Career Exploration Activities for High School Students

One of the best ways to support students through career exploration is by understanding current and future work trends. Educators can help their learners grow and embrace important skills and character traits to adapt to those changes. 

For example, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) courses in high school help students excel in those subject areas because STEM jobs have grown in popularity in recent decades. 

Here are some trends to consider when supporting students in career exploration: 

• Digital technology adoption: Given that automation and artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly relevant to various industries, it may help to teach students about this technology and how they fit into industries to enable them to make more informed career decisions. 
• Remote work and virtual meetings: Educators need to provide more recent information about modern workplaces, considering that many companies incorporate virtual communication and remote work. This gives students a more comprehensive picture of their career options. 
• Job growth in high-skill jobs: According to a recent report, high-skill jobs are likely to see more job growth, while low- and middle-skill jobs may experience less expansion. This trend makes promoting high-skill jobs to students and implementing courses or extracurricular activities to help them gain relevant skills important.

When Should Students Start Career Planning? 

While career planning may start at any time, it is preferable to initiate these conversations long before students begin looking for a higher education institution to attend. This means that educators and parents could begin making students aware of their options in elementary and middle school. 

The earlier they start the career development process, the more they might be engaged in their education and able to navigate future job options. 

Career consciousness begins when you ask young kids what they want to be when they grow up. Fostering an ongoing conversation about work and expertise can help students gain a greater understanding of what's possible for their future. 

20 Career Exploration Activities for High School Students

High school administrators and educators can play an important role in advancing learning strategies and school systems to prepare students for the future. 

Here are 20 valuable ways to equip students for college and promote organized career planning. 

1. Identify Interests and Career Goals 

One of the first ways to help students in their career exploration journey is to help them find a profession that offers joy and fulfillment. Create career exploration lesson plans for high school students that encourage them to think about how their hobbies and interests may align with different careers. Educators may also create class activities that allow learners to try new things. 

Encourage your students to balance their interests with their unique strengths and needs. You can help them navigate these characteristics through online aptitude tests, thought-provoking conversations and recognition of the classes learners thrive in. 

2. Help Students Build Character and Good Habits 

Building character and good habits allows students to excel in their future careers. Companies often value soft skills and competencies, such as confidence and teamwork, in employees because they are not easily taught. 

Educators can emphasize character development through classroom displays and conversations revolving around positive personal qualities and traits. 

Different learning activities and the classroom environment should be designed to help students strengthen skills like responsibility, self-management, empathy and cooperation.

3. Explore Career Options Through Reliable Sources 

Students will often turn to the internet for advice on career options after high school. Educators can help students by guiding them to reliable sources of information about various careers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a great place to start. Their site provides reliable data for career planning, such as: 

• How fast different industries are growing.
• Average salaries for different occupations.
• Best states for employment.
• Projected job openings in the future.
• Highest-paying states, regions and cities.

Other reliable resources might include college and university career guides, which are often based on popular interests. Teach students how to assess the credibility of different online sources. Share criteria for determining website reliability, such as if it is from a government organization or higher education institution and contains accurate and recent statistics.

4. Set Career Goals and Create a Plan 

Teach your students how to create SMART goals for career planning. SMART goals stand for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. These types of objectives may help students set actionable plans that help them understand exactly what needs to be done to achieve their goals by a set date or time. They should meet the following criteria: 

• Specific: Encourage students to choose a job role for a company in a particular industry or a job that helps them pursue a distinct concern of interest, such as advancing AI or a unique scientific discovery. 
• Measurable: Set smaller targets, such as achieving a certain exam score or completing an online course, to achieve within monthly, quarterly or yearly intervals, to help students stay motivated as they witness real time progress. 
• Achievable: Teach your students to be realistic about how long it will take to achieve certain targets. Encourage them to set achievable goals that can be attained within an appropriate time frame. 
• Relevant: Students should enrich their goal-specific skills and knowledge by pursuing activities directly related to the job role, such as participating in relevant extracurricular activities. 
• Time-bound: Encourage students to stick to the time frame they set for themselves. It may help to mark a calendar or diary with goals and how much in advance they'll need to prepare for them. 

5. Assess and Improve College Readiness

High schools may implement ongoing college readiness assessments to help ensure students are well-prepared for higher education. These checks help students and educators understand learner college preparedness, allowing teachers to use performance data to offer targeted support. 

Schools may start by evaluating existing assessments that accurately pinpoint students' academic strengths and improvement areas. Educators may then assist learners in creating a personalized plan to help them improve their college readiness. 

6. Enhance Financial Literacy and Aid Application Support 

It's important to inform students and their families about college financial expectations. High schools can improve their financial awareness by hosting workshops well before 12th grade. These may inform families about college affordability, aid sources, various college scholarship opportunities and how financial aid processes work. 

Schools can also help families and students complete financial aid forms correctly before their due date, allowing students to submit their applications in a timely manner. 

7. Support College Aspirations 

High schools can keep students motivated in their college endeavors by creating an environment of encouragement. Educators can support learners through various initiatives, such as: 

• Career exploration opportunities: Regularly offering hands-on opportunities may allow students to gain practical experiences associated with different careers. 
• Mentorship programs: Arrange high school programs and workshops that introduce students to college-educated adults or recent high school graduates as they offer valuable insights, advice and support. 
• Peer connections: Extracurricular activities and supportive networks for learning and mutual motivation may allow for supportive relationships between students with similar college aspirations. 

8. Encourage Meetings With School Counselors 

School counselors are a valuable resource in helping students discover their aspirations, create a college plan, address academic challenges and overcome personal stress. Facilitate regular appointments with counselors so that students can feel comfortable discussing college-related concerns and goals. 

9. Promote Active Participation in Extracurricular Activities 

Extracurricular activities may help students acquire proficiencies beyond test-based and textbook learning. These activities may help students develop various critical skills, such as creativity, teamwork, leadership, self-awareness and public speaking, to help them enhance college readiness and become better at handling higher education challenges. 

High schools may be able to encourage participation by hosting an event at the beginning of the year for all school clubs to introduce their extracurricular activities to students and allow them to sign up for the options that speak to them.

10. Arrange College Campus Tours 

High schools can arrange college visits and campus tours to encourage early engagement with higher education institutions. During these visits, students might learn more about different courses and careers, qualifications to achieve their goals and unique opportunities the school offers. 

Your school should connect with the institution in advance to coordinate tours and orchestrate more comprehensive visits for students. 

11. Research Education Requirements for Different Careers 

Educators and school counselors should research education requirements for the different career paths and keep students informed. This may help learners and their families know what courses, extracurriculars and academic achievements to pursue. 

Students will also have a better understanding of how much their education will cost so they can start saving in advance to minimize student loan debt. They may also make more informed decisions about the right education pathways when they understand the intricacies of long-term career goals. 

12. Consider Different Types of Colleges 

Teach students about the different types of higher education institutions and what to consider depending on their career objectives. There are many colleges that specialize in certain fields or only offer particular majors. Various college types might include: 

• Community colleges 
• Professional schools 
• Liberal arts colleges 
• Environmental colleges 
• Specialized schools

Higher education institutions may offer different types of degrees to consider before applying, including: 

• Associate degree: This option is typically faster to attain and more affordable. In-demand careers like dental hygiene and veterinary technology may only require an associate degree. Similarly, vocational and technical schools that train students to excel at office and hands-on jobs like medical assistants and mechanics may offer this type of degree. 
• Bachelor's degree: A bachelor's degree may be four years of full-time study and may earn students enhanced career opportunities. Given the study length needed to attain this degree and funneled career path, it's important that students attaining this degree have done extensive career planning before college.
• Advanced degree: This type may be a doctoral or master's degree, which may be earned after a few more years of study after earning their bachelor's. Due to the technical skills and extensive knowledge gained from these courses, an advanced degree may help students access higher-paying jobs. 

13. Encourage Internships and Volunteer Work 

Internships and volunteer work are excellent opportunities for students to gain exposure to different career fields and work experience to increase their likeliness of getting employed. 

Aside from work experience, internships also provide networking opportunities within the industry. Before students apply for these positions, educators can help them understand appropriate professional behavior and attire for the work environment. They can also share tips for mastering a job interview with practice questions.

If the student is too young to get an internship, volunteering may be more suitable because it encourages career exploration and allows individuals to see how different occupations work. 

14. Facilitate GPA Maintenance for College Preparedness 

As students progress in high school, it is important for educators to continue motivating and supporting students as they tackle more challenging topics and activities. This can help them to continue striving for good grades and high grade point averages (GPAs), which may be especially helpful for senior students taking rigorous college-level or Advanced Placement (AP) classes. 

During senior year, educators should actively guide students to maintain focus and implement effective study habits since college admissions committees will likely assess their junior and senior year GPAs. 

15. Promote Life Skill Development 

College life requires students to be more responsible and independent and gives students the freedom of control over their schedules. This makes it important for high schools to teach students organizational and time-management skills so that students know how to stay focused and productive. 

Educators can also introduce basic life skills, such as financial planning, budgeting, grocery shopping and preparing meals, since this may increase students' independence during college life. 

16. Encourage Enrollment in Demanding High School Courses 

Rigorous courses and college preparation classes often allow students to acquire subject-specific knowledge and essential critical thinking. They also aid with note- and test-taking skills. 

Demanding high school courses can enhance their college readiness and help them excel in higher education institutions. Outlining learning objectives and specifying the connections between the course and potential career paths can be advantageous for students.

17. Normalize Virtual and Hybrid Classrooms 

As technology advances across work environments, it is increasingly important for schools to incorporate multimedia in the classroom. Today's students must understand how to apply digital skills and leverage technology to succeed in college and the workplace. 

Educators may teach learners about the skills, expectations and tools associated with hybrid and remote workplaces through classroom teaching and digital collaboration tools. 

18. Relate Learning to Real-Life Situations 

When students see how their subjects relate to the real world, they may be more engaged in the learning process because they understand that it will help them learn essential skills needed in a career. High schools may contribute to this by designing curricula based on experiential learning that is more meaningful, relevant to students and provides better context for projects. 

Educators should start by understanding their students' backgrounds, interests and challenges to create learning experiences that keep them engaged. These meaningful lessons and project-based learning may encourage students to build constructive habits that will benefit them in their professional lives. 

19. Guide Students Through College Entry Steps 

When students are closer to college application time, educators can assist students in taking the appropriate steps and performing them correctly to help create a smooth process. 

This guidance can involve informing students which extracurricular activities, internships, volunteer work and school courses to include in their application to help them stand out from other students. Educators can also advise them on how to highlight what they've gained from those experiences and teach them about the intricacies of admissions exams. 

20. Consider Networking and Professional Development 

Students can begin building their professional network as early as high school. Their participation in extracurriculars and internships can help them meet new people and make valuable connections that can benefit their future. 

Educators can also help them expand their network through mentorship opportunities, career workshops, industry events and job fairs. 

High schools can also create networking opportunities by collaborating with local organizations to develop an educational project or program and invite a variety of industry experts to speak with students about their work and answer career-related questions.  

Prepare Students for the Future With Student Planners From Success by Design 

Begin your students' career exploration and planning journey with resources from Success by Design. 

Success by Design offers a range of high-quality educational planners that include character and career building content. We offer 650D student planners which include tips for planning and areas for goal-setting to improve college and career preparation. Our HSTEM planner features 48 STEM-related careers to help inspire students with unique career options. 

Call our friendly team to find suitable student planners that encourage proactive career preparation today.