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Where should I look for career paths?

Where should I look for career options? I’m only in 7th grade but it seems that most people have a career path they want to follow and I don’t know what to do.

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James Constantine’s Answer

Dear Evelyn,

Embarking on the journey to discover potential career paths and options can be exciting. As a 7th grader, it's crucial to take the first steps now and gather as much information as possible about various career possibilities. Here are some dependable resources for you to delve into:

Career Discovery Websites:

Check out CareerOneStop, a site by the U.S. Department of Labor, which offers a wealth of career resources, job search tools, and training details.
Try CareerKey, also by the U.S. Department of Labor, to uncover careers that align with your interests.
Explore CareerVoyages for student-friendly career exploration tools and resources.

Online Learning Platforms:

Visit TED-Ed for a wide range of educational videos on different career fields to help you grasp the nature of various professions.
Use Khan Academy's free courses and resources to get a taste of different subjects and industries.

Industry-Specific Organizations:

Numerous industries have professional organizations that provide a wealth of information on career paths, job prospects, and educational prerequisites. For instance, consider the American Medical Association for medical careers or the American Bar Association for legal professions.

School-Based Resources:

Your school's career center or guidance counselor can provide useful advice, resources, and workshops on career exploration.
Join school clubs or participate in extracurricular activities aligned with your interests to discover potential career paths.

Inspirational Books and Documentaries:

Consider reading books such as “Do What You Are” by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger, and “What Color Is Your Parachute?” by Richard N. Bolles, which are renowned for career guidance.
Watch documentaries like “The Quest for Success” and “The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman” to gain insights into various professions.

Personal Connections:

Engage in conversations with trusted family members, friends, and mentors about their careers and experiences.
Find mentors in areas that pique your interest; their advice and guidance can be invaluable.

Social Media and Online Communities:

Explore platforms like Reddit, which has subforums dedicated to career advice and specific industries.
Use LinkedIn, a professional networking site, to connect with professionals, join groups, and learn about various career paths.

Remember, the journey of career exploration is continuous. Keep an open mind, stay curious, and be ready to adapt as your interests evolve over time. Your career choices may change as you grow and learn.

May God bless you on your journey,
James Constantine Frangos.
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PwC’s Answer

Put yourself out there and try new things to find out what you enjoy!
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PwC’s Answer

Involve yourself with different groups and communities of people to gain perspectives you otherwise wouldn’t have learned about.
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PwC’s Answer

Don't stress and keep an open mind! Your career will change over time, so just try different things and have fun!
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PwC’s Answer

Don be afraid to take your time trying new things. As you try new things, pay attention to what you love and can loose track of time doing.
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PwC’s Answer

Work hard so when you do know your path you have access to it.
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Umar’s Answer

So first of all take small steps and look for the things that interests you, it can be playing cricket, article writing, microsoft and indulge your self into activities relating to it.
Slowly and gradually you will start progressing and will see the right path
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Debra’s Answer

It's important to realize that even as adults, we change over time; our interests change, our skills change, etc. It may seem like all your friends know exactly what they want to do for a living, but most of them will likely change their minds - several times in fact. College students change their majors, on average, 80% of the time - at least once! And about 15% of students change their majors more than once. :) It's very common not to know exactly what you want to do at a young age OR know what you might be good at doing. When you're young is the time to try out a bunch of different things... see what you like... see what you're good at. Talk to people in different jobs -"interview" people to see what they do and what they like/don't like about their jobs. You might start with interviewing your parents/family about their jobs and the paths they took, and then perhaps interview a teacher, a friend's parent, a colleague of your mom or dad or other family member. You want to explore and research at this stage - to see what the possibilities might be. And when you find an area of interest, then you can read about it - look up what someone in that positions does on a day to day basis, see what the educational requirements are for that type of job, etc. Perhaps keep a journal of jobs/occupations/careers that seem interesting to you so you can explore them. And include in your journal things or skills you like to do and are good at. Maybe you're really good at writing. Perhaps you're really good at organizing things. Those kinds of skills and interests can lead you to your eventual career.
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A. Michelle’s Answer

Hi Evelyn - First, don't be concerned that others your age seem to have careers selected. Most likely, they have identified interests and skills and connected them to careers that match. There’s nothing wrong with doing that or not having done that yet. You can start by thinking about what courses and activities you enjoy most and researching careers that leverage your interests and skills. Also, talk to a guidance counselor and participate in career days, internships or volunteers activities that enable you to learn more about the careers. Once you reach high school, you can refine your interests more and should make sure you are taking required or suggested courses.
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Christiana’s Answer

I agree, do not be concerned, most of your mates that you think have a defined career will likely change when they get to college. Most people have their career path clearer to them as they get older and their desire get stronger towards a particular arear. Things will become clearer to you as you grow older and when you get to college. Engage yourself in volunteering, and internships as you grow older. This will help enlighten your career path. Good luck
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Cristina’s Answer

Hello Evelyn,

I can completely relate to your current situation, as I've been there myself. Here's what I did that might also help you -

I made it a point to participate in career-oriented sessions at my school. If your school doesn't offer such sessions, it could be a fantastic idea to propose this to your school's teacher board.

I devoted time to researching about various degrees and the career opportunities they could lead to. It's a great way to get a sense of direction.

Understanding the specific skills required for each career path was another crucial step I took. This can help you align your strengths with your career choice.

But above all, it's essential to envision where you see yourself in the future. Sure, this vision might evolve over time, but isn't that the beauty of life? Change is the only constant in this world, and it's perfectly okay to explore different paths throughout your journey. Remember, life is all about growing and learning!
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Megan’s Answer

Hi Evelyn,

I tell my students who have no idea what they want to do to look into the high-wage, high-demand careers in their state to get an idea of what might be a good future career. I usually suggest looking within health care, IT, and skilled trades.

Indiana has a great site for career exploration you can check out-
https://indianacareerexplorer.com

The best thing you can do is EXPLORE!
Job shadow
career summer camps- look for summer camps offered at universities
in high school look into internships, volunteering, part-time jobs
take classes that help you explore your interests
ask your school counselor about opportunities to explore
see if your high school offers programs like a career center, AP courses, duel enrollment at a local college

I hope this helps and gives you an idea of how to explore careers!
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Brandon’s Answer

Hey Evelyn,

It's great that you're already thinking about this at such a young age. Please know that, although it may feel that way, most 7th graders have no idea what they're going to pursue as a career. For that matter, most 18 year olds don't know either. I even know some 40 year olds who are still unsure.

You have a great deal of time to figure this out and you may even change your mind multiple times throughout your life. That's normal!

What I would recommend is simply staying open as you walk through middle school and high school. You haven't even been exposed to many subjects yet, how would you know if you would enjoy pursuing them as a career? What you don't want is to zero in on one idea for your future so narrowly that you fail to notice those shimmering sparks of curiosity and interest as they come up.

Brandon recommends the following next steps:

Engage in the world around you as fully as you can.
Pay attention to yourself. Notice when something is drawing you toward it. Notice what you find yourself interested in.
Remember, literally anything can be interesting if you get to know enough about it.
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Liza’s Answer

Hello Evelyn
It is good that at such a young age you're starting to question yourself about a career path. First, it is important to not compare yourself to others, everyone have different skills and strengths to build its own path and career.
Then you can start getting involved in the things that interest you the most - not necessarily academic wise - it can be sports, artistic and / or cultural activities, even manual trades.
This way you can start to explore what like the most and also what you are good at, the combination of this two will be the key to choose a career path. The idea is that you can take advantage of this stage to explore and get to know yourself better.
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Doctorate Student’s Answer

Hats off to you for courageously taking that initial step! Dive headfirst into what genuinely sparks your enthusiasm, and everything else will fall into place naturally. Embark on a journey of discovery with General Education courses at a Community College. These classes, usually offered at no cost, present an exceptional opportunity to explore subjects that truly pique your curiosity. Bear in mind, college or career advisors are always on standby to lend a helping hand. Their expert advice could be the magic key to uncovering your hidden abilities. So, here's to a future that's bright and prosperous! May your exciting voyage be filled with endless victories and joy!
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