Upon graduating high school, teenagers are presented with so many options of what direction to take their lives in that it can be mind boggling. These next few steps can seem crucial to create a fruitful career. Many of these career choices include enrolling themselves in two or four more years of school which can seem like a big commitment of time and money.
Keep in mind everyone has different interests and should follow the path best suited for them. So, where one student wants to avidly pursue a degree, another may not be very well apt in a classroom setting and would be more successful choosing a different route.
If four more years of school sounds like too much, an associate’s degree or trades school may be the best option since it’s only half as long a time commitment. Topics can range from carpentry, cosmetology, nursing or even just getting general classes out of the way.
Something that may be even more worth time and money would simply be starting an apprenticeship in one of the trade industries. Throughout the years, it seems attending college is assumed to yield more success than the trades. However, that isn’t necessarily true. In some cases there can be more competition to get hired as a doctor than as a plumber.
In addition, while in an apprenticeship the student gets paid like any other job and as time goes on could also earn raises up until they obtain certifications. As far as job security goes, the world can never have too many people to build or fabricate new houses, buildings and roads and on top of that people to install plumbing and electric, and also to repair things if there are issues in the future.
Of course these types of jobs are considered to be more hands-on work, rather than just sitting in an office all day long. Some people may consider that kind of work to be more self fulfilling since one can physically see the work that has been done. Plus, it takes a certain type of work ethic to achieve these types of skills and endurance that it takes to get the job done.
So when considering your future, it’s important to choose what is best for you and not listen to societal pressures to go to college just because it’s the most traveled path. It’s more important to do something you enjoy rather than something that just brings in money. As the saying goes, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
