9 answers
Elias
Student
Fremont, California
3
Questions
Asked
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3)If you could go back to high school, what would you do differently to prepare yourself for your career??
3)If you could go back to high school, what would you do differently to prepare yourself for your career?
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9 answers
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Advisor | Freelance Writer | TRIO Program Director
1112
Answers
Tacoma, Washington
Updated
Paul’s Answer
Hi Elias
In my career, I've relied heavily on communication and writing skills. If I could go back to high school, I would take more courses in liberal arts, writing, and English. These classes would have better prepared me for college by focusing on writing skills. Many students leave high school without strong writing abilities, which are essential for college success. Social sciences and liberal arts classes, like literature, philosophy, history, sociology, and psychology, often require a lot of writing, helping to build these skills.
Working on the school paper helped me, but I needed to expand my vocabulary for better writing development, which I didn't focus on until my early thirties. Things improved when I joined a technical degree program, which helped me achieve my goals. If I had developed these skills earlier, I believe more opportunities would have been available to me.
In my career, I've relied heavily on communication and writing skills. If I could go back to high school, I would take more courses in liberal arts, writing, and English. These classes would have better prepared me for college by focusing on writing skills. Many students leave high school without strong writing abilities, which are essential for college success. Social sciences and liberal arts classes, like literature, philosophy, history, sociology, and psychology, often require a lot of writing, helping to build these skills.
Working on the school paper helped me, but I needed to expand my vocabulary for better writing development, which I didn't focus on until my early thirties. Things improved when I joined a technical degree program, which helped me achieve my goals. If I had developed these skills earlier, I believe more opportunities would have been available to me.
Todd Jurow
Project Manager
28
Answers
New Jersey, New Jersey
Updated
Todd’s Answer
Good question. It took me a long time to figure out my career path. I wish I knew in high school that I should consider careers with growth potential, as the advice I received back then was to "find something that interests you". That's an okay place to start, but a current high schooler needs to see the bigger picture. Technology is rapidly changing our world and will dictate which industries survive. You don't want to start on a path towards a career that may no longer exist in 10 years.
Start meeting with a college or career counselor at your school. They can help guide you and direct you to the best available resources.
Speak to family and/or friends' parents about their career paths. Many people started out in one area and transitioned to another.
Use online resources to view trends for different fields and see if any interest you.
My youngest child is a college senior, so I'm not too far removed from the current struggles of this generation to find their path amid the AI boom and economic uncertainties. Good luck in finding your path.
Start meeting with a college or career counselor at your school. They can help guide you and direct you to the best available resources.
Speak to family and/or friends' parents about their career paths. Many people started out in one area and transitioned to another.
Use online resources to view trends for different fields and see if any interest you.
My youngest child is a college senior, so I'm not too far removed from the current struggles of this generation to find their path amid the AI boom and economic uncertainties. Good luck in finding your path.
Kim Igleheart
Career Counselor | Police Officer
1871
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Elias,
Many of us ended up in careers that we never foresaw while in high school. That is, how do you prepare yourself for a career while in HS if you never know what career you will have?
For that reason, I wish I had pushed myself to learn all I could, about everything! I want to be able to answer more questions on the game show Jeopardy! I hated HS, and got out as soon as I could, getting the bare minimum credits. I wish I had taken more sciences, world history, and learned a little about the arts - such as architectural styles. I wish I had taken some trades classes, such as woodworking or drafting. This is all a very long way of saying that I wish I had come out of HS as a well-rounded individual. I wish I had pushed myself to take academically challenging courses, rather than just taking easy ones.
I had two careers - first as a Police Officer, and later, as a Career Counselor. But, I think if I had a little more self-confidence, and maturity, there was so much more I could have done. What career interests you?
Kim
Many of us ended up in careers that we never foresaw while in high school. That is, how do you prepare yourself for a career while in HS if you never know what career you will have?
For that reason, I wish I had pushed myself to learn all I could, about everything! I want to be able to answer more questions on the game show Jeopardy! I hated HS, and got out as soon as I could, getting the bare minimum credits. I wish I had taken more sciences, world history, and learned a little about the arts - such as architectural styles. I wish I had taken some trades classes, such as woodworking or drafting. This is all a very long way of saying that I wish I had come out of HS as a well-rounded individual. I wish I had pushed myself to take academically challenging courses, rather than just taking easy ones.
I had two careers - first as a Police Officer, and later, as a Career Counselor. But, I think if I had a little more self-confidence, and maturity, there was so much more I could have done. What career interests you?
Kim
TRAVIS UPCHURCH
Federal Contract Admin
338
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
TRAVIS’s Answer
I would have taken many more dual credit or AP courses in order to be able to save all that money and time later in college. I then would have taken clep tests for any other tests that I hadnt completed via dual credit. It could have potentially saved me 1-2yrs of college tuition that way.
Paco Contreras
Marketing
4
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Paco’s Answer
Elias- what a great question. I saw most responses focusing on the hard skills (things to learn, classes to take, etc.). I will focus mine on the soft skills: leadership, empathy, communication.
Very few of us actually know what our careers will look like when we are in HS. However, it is very certain that those careers will involve interacting with other people. I would invest more time in knowing more people and taking classes on communication and leadership. By 'knowing people' I mean, actually developing new relationships with a very diverse set of colleagues. Understanding what matters to them. Learning to see the world from their perspective. Understanding what drives them, what are their values and aspirations. Learning how to partner effectively with others, being an active listener and helping out. Trying new relationships to build stuff. Whether that 'stuff' is a potential business idea, a musical group, a reading group, or a group of new friends to watch movies or play games.
Investing time in nurturing relationships will help you, no matter what career path you take. And, you will gain a network of friends and colleagues that will be there for you in the future.
Go for it!
Very few of us actually know what our careers will look like when we are in HS. However, it is very certain that those careers will involve interacting with other people. I would invest more time in knowing more people and taking classes on communication and leadership. By 'knowing people' I mean, actually developing new relationships with a very diverse set of colleagues. Understanding what matters to them. Learning to see the world from their perspective. Understanding what drives them, what are their values and aspirations. Learning how to partner effectively with others, being an active listener and helping out. Trying new relationships to build stuff. Whether that 'stuff' is a potential business idea, a musical group, a reading group, or a group of new friends to watch movies or play games.
Investing time in nurturing relationships will help you, no matter what career path you take. And, you will gain a network of friends and colleagues that will be there for you in the future.
Go for it!
Begum Karaci Deniz
1
Answer
Palo Alto, California
Updated
Begum’s Answer
If I could go back to high school, here's what I'd do differently:
1. Talk to everyone I know about their actual job. Not the title, but the day to day. What does Tuesday morning look like? What problem is on their mind right now, and how are they thinking about solving it? Most career advice is about picking a field. The more useful question is what the work actually feels like, and you can only learn that by asking people doing it.
2. Reach out to strangers without overthinking it. Social media, cold emails, friends of friends, family connections. Ask questions, ask for fifteen minutes, ask for mentorship. The worst outcome is silence, which costs you nothing. And most people genuinely enjoy talking about their work; they just rarely get asked.
3. Make things and try to sell them. Build something you're curious about. Put a price on it and see if anyone bites. You learn more about how the world works from one person paying you five dollars than from a semester of theory.
4. Get comfortable being bad at things. Fail early, fail in low stakes settings, and treat each one as data rather than a verdict. The situations that teach you the most are the ones you walk into unprepared.
5. Learn to write clearly, because writing is how you find out what you actually think. Most of us carry ideas around in a half formed state and mistake the fog for understanding. The moment you try to put one on paper, the gaps show up: the step you skipped, the claim you can't support, the point you thought was obvious but can't explain. Clear writing isn't a skill you apply after thinking. It's the thing that forces the thinking to happen. And practically, every career runs on it: the email, the proposal, the message that convinces someone to say yes.
6. Reflect on what you tried and what you learned from it. Just a short note after anything that mattered: what you attempted, what you expected, what actually happened, what you'd change. Experience alone doesn't teach you much. The same lesson can go past you five times unnoticed. Reflection is what converts it into something you keep. Do this consistently and your learning stops being linear, because each thing you try builds on the last instead of starting over. Over years, that difference is enormous.
1. Talk to everyone I know about their actual job. Not the title, but the day to day. What does Tuesday morning look like? What problem is on their mind right now, and how are they thinking about solving it? Most career advice is about picking a field. The more useful question is what the work actually feels like, and you can only learn that by asking people doing it.
2. Reach out to strangers without overthinking it. Social media, cold emails, friends of friends, family connections. Ask questions, ask for fifteen minutes, ask for mentorship. The worst outcome is silence, which costs you nothing. And most people genuinely enjoy talking about their work; they just rarely get asked.
3. Make things and try to sell them. Build something you're curious about. Put a price on it and see if anyone bites. You learn more about how the world works from one person paying you five dollars than from a semester of theory.
4. Get comfortable being bad at things. Fail early, fail in low stakes settings, and treat each one as data rather than a verdict. The situations that teach you the most are the ones you walk into unprepared.
5. Learn to write clearly, because writing is how you find out what you actually think. Most of us carry ideas around in a half formed state and mistake the fog for understanding. The moment you try to put one on paper, the gaps show up: the step you skipped, the claim you can't support, the point you thought was obvious but can't explain. Clear writing isn't a skill you apply after thinking. It's the thing that forces the thinking to happen. And practically, every career runs on it: the email, the proposal, the message that convinces someone to say yes.
6. Reflect on what you tried and what you learned from it. Just a short note after anything that mattered: what you attempted, what you expected, what actually happened, what you'd change. Experience alone doesn't teach you much. The same lesson can go past you five times unnoticed. Reflection is what converts it into something you keep. Do this consistently and your learning stops being linear, because each thing you try builds on the last instead of starting over. Over years, that difference is enormous.
Taylor Buercklin
Marketing
4
Answers
Redmond, Washington
Updated
Taylor’s Answer
If I could go back, I would focus on enjoying the things I truly wanted to be part of, not just what I felt I should do to be successful. After high school, I learned a lot about finding my true path and doing what I love. I wish I had spent more time being a kid and enjoying the uncertainty of those times, rather than fearing it. Trust your instincts and try new things, even if it means taking the road less traveled. That's where you grow the most. Embrace the opportunities that come your way and don't worry about the ones that don't.
Keilla Freire
Program Specialist
3
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
Keilla’s Answer
Hi Elias,
If I could go back to high school, I would dedicate more time to service hours and volunteer opportunities, because they’re a great way to gain experience, meet different kinds of people, and understand different communities.
I also would have taken more time to explore different types of businesses and industries, connect with professionals, and learn what was happening in the market. Building those connections earlier would have helped me understand career options more clearly.
I would also focus more on learning about money, things like budgeting, saving, investing, and how finances work in real life. Most importantly, I would use that time to explore my interests more deeply so I could discover my true career passion earlier.
If I could go back to high school, I would dedicate more time to service hours and volunteer opportunities, because they’re a great way to gain experience, meet different kinds of people, and understand different communities.
I also would have taken more time to explore different types of businesses and industries, connect with professionals, and learn what was happening in the market. Building those connections earlier would have helped me understand career options more clearly.
I would also focus more on learning about money, things like budgeting, saving, investing, and how finances work in real life. Most importantly, I would use that time to explore my interests more deeply so I could discover my true career passion earlier.
Harsha Manchiraju
Director, Financial Analytics
1
Answer
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Harsha’s Answer
I would suggest anyone still in the early days of their career (or even later days) to focus on acquiring transferable skills. As one grows up, they might come to the realization that the things they liked or were interested in when they were 17 years old no longer hold any interest to them. While it isn't impossible to start from scratch, it isn't as easy as when one is younger and has a lot more freedom. You also want to hedge yourself against your company or industry becoming obsolete, which is more common than people may realize. Which skills are transferable and which aren't is subject to debate, so getting into specifics won't do much good here.
Another important thing to add, especially something someone in high school might actually be happy to hear, is that people are figuring out and making up answers as they go. No one really knows the answers to things and when a dozen people answer a question, there is a good chance you will get a dozen different answers pulling you in a dozen different directions. Just focus on doing things you enjoy with people you enjoy doing things with.
Another important thing to add, especially something someone in high school might actually be happy to hear, is that people are figuring out and making up answers as they go. No one really knows the answers to things and when a dozen people answer a question, there is a good chance you will get a dozen different answers pulling you in a dozen different directions. Just focus on doing things you enjoy with people you enjoy doing things with.