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!

Volunteering in College

Happy November everyone!!  I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloweekend with your family and friends. Please note that just because you are in high school or college, that doesn't mean you still can't dress up and have a festive time, so you have 364 days to figure out your costume for next year!

Tonight I want to talk to you all about the act of volunteering in college. It is a very important aspect of most college campuses and is a requirement at some. During my Freshmen year of college, we were required to complete 60 hours of community service. Luckily, they had a Community Service Fair during Orientation to help us find an organization to work with. But, if your university doesn't have a Volunteer Fair, here are some ideas for finding the right organization for you.

On-Campus Clubs - Check out your college's listing of clubs and organizations, some of them offer some great community service opportunities. A lot of universities have a chapter of Circle K, which is a service organization affiliated with the Kiwanis Club. They offer so many different opportunities to volunteer in the community and with other on-campus organizations. Also, check out the Relay for Life Club on campus, the Key Club, or the Lion's Club to find even more chances to volunteer. These organizations also allow for potential leadership positions in your university's chapter and the national chapter!

Event Volunteers - No matter the size of the campus you attend, there will be events happening that you can help with. These can range from conferences and Welcome Weekend to concerts and sporting events. Whatever your niche may be, find an event that fits your interest and that you will enjoy doing. During my undergrad, I helped with our Reunion Weekend during the summer and I also was a Big Events Volunteer for on-campus concerts. Both had their own perks and I enjoyed them while still being able to boost my resume and gain more experience!

Local Schools - If you are an Education major, this is a GREAT chance to gain experience, really boost your resume, and help out other teachers. Once you have all of your clearances completed and your fingerprinting done, you can tutor within a school district. I know that elementary teachers especially are always looking for an extra hand in the classroom and if this is your area of interest, then definitely pursue it. Also, if you have already completed Freshmen field work or a student teaching experience, use your rapport with those students to continue volunteering with that teacher.

Churches and Youth Groups - Whether you consider yourself Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist ... whichever divine figure you believe in, you can always volunteer at a local place of worship. You can end up working in the soup kitchen, the food pantry, youth group, or teaching Sunday School. No matter what it is, the church members will be grateful that you are volunteering your time and helping them. (They can also become a great support system to you throughout your four years in college.)

Social Organizations - There are also community service experiences available to you in your college town or in a neighboring city. If you are a political or social rights activist, this would be a great route to get out in the college's community and gain connections. These organizations could be Planned Parenthood, Rape Crisis, the Republican Council, or a special interest group in the area. If you can relate these organizations to a career or an area that you would be interested in learning more about, then try out volunteering to get a better idea of the environment.

These suggestions can help you give back to your college campus and your college's community, while still gaining more experience and helping you grow your career. The good thing about volunteering is that if you don't particularly like the experience after trying it, once the commitment is finished, you don't have to go back and you can find another organization to help.

As we approach the season of giving, I hope you think about adding some volunteer efforts into your schedule and give back to your community!

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Gandhi 

enjoy the chase,

skylar