Whether you’re in grade 9 or grade 12, it is never too soon to meet with a guidance or a career counselor. If you’re like many people in high school, you have a vague idea of what you might be good at, but you haven’t nailed down exactly what it is that you would like to do. Or maybe you might know what you want to do, in which case it is still a good idea to speak with your guidance counselor about the proper steps you should be taking.

Learning what careers are out there and what you are good at are the two most important subjects that your counselor will help you with. Sometimes we limit our job search to traditional jobs that we have heard about from friends and our family members. When you broaden your search to what jobs are really out there, you might discover that there are jobs that you have never heard of before that could suit you perfectly. Asking your guidance counselor to help you identify your gifts and skills is another good tool to help you while navigating careers. There are a ton of resources available to help you discover what it is that you are good at and what you should capitalize on in terms of your strengths.

If you know what you want to do with your career, you are already ahead of the game. That is the first step in the process of building a career, however there are many more steps that need to be taken depending on what it is that you are choosing to do. At the point when you know what you want to do, then you can start setting some goals for the coming years. Make sure to follow the SMART goal setting formula, setting Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed goals. For example, if I want to be a doctor, I will set a goal related to having high marks and having a range of extracurricular activities to round out my application. Two SMART goals related to this could be: I want to have an average of 90% in grade 11 and 12 so that I can get a scholarship and I want to be on the basketball team, amnesty club and chess team for grade 11 and 12. These goals identify exactly what is to be achieved, they are realistic because I do well in academics and have an interest in the activities that I want to participate in, and I have identified when they need to be achieved by.

The important thing to remember, whether you know what you want to be or not, is that talking about your career will help you to start thinking about your future – and that is the first step towards starting a successful career path. Doing some research and talking to a counselor will help you to know what is a realistic career for you. Take the first step today and contact your guidance counselor!