Career / Vocational

Career and Vocational Pathways

Whether you are looking at pursuing full-time employment, furthering your education or training (such as an apprenticeship, a technical school, a two-year or four-year college), or beginning a military career- you start exploring those options now.

Choosing a career is one of life’s big decisions. Will a future career be exciting and fulfilling? Will it pay enough to support a family? Will there be opportunities to grow? Deciding on a career to pursue is exciting. But because there are so many career paths, it can be hard to choose.

Explore Options by:

1. Thinking about your interests and do some research. Need help? Here are some resources:

- - Try a career quiz at www.careerbridge.wa.gov.
  - You can also take assesments, find out employment trends, pay scale, education needed and more at
  - Big Future Career quiz https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers
  - View college matches, scholarship searches and major exportation at Cappex
  - Learn about an occupation, educational requirements and employment trends here at Employment Security Department for Washington State.
  - Occupational Outlook Handbook- United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a valuable site for analyzing the pros and cons assocate with a career pathway. Tabs include; What they do, work environment, how to become one, job outlook and pay. Go here to explore more

2. Consider how to get there. It’s good to know what skills, classes and degrees different jobs require. To get information about education requirements for different jobs, use Major and Career Search.

Know the area you are interested in but not sure how that major will lead to a career? Check out "What Can I Do With This Major?" resource

3. Try it out.

- Volunteer where you’re likely to meet someone who has one of the jobs you’re interested in.

- Look into a paid or unpaid internship.

- Job-shadow for a day.

- Conduct research at the library or online.

- Find a mentor who can give you perspective and advice.

- Talk to family members and friends who work in those careers or know others who do.

DO NOT feel pressured to plan you whole life before you even begin to apply to colleges. Though some people have well-focused career goals early in life, other’s don’t — and they still find their way to the right job. Staying flexible can be helpful when it comes to thinking about the future.

Washington community and technical colleges teach specific subjects like computer programming, graphic design, early childhood education, and automotive technology, as well as general subjects.

If your plan is to prepare to compete for employment in an occupational field, you may choose to earn an Associate in Technical Arts or an Associate in Applied Science degree. Click here for more information

APPRENTICESHIP Information: Apprenticeship is a great opportunity to prepare yourself for the future with on-the-job training in a highly skilled career. Additional information can be found at the CCR Center and using the links below:

Did you know?

Fifty years ago, it was easy to get a good job right out of high school. In 1950, 80 percent of American jobs didn’t require any higher education. You could get a job with just a year or two of high school, and you certainly didn’t need to go to college.But things are different now. Today, only 15 percent of jobs are open to people without “postsecondary” education – The skills and knowledge students need to be admitted to college are the same ones they need to succeed at a job. Being college-ready means your child is ready to do well in a four-year university, a community college, an apprenticeship or a good job.

Source: GEAR UP and ready,set,grad

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