Planning your career can seem overwhelming, especially as you approach high school graduation and start thinking about your future. However, taking the time to create a clear and actionable career plan can make this transition smoother and more manageable. Career planning involves understanding your interests and strengths, exploring different career options, setting achievable goals, and outlining the steps needed to reach those goals. By following a structured approach, you can gain confidence in your career choices and set yourself up for success in the workforce. In this blog, we’ll explore the five essential steps of career planning for high school students graduating, helping you navigate this important phase of your life with clarity and purpose. 

The Five Steps to Help You Plan  

Your entire career journey occurs in stages. The same applies to career planning. There are stages you go through to help create an effective plan. Let’s explore each step in detail.  

Step 1: Take Personal Inventory of Who You Are And Why  

The first step in career planning is self-assessment. This involves taking a close look at your interests, skills, values, and personality traits to understand what kind of career might be a good fit for you. Here are some ways to take a closer look at these key parts to help take personal inventory:  

Ask yourself questions like:

• What subjects do I enjoy?  
• What activities make me feel energized and fulfilled?  
• What skills do I excel at?  
• What values are important to me in a job?  

Leverage Technology: Test out tools like career assessment tests, personality quizzes, and interest inventories to help you identify your strengths and preferences. We like this personality test and the neat avatars that come with it.  

Use Your Community: Seek feedback from teachers, family members, older siblings, and friends who know you well. Do you know someone who has a career you are interested in pursuing? Maybe someone in your community knows someone who is doing exactly what you see yourself doing in the future. Relying on your community (however you define that space) will help you make informed decisions about your career journey. As a bonus, you may be surprised by some of the answers you get from your community that you would not be able to find from a quick Google search or an AI chatbot. After all, leaning on your community is a great way to get the closest glimpse of what reality will actually be if you decide to pursue that career interest.  

Step 2: Identify And Research Your Career Options  

Once you have a clear understanding of your interests and skills, the next step is to research different career options. This is where your research skills need to shine. Not sure how to leverage technology to help you research what you want, in a safe way? Make sure to explore our digital literacy resources to conduct this research in a safe, bias-free, and responsible way.  

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Start by exploring various industries and job roles that match your self-assessment results. Use online resources, such as career websites, job boards, and professional organizations, to gather information about different careers. Look into the education and training requirements, job responsibilities, salary expectations, and future job prospects for each career.  

Additionally, consider talking to professionals in your field of interest, attending career fairs, and participating in job shadowing or informational interviews. This research will help you narrow down your options and identify potential career paths that align with your goals. By gathering detailed information about different careers, you can make informed decisions about your future and choose a path that suits your interests and aspirations. 

Step 3: Evaluate and Prioritize  

You have your personal inventory list and research results, now it’s time to set some goals! Setting career goals is an essential part of the career planning process.  

• Start by defining both short-term and long-term goals that align with your career aspirations.  
  • Short-term goals are those you can achieve in the next few months or years, such as completing a relevant course, gaining work experience, or developing specific skills.  
  • Long-term goals are those you aim to achieve in the next five to ten years, such as graduating from college with a degree in your chosen field or securing a full-time job in your desired career.  
• Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Write down your goals and create a timeline for achieving them. Setting clear goals gives you a sense of direction and purpose, helping you stay focused and motivated as you work towards your career aspirations. By having a clear plan, you can take proactive steps to achieve your goals and build a successful career. 

Step 4: Create A Plan and Test It Out!  

Guess what – you have all of the ingredients to make your career plan! Congratulations on that – make sure to celebrate making it to step 4! Now is the time to elevate your planning by adding some spice to it, also known as action! Creating an action plan involves outlining the steps you need to take to achieve your career goals.

• Identify the education and training required for your chosen career. This might include high school courses, college degrees, certifications, or apprenticeships 
• Look for opportunities to gain experience in your field, such as internships, part-time jobs, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities. 
• Consider building your professional network by connecting with professionals in your field, attending networking events, and joining professional organizations. 
• Include specific tasks, deadlines, and resources needed to achieve your goals. 

Regularly review and update your plan to ensure it stays aligned with your evolving interests and goals. By creating a detailed action plan, you can take proactive steps to achieve your career aspirations and prepare for the transition to the workforce. 

Step 5: Reflect, Evaluate, and Re-Try 

Rinse and repeat is not the best way to treat your shiny new career plan. Instead, you want to think along the lines of reflect, evaluate, and re-try. Career planning is an ongoing process. As such, it is important to regularly review and adjust your plan to ensure it continues to align with your evolving interests and goals.  

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• Reflect: location is key. Set the mood with a nice, quiet location to reflect. Take out a notebook, journal, or similar to reflect on what is working with your career plan and what is not working. Ideally, it will be helpful to reflect on your plan at least a month after you have started using the plan. In other words, make sure you have some results from your career plan to reflect on before you conduct this step.  
• Evaluate: analyze your progress by checking if you’re meeting your short-term goals and gaining the skills and experience needed for your long-term goals. If your interests or circumstances change, don’t be afraid to adjust your plan. Stay flexible and open to new opportunities, and be prepared to adapt to changes in the job market and industry trends. Regularly seek feedback from mentors, teachers, and professionals in your field to help you stay on track. By treating career planning as an ongoing process, you can stay focused and motivated, ensuring that you are always working towards a fulfilling and successful career. 
• Re-Try: Once you have made the necessary adjustments, get back out there in the real world and keep using that career plan! Remember, your career journey is, well, a journey. It is never linear. You will always have twists and turns in your journey. This means you will need to test your strategies, pivot where necessary, and even re-try what works to help you reach all of your career goals. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your plan will help you stay on track and achieve your career aspirations. 

While all steps in career planning are crucial, taking personal inventory stands out as the most important. This step lays the foundation for the entire career planning process by helping you understand your interests, skills, values, and personality traits. Without a clear understanding of yourself, it’s challenging to make informed decisions about your future career.  

This type of self-assessment allows you to identify what you enjoy and excel at, ensuring that you choose a career path that aligns with your passions and strengths. This alignment leads to greater job satisfaction and success. By starting with a thorough self-assessment, you set the stage for effective career exploration, goal setting, and action planning, making it the cornerstone of a successful career planning journey. 

The Method You Use To Plan – Digital or Paper 

So you have options when it comes to creating your career plan. Now we will preface by saying this can be a polarizing topic – some people are #teampaper and others are #teamdigital. Whether you love technology with your planning or prefer the traditional pen-and-paper approach, there are pros and cons to each method. We are not here to force you to pick one. We are simply offering this information to help you decide if you are struggling to pick. Something else to keep in mind – it’s ok to switch things up! You may have used a physical planner for years, but would like to try using a digital planner. Why not try it with your career plan? You can always switch back! Same for those digital planning people who might find holding a physical career planner in their hands rewarding. You also have the option to switch!  

Pros of Digital Planning: 

• Easy access and updates 
• Integration with other digital tools 
• Ability to set reminders and alerts 

Cons of Digital Planning: 

• Dependence on technology 
• Potential for distractions 
• Risk of data loss or security issues 

Pros of Paper-Based Planning: 

• Tactile experience can enhance focus 
• No reliance on technology 
• Can be personalized with drawings and notes 

Cons of Paper-Based Planning: 

• Harder to update and revise 
• Risk of losing physical documents 
• Limited integration with digital tools 

Choosing the right method depends on your personal preferences and needs. Both approaches have their benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to select the one that works best for you.