Life After Graduation
Graduation from high school can feel both exciting and terrifying. Most likely, up to this point in life, someone has been monitoring your schedule and guiding your decisions. Now, gone are the days of mandated learning. You will have the opportunity to build on your basic education and the future is yours to shape. That, in and of itself, can be a stressful thought. With so many options, where do you start? Below are some of the paths you may choose and some tips to hopefully make your adult years as productive, enjoyable and fulfilling as possible.
College/University Education
If you earned reasonably good grades in high school, are able and ready to study and learn in a traditional setting, and have thought about a career path that interests you, continuing on to college or a university might be a great choice. Some undergraduate degrees will require two years, four years or five years to complete.
Good grades can help in obtaining scholarships, but grants and student loans are also an option. Remember to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for free federal aid to defray costs.
Vocational/Technical Education
A technical institution provides hands-on training in areas of electrical, plumbing, carpentry, builder, mechanic, auto body, masonary, drywall, heating/refrigeration, craftsperson, etc. A technical education might be ideal for you if you thrive in a hands-on learning environment, have an interest in a particular trade and you enjoy physically and mentally demanding work. Working in a trade is just as mentally challenging as jobs in any other field. It's just a different kind of work. Trade work is, by no stretch of the imagination, simple or easy.
The labor market is very favorable for finding jobs in these trades and they are quickly becoming some of the better-paying career choices.
Remember to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for free federal aid to defray costs.
The Military
A career in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or National Guard is open to you at any time after you turn 18. A career in the military is ideal if you thrive in a strict and structured environment, enjoy helping people, and have a sense of adventure.
Depending on the mission, a military career can come with unusual risks, but it offers excellent benefits as well. You see parts of the world that many people will never see. You might help people in some of the most crisis-ridden places on earth. You’ll gain exceptional skills that you can’t learn anywhere else without paying for it. (There might even be some exceptionally fun skills like skydiving, scuba diving, pilot, etc.) There might even be the option of retiring before your 40! It’s not just military ‘work’; it’s a way of life.
Public Service
Like the military, a career within public service is not for the faint of heart. It's not easy, but the pride, honor, and discipline you earn are invaluable.
If you like helping people, work well under stress, are able to cope with the best and the worst that society has to offer, and adhere well to structure and rules, the public service sector might be a great choice for you. Ambulance attendants, firefighters, government employees, police officers, paramedics, politicians and social workers are some examples of public service workers. It takes a certain type of personality to do many of these jobs, so personality profiling and psychological workups are often part of the hiring process, and training varies according to the field. Some careers require post-secondary education, while others do not. Many, such as police work, start with a paid training program and hands-on learning.
Workforce
Another option is to join the workforce straight out of school. This option may bode well if you aren’t sure what you want to do with your life (yet) or if you need to first earn money to pay for post-secondary education. If you’ve been working a part-time job and really enjoy it, maybe it would be a good a full-time career option for you.
If you choose to enter the workforce upon high school graduation, it is important to consider whether the position has potential to become a career or is just a job. A career has two key components that a job does not: opportunity to advance and increased earning potential. In contrast, a job just pays the bills. Going straight to the workforce out of high school is a good choice if your work qualifies as a career; if not, think twice. Settling for a job rather than a career may send you to an unfulfilling dead end.