I would like to suggest that if you have a) a LOT of varied interests – good for you! You should be exploring careers often – reading through as many careers from your career assessments as you possibly can, keeping track of those which really “trip your trigger!” Maybe several of your career interests relate or are at least under one career cluster, so preparation for them would be similar, at least at the beginning. Keep a log, in a notebook or electronically, and cross off those careers that, even though they match your assessments, just don’t sound like something you would enjoy or want to do. Spend time on your own and definitely use your Career Exploration time at school to help you continue to research careers that do match your career assessments. Regardless of what program your high school uses, there is a ton of valuable information in that program, and it is imperative that you use the time provided you at school to sincerely explore the options available.
I would also like to suggest that if you b) feel you have no real interests, then, good for you, too! You have no preconceived ideas of what you want to do or “should” do. That can be a fantastic situation! This means you can start from scratch, taking the career assessments in your school program, or on your own, to really dig into areas that match your answers. Of course, it IS important that you are very honest and genuine in your career assessment responses, but this means you can explore the information and careers/career clusters that match your interest, skills, AND values with an open mind! Keep track of anything (and I do mean anything!) that piques your interest even a little bit. So again – if this is you, think of your lack of interests as a positive –your mind can be open to all sorts of possibilities, and eventually, one of them will seem like the right one!
If you are one of those students who definitely knows exactly what career they want to pursue, I say also – Good for you! However, I would still recommend you take your career exploration at school very seriously, as you have no idea what the future will bring, how your interests, skills, and values will change, and what you may want to do each and every year of your work life (likely spanning 40 or more years!). You can also keep a log, and make note of any career or career cluster that comes up on your assessment results in which you have a possible interest. It is important to keep an open mind and continue to explore possibilities, just in case your original career choice doesn’t pan out. Many students who thought they knew exactly what they wanted to do changed their mind within the first year of their training experience. One of my own sons did exactly that when he discovered the classes tied to his career choice were just not interesting to him at all! So – even if you think you are certain, continue to explore and keep track of other possibilities.
If you would like another avenue of career exploration besides whatever program your school uses, you can go to my.act.org, which is where ACT has moved their career exploration program (used to be ACT Profile.) This is the same site where you register for the ACT, so you can use the same account information for both. The exploration activities are still free of charge, so anyone can set up an account to explore. If you would like help with this process, you can set up an appointment with an ICAN advisor near you. Just call 877-272-4692, and ask for an appointment OR go to our website: www.icansucceed.org and click on “Schedule an Appointment,” then choose the Career Exploration session.
Best wishes on ALL of your Career Exploration Adventures!
Mary Joan - ICAN Sioux City, Orange City, and Sheldon Centers
