutor some students. The opportunities are endless, if you want to work as a dance instructor or choreographer, volunteer with a local theater troupe and your dance studio! Truly, it is without a doubt a great way to get a jump start on your career and make connections for future internships or job opportunities!

These are just a few ideas, but when you are only 16-17 years old, your opportunities may be limited, so make sure you get creative and ask family members if they have any suggestions. All of these opportunities will not only help you gain knowledge on your career field, but it will also help you gain those skills (active listening, time management, customer services) that are going to be necessary no matter the career you follow. Just remember, you are never too young to pursue your passion!

enjoy the chase,

skylar

P.S. If you are thinking about starting a blog or finding an opportunity in your community and aren't sure where to start, feel free to contact me and I would love to give some ideas or suggestions that may help you!! You can reach me through my contact page!