5 Essential Career Planning Resources for High School Students

Children start thinking about their career as young as seven, but they plot their future objectives more strategically in high school. During these formative years, students can take advantage of internships, which give them a chance to gain experience and exposure to various career fields. The more information students receive about career opportunities, the better informed they can be in making decisions about their future after high school.

To celebrate that February is Career and Technical Education Month, here are some of the best career resources for teens.

1. What Color Is Your Parachute? For Teens

“Discover yourself, design your future and plan for your dream job,” reads the subtitle on the cover of this teen guide to career success. Written by Carol Christen, a career strategist, and Richard N. Bolles, a career developer, this book covers everything from higher education to job interviews, with step-by-step exercises that help students measure their skills to transition from high school to college or a career seamlessly.

2. Career Outlook

Career Outlook, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is a government career portal designed for teens. There are various resources available on the website, including career planning tips and interviews with recent high school graduates. Students can browse national and state data to find the most popular and highest paying jobs across a range of industries—and discover what skills they need to land their dream role. The site is updated on a regular basis and focuses on a different occupation every month.

3. Teens’ Guide to College & Career Planning

This comprehensive guide features interviews with teens, parents, and career experts, with a focus on post-high school training. There’s information about choosing a college major, obtaining financial aid, and embarking on a career in the military, as well as resume and interview tips. Written by journalist Justin Ross Muchnick, this book serves as a primer for high school students who still haven’t determined their career goals.

4. Corporation for National and Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal government agency that supports service and responsibility. Its educational initiatives help students discover the skills they need to flourish after high school, and the nationalservice.gov website includes a directory of trade schools, where students can discover training programs from a range of disciplines. There is also information about volunteering, mentoring, and tutoring programs.

5. Now What? The Young Person’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career

This guide is like a career planning workshop for students, with useful techniques that let readers design their perfect career from scratch. Now What? written by social scientist Nicholas Lore includes charts, quizzes, and worksheets that match students with jobs based on their personality type. The result? Teens can discover their vocation long before they apply to college.

These resources help high school students identify and prioritize their future career goals, and they offer plenty of useful advice. Students can also benefit from career technical education in high school, which prepares them for college and the working world. Visit K12.com to learn about the many online schools that offer career education for high school students.