What Should I Be Doing?

The beginning of the year is a fun time. Now that we are settling into week 4, students are asking themselves (or somebody is asking them!) - What should I be doing now to prepare for my future? Here are 4 simplified steps to help you navigate your decision-making process.

1.  Decide a few areas that interest you.  Ask yourself, What do I like? What am I good at? What makes me happy? What problems do I want to solve?

2.  Research your interest areas. A good start is www.ruready.nd.gov site. You have been taking career interest assessments since 6th grade, and they are all stored in this site. It has college information, financial aid information, and everything you would want to know about careers including videos. Google different careers and college majors to see what stands out to you.

3.  Clean up your digital personality.  Google yourself and go through the results. Delete any accounts you no longer use. Add privacy settings to the accounts that you do use. Take care of any negative posts/sites. #lame #unprofessional #immature #inappropriate #TMI #oversharing #illegal

4.  Research is fine, but now you need to experience it for yourself.  Job shadow careers that interest you. Visit colleges that have majors that interest you. Many colleges will have virtual tours, but you should really visit in person to determine if you can live there for the next two or four years. Apply for part-time/summer jobs in the industry that interests you {Examples: You want to be a pilot. Get a part-time job at Fargo Jet Center or Hector International Airport. You want to be a lawyer. Get a part-time/summer job as a runner at a law firm.} Start applying for scholarships to help you pay for college.

The friendly faces in the counseling office and career center can help you with all of these steps!