Teens Only | What Am I Gonna Do?

Greetings.

So I had the honor of presenting at Cesar Chavez High School's Career Day and I got to thinking of how...when I was getting ready to graduate from high school a few years ago...I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. Oh sure, a lot of adults around me had quite a few ideas of what I should do. And where I should go to college. And what I should study.

But I really had no idea. I remember the days leading up to graduation were filled with lots of fun events with my BFFs, but I also recall feeling a little like a fish out of water. What was I going to do with the rest of my life?

I know you're all busy these days, but I hope you'll take some time to really figure out what is the best career path for you. To that end, let me introduce you to a book that might help you get a little perspective on your future: Carol Christen's What Color Is Your Parachute? For Teens: Discovering Yourself, Defining Your Future. This book will make you think about your interests, your passions, so that you can pursue a career that will mean something to you. You're going to work for lots and lots of years; wouldn't you rather be doing something that really fulfills you? So check this book out. As always, if you don't find it on the shelf at your local branch library, request it from another branch. It's easy and it's free.

And while you're waiting to check out that book, here's a website you might want to take a look at. It's called Occupational Outlook Handbook. It's put out by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and it will give you up-to-date info on every career you could ever imagine! You'll find hundreds of occupations, and the profiles featured include great descriptions, work environment, what you need to study or do to get into the occupation, what to expect in pay, and more. Each profile also includes employment projections for the 2010–20 decade. It's a really cool resource, so check it out!

Your future awaits you....so reach for the stars, and pick the brightest one!

See you next Saturday!