Career Planning for Students
As a student, when you are planning your future career, there are several 
factors that have to be considered. The first step is to decide what career path you want to follow. For many people, this is the most difficult part of the process! Try to connect your present life with your future and what you want to do with it. What is your passion? What interests you, in your educational life or in your personal life? If you have always loved working for cars, for example, you might think of a career as an automobile engineer. If you want to work with animals, perhaps a career as a veterinarian, zoologist, or animal researcher is right for you. Try to pick something that has a definitive future. If you love music, you might think the obvious career choice is to be a singer/songwriter or band member, but you would probably have better career success working for a record label or recording studio. Do not sell yourself short, but keep things realistic. Not everyone can be a famous TV personality, concert musician, or rock star. There is a plethora of jobs, within related fields, which would be rewarding and be able to provide a stable source of income.
The second step is to plan your education around reaching that career goal. Even while you are in high school, you can start taking courses that fit your plan. If your school does not offer the right vocational or technical courses, consider taking evening or weekend classes at a local community college or a recreation center, so that when you graduate high school you have an edge over others. If you plan on going to a college or university, pick one that is known for a program that fits your desired line of study. Remember, the point here is to reach your career goals, not just to end up with a generic diploma with your name on it.
The third step of career planning involves your life outside the realm of education. Get a job connected to your future career, even if it is at the bottom of the ladder. Build contacts, personal and professional, that you can rely on later for references and job leads. Be involved in your community, again in some way that has a connection to your career. You want to show your future employers the passion you have for your future career and convince them that rejecting you as an applicant would be a mistake. Being involved or having a solid previous employment history shows job recruiters that you are responsible and hard-working.
Date: 17th May, 2011
