Employment
Enter the workforce
Enter the workforce
Employment means you plan to get a job right after high school as your main activity. Maybe you’re continuing the job you’ve been working or maybe you’re looking for a new job. In either case, getting a job right after high school means you will be working full time, being paid for it, and are unlikely to be taking classes to expand your knowledge or build skills.
If you’re ready to make some money and don’t want to be in classes for a while, employment after high school may be right for you. Going right into the workforce is a chance to put some money in your pocket right away. Important things to consider: what is the starting salary or wage, what are the chances to get a raise, what are the chances to progress in the company, and will the company help with future school costs?
First, determine what type of work you want to do. Start by considering your interests, skills, and experiences through some of the resources below:
Take the career matchmaker survey to explore possible careers.
Explore careers, career videos, self-assessments, local job and training opportunities, and more!
Explore careers and discover what careers might be a great fit for you! Login using your MPS school email and password.
Get in-depth information on how to pursue a lot of careers, as well as how to conduct an effective job search in a variety of fields and industries.
Job searching is all about networking and finding the right connections. If you are looking for a job, you should talk with a person who can help you in your search. Make an appointment with one or more of the following people:
A resume is a one page document that lists your education, work or volunteer experiences, activities, and skills. This is your ticket to an interview and then a job! All students planning to work after high school must have a resume.
Once you find the type of work you want to do and you have a resume, then you can use any number of job search engines to find current open positions:
Each job will have its own application. Sometimes you will fill it out directly with the company; sometimes you will fill it out through the website you are using to search. Below are some resources if you aren’t sure how to complete applications:
After you've applied for a job, make sure you follow up with a thank you email! If it's been a few weeks and you still haven't heard back, reach out to the organization to see if they need anymore information from you.