While some teens have their hearts set on a career path, others may be less sure about their future. Either way, it’s never too early for your high school student to begin investigating college majors and potential careers.

“Some teens know broad categories of careers, but need help exploring lesser-known possibilities, whereas others may need assistance translating their interests into career choices,” says Jennifer Quinn of the Billings Huntington Learning Center. Quinn offers these tips for parents to assist their teens along the career exploration journey:

Explore passions. All people tend to excel in things they love to do. Encourage your teen to follow the heart and not limit him or herself to one idea. If your teen is convinced he or she wants to be a veterinarian, volunteering at an animal hospital or clinic will give him or her a feel for the work and the environment. It can’t hurt to check out related fields, too, such as zoology, marine biology or wildlife biology, and talk to real people working in those occupations.

Assess strengths. Make sure your teen does not overlook subjects he or she is good at - even if he or she thinks they don’t offer appealing career choices. A good math student might immediately think all math majors go on to teach and do research, but math is a great foundation for financial analyst, management science specialist, actuary and statistician jobs, too. A strong writer could pursue journalism, but don’t forget public relations, publishing, law and library science. A good place to start is the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook atwww.bls.gov/ooh.

Take a skills assessment. If your teen seems apathetic or anxious about his or her career path, talk with your school guidance counselor about using career assessment tools to help your teen explore and narrow down the options. One choice is DISCOVER, the ACT’s career planning program, which helps students evaluate strengths, determine career-relevant interests and develop a four-year plan for college.

Take college courses. Many community colleges offer dual enrollment programs, whereby high school students can take college courses for credit. In New Jersey, for example, Bergen Community College offers several programs for students to try out different fields of study, including the AHEAD (Achieve Higher Education in Advance of Diploma) program, the College Experience Program and the Health Careers Academy.

It’s not easy for all high schoolers to choose a career path, but the more teens evaluate options now, the more certain they will be when they get to college and choose a major. Encourage your teen to explore widely and keep an open mind. In doing so, you will help ease the process for this major life decision.

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by Jennifer Quinn, Huntington Learning Center of Billings, 406-651-5880.

About Huntington
Founded in 1977, Huntington is a pioneer and leader in the tutoring industry. For over 30 years, Huntington has provided quality instruction to hundreds of thousands of students. Huntington prides itself on being “Your Tutoring Solution” for students in all grades and subjects.  They tutor in academic skills, such as reading, phonics, math and study skills; and in advanced math and science subjects ranging from algebra through calculus and general science through physics. They also prepare students for state and standardized entrance exams, such as high school entrance exams and the SAT and ACT.