Career Exploration

Understanding your careers goals and options (and their earning potential) will help you find career school or college that meets your needs. Some people simply have “jobs,” while others have “careers.” What's the difference? With a career, the kind of work you do is based on your interests. It’s a path you've chosen.

The Bureau of Labor tracks statistics about these things, and while you could get a job straight out of high school, it’s pretty clear that any postsecondary (post-high school) education or training will make your chances even better. This isn’t just talking about four-year colleges: graduates from occupational programs (like auto mechanic training programs or culinary school) and two-year colleges (community colleges grant associate degrees) have far higher average earnings and far lower unemployment rates than those who just stop at high school.

The JHHS Counseling Department uses SCOIR (pronounced Score), a career & college search tool that connects students, parents, and counselors for improved communication about post-secondary goals. SCOIR partners with YouScience to help students discover their natural abilities and interests, and then matches those to careers. The YouScience report also helps students understand the classes they might want to pursue to move toward a particular career. Students can login to SCOIR by going to www.scoir.com and logining in with Google. Parents can request an invitation to SCOIR from their students School Counselor.

As you look through this years Course Catalog (Program of Studies), think about which courses apply to the careers that catch your attention – electives and CTE credits especially are great opportunities to explore how your interests and passions can overlap with your education and your future.