Beech Tree News Network

My oldest grandson is a high school senior this year: a time for thinking about his career choice – an important decision. I didn’t actually choose my career until I was twenty, but I had made choices supporting that pathway years beforehand.
 
The ehow website says: “Choosing a career can be one of the most important choices you make in your life. The average 40-hour workweek means that you spend nearly a quarter of your life directly involved in your career. With so much time invested, it pays to consider your career choices carefully before you begin, or while you still have an opportunity for change (http://www.ehow.com/how_2133678_choose-a-career.html#ixzz2gnaW0cRz). This site provides some ideas to help make a wise career choice, including:
•    Think about your interests and skills. Take a few career assessment tests to help you narrow your career choices.
•    Consider how much money you need to make and which careers align more closely to your goals.
•    Narrow your career interest list. Talk to people who are in those careers about job requirements.
•    Determine what training is required to enter your preferred career. If possible, start in an associated job while completing training to gain related experiences.
“…The average person changes jobs ten to fifteen times (with an average of 11 job changes) during his or her career…” (http://jobsearch.about.com/od/employmentinformation/f/change-jobs.htm). But, many of these job changes may be within the same career area. So, preparation is important.
 
One preparation path is through post-secondary education. Kentucky has many post-secondary education options: eight public universities, 15 private liberal arts colleges, 21 other private colleges and universities, 16 community and technical colleges, as well as eight other colleges with campuses in our state (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_Kentucky). Since colleges don’t all offer the same programs, finding the desired program of study will weed out many institutions. Location of the college or university, program completion time, and cost should also be considered. Additionally, colleges generally encourage campus visits/tours as a way to get to know the campus.

When planning for college, check the institution’s admission requirements. For example, Western Kentucky University’s admission requirements for high school graduates are that “students must meet one of the following requirements for admission:
1.    ACT composite of 20 or greater, or
2.    SAT (math + critical reading) of 940 or higher, or
3.    Unweighted high school GPA of 2.50 or higher, or
4.    Achieve the required Composite Admission Index (CAI) score….”
Admission deadlines are posted on college websites. When applying for financial aid, the FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is an online application. For Kentuckians, financial aid applications should be made as soon as possible after January 1 for the following fall-spring semesters. Financial aid is awarded to individuals until funds are depleted. Scholarships have their own unique requirements and deadlines; however, grade point average is often a critical factor in earning a scholarship. Also, when living on campus, a housing application is required – also with a deadline.

Regarding careers, Bobby Unser said, “Desire! That’s the one secret of every man’s career. Not education. Not being born with hidden talents. Desire.” Likely, it’s one of the most important factors.