Discover potential career paths, assess your strengths, and find opportunities that align with your interests
Career exploration during your teen years offers valuable benefits that can impact your future success. By starting early, you can gain clarity about potential career paths, make informed educational decisions, and develop a sense of purpose that motivates your academic and extracurricular pursuits.
Before diving into specific career paths, it's helpful to understand your own interests, values, skills, and personality traits. This self-awareness forms the foundation for finding careers that will be both enjoyable and fulfilling.
These free tools can help you identify your strengths, interests, and potential career matches:
Identify activities and subjects you enjoy
Determine your natural abilities and strengths
What matters most to you in your work and life
Understand your working style and preferences
Look for these assessments through your school guidance office, local library, or online resources. Many are free or available at a low cost.
While there are countless career options, here are some popular paths that often align with teen interests and offer good growth potential:
Careers in this field involve creating, analyzing, or implementing computer technology and digital content. Technology continues to be one of the fastest-growing career sectors.
Healthcare careers focus on promoting health, preventing disease, and treating patients. This sector offers a wide range of roles beyond just doctors and nurses.
Environmental careers focus on protecting natural resources, addressing climate change, and promoting sustainable practices. This growing field offers numerous opportunities to make a positive impact.
Creative careers involve using artistic talents, imagination, and communication skills to express ideas and create content across various mediums.
Business careers involve creating, managing, or supporting organizations across all industries. These roles often focus on strategy, operations, finance, or marketing.
Reading about careers is helpful, but hands-on exploration provides deeper insights. Here are practical ways to explore potential career paths:
Spend a day observing a professional in a field that interests you. This gives you a realistic view of their daily responsibilities and work environment.
How to arrange it: Ask family friends, neighbors, or your school's career center for connections.
Set up brief meetings (in person or virtual) with professionals to ask questions about their career path, required education, and advice for someone interested in their field.
Sample questions:
Volunteering allows you to gain experience, build skills, and explore potential career interests while contributing to your community.
Benefits: Develop relevant skills, build your resume, and make professional connections while determining if a field is right for you.
Even entry-level positions provide valuable workplace experience and insight into potential career paths.
Strategy: Look for positions that align with your interests or that develop transferable skills valuable in your target field.
Take classes in school or through community programs that relate to your potential career interests.
Examples: Computer programming courses, art workshops, business fundamentals, or science camps.
These online resources offer valuable information for career exploration:
Comprehensive database of occupations with detailed information about skills, education requirements, and job outlook.
Visit WebsiteCareer exploration tools, including career videos, self-assessments, and salary information.
Visit WebsiteUser-friendly site that helps you explore careers based on interests, with a special section for students and young adults.
Visit WebsiteBuzzy Network connects teens with meaningful employment opportunities that help you explore potential careers while developing valuable skills and experience.
Join Buzzy Network