How to Choose the Right SHS or College Program for You

April 23, 2021

If you are an incoming senior high school (SHS) or college student, one of the topmost decisions you will need to make is the track or course to take in SHS or college. For some, it all depends on the careers they want to pursue someday; for others or maybe for you who are still undecided, you need guidance to help you make informed decisions.

Choosing a career path, for many students and even for some professionals, can be a daunting and confusing task.  

We all want to have a profession that fits our skills and personal values, provides our financial needs, and ultimately makes us happy. But with a multitude of career options that are available to choose from, the process of getting the right answer isn’t as easy as it seems.  

With modern technology, however, you now have an array of available resources at your fingertips that can help you discover the right path for you in senior high school or college. 

Here is a 5-step guide that will lead to the best career choice and SHS track or college program for you.

1. List down careers that interest you.

No one knows you better than yourself, so start by making a list of career choices that interest you. 

Where do you see yourself in the next five years? Will you be an app developer or a computer engineer? A chef? A flight attendant? Or do you feel that writing is something you want to pursue? 

As long as it’s something that piques your interest, write it down!

The sky is your limit. If you’re having a hard time figuring other options, go to LinkedIn or other job listing sites and read job descriptions. If anything catches your eye or seems like it will be fun to do, add that to your list of potential ideas. 

 

2. Determine your skills and what you must learn.           

Different careers require different skill sets. For example, a career in information and communications technology would need you to be an analytical thinker, while a career as a photographer would need you to have an eye for composition and the technical skills in using a camera. 

Now, think about the skills you already have or ones you would like to develop. Take some time to figure out what you are good at. 

Let’s say, you are really good at writing, or you have an affinity for coding or programming, or that you want to gain more experience in your communication skills. Then, search for jobs that involve those skills. Put these options on your list of potential careers as well.

 

3. Research and read up on these careers online.

Now, this is where we start narrowing down our list.

Search online and research all the career options you have listed down. Check for job descriptions and learning opportunities.

The internet is your best friend when it comes to research. Look for industries on the rise and the in-demand jobs of the future.

 

Now that you have more information, begin eliminating the careers you don't want to pursue any further. Cross out the ones that no longer interest you or cross-reference your list of skills to check off the ones that don’t fit your talents.

Remove everything with tasks that don't appeal to you. Eliminate careers that have weak job outlooks. Don’t include an occupation that you are unable or unwilling to fulfill the educational or other requirements.

By this time, you should have narrowed it to your top 10 career options or less.

 

4. Talk to professionals and your guidance counselor.

If you are in junior high school, senior high school (SHS), or even in college, you most likely have access to a career counselor or a guidance counselor in your school. These people can give you professional advice or even introduce you to career options you might not have known about.

Get advice from your guidance counselors or professionals.

 

Your guidance counselor or even a teacher can help you learn more about your possible career options, assist you in finding internships, or even help align you with classes or the best degree option if you are still applying to SHS or college. 

It helps when you can get advice from a professional but when you don’t have the time to sit down and discuss, the internet also offers different sites to help give insights or career advice.

 

5. Take personality and career assessments. 

If you are still unsure after taking all these steps, then maybe a test that can assess your personality, skills, and link them to a possible career option can help!

Career assessment tests are designed to help individuals understand how a variety of personal attributes, such as your personality type, your strengths, and even weaknesses, can impact your potential success and satisfaction to different career options and work environments.

And most of these tests are free, quick, and can be found online.

One of these tests is STI’s SCOPE or Student’s Career Opportunity and Personality Evaluator, a free online tool that determines your personality type and the career opportunities that fit you best.

The STI SCOPE is developed to help address the rising unemployment and job mismatch among fresh graduates due to unplanned decision making, poor course selection, among other factors.

It also comes with a career planning worksheet that you can use to outline your next steps in achieving your career goals, including what senior high school track or college course you should take.

 

Visit scope.sti.edu to take the SCOPE for free and you will also get a chance to win a 100% scholarship grant for one year plus a brand-new laptop for your online learning!  

Finding your dream career isn’t easy and can take some time, but it’s best to ensure that you’re making the right choice that fits your own personal needs and goals. So, turn to your available resources and take all the guidance you can get in pursuing the right SHS track or college program, and consequently, a career that is aligned with your values, personality, skills, and more.

You have the power to get there, and now you have the tools to get started.