As David transitioned into his freshman year of high school, he was asked the question, “What do You Want to be When You Grow Up? Unfortunately our high school district had no systematic plan for exposing students to careers. They were pretty much left on their own. There were no certified career counselors on staff and the regular counseling staff did not have the expertise or the time to focus in this area. Based on test scores, students were either tracked into the vocational track or the college prep track. Having had a background in Career Counseling, I knew it was very important for students to start thinking and developing their plan in freshman year.
I also realized the importance of the role of self concept and the role it plays in helping students to understand who they are. In order to develop a healthy self-concept, students must come to terms with who they are. An unhealthy self-concept can present developmental barriers into adulthood. Many of our young people are trying to be like someone else, trying to fit in with a particular crowd, which can cause them to make poor social and educational choices. The high school years are a time for students to answer the questions, Who Am I? Where am I Going? How Will I Get There? Career assessments can help them answer these questions.
It is important that schools offer opportunities for youth to take part in job shadowing, internships, tech prep programs and apprenticeships. David had the opportunity in his junior year to have an internship with the local village. It was an opportunity for him for exposure to the inner workings of local government.
- Freshman year should begin with a 4 year plan.
- High school years should have a focus on career exploration and planning.
- We need more certified career counselors in high schools.
- The National Career Development Association has information on training programs for Certified Career Counselors.