5 Easy Options for After High School Graduation That Work in 2022
5 Post High School Choices to Start Your Career + a Bonus
It’s normal to feel confused about what to do after high school- there are so many options and many of us have been asked about it a million times or more during our life. With everyone giving us opinions and ideas, that gets pretty confusing. Top that off with the fact that there are over 12,000 occupations to choose from, it can be so difficult to know what to do, especially with COVID still hanging around.
As a career counseling and college admissions expert, I’m here to share the options and provide some context on what good options are now that we are living in an *almost* post-COVID world.
Start your career-enter the workforce
Heading straight into a career is a great option for some students. If you don’t have the grades to get into your preferred college, need some time to decide what degree you want to spend all of that time and money on, or just aren’t interested in continuing with education, this is a great option.
Keep in mind that if you don’t already have a job and you just graduated, you probably need to buckle down and start filling out those job applications, ASAP (your parents are only going to let you keep crashing with them for so long!). Now you may need to figure out what it is that you’d like to do for a job. Good news- lots of people are hiring and paying more than minimum wage right now, so it’s a great time to be looking for a job. The restaurant/fast food and retail industries are good bets to get a job quickly to earn some cash while you are deciding if there is another industry that is better suited to you.
If you need some help determining career fields that are good options, you can speak with a career counselor, check out my blog that explains how to pick a career that you can support yourself with, or contact me! You may need to refer back to this paragraph as you read through all the options.
2. Enlist in the military
There are lots of great reasons to join the military right after high school, especially if you have no idea what you want to do, are looking for some direction or structure in your life, want help paying for college, are looking for an easy way to travel the world on someone else’s dime, want to serve our country, or are just looking for something different than what you are used to. While there are lots of reasons to join, there is a strict process, so let’s walk through that quickly so you know what to do.
You need to figure out which service you are interested in, and there are lots of choices- Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Air Force. No matter which service you choose, you’ll have to take the ASVAB, which is the testing to see which jobs (or MOS) you qualify for. You’ll take this with a recruiter, so you also need to take that step of going into a recruiting office in your town/city. You can take the ASVAB more than once if you are not satisfied with your score, however, you’ll need to wait 6 months to retake it in order for your new score to count. If you are going to go that route, use that time to study and probably get a job so you have some income, but depending on your situation it may not be your best option to wait (talk to your recruiter about it). After that, you’ll go to an enlistment processing station (your recruiter will set this up) to go through a medical exam and do your enlistment oath. After that, you’ll begin your career in the military with basic training and a follow on training depending on your military job.
3. Enter a 4 year college or university
College is the natural choice if you want a career that requires a traditional degree. College also sets you up to earn a Master’s degree or a Doctorate degree if your chosen field requires it. In our post-COVID world, most colleges and universities are test-optional, which has effectively removed a huge barrier that traditionally existed to college admissions. That being said, you need to make sure that you’ve taken college prep classes, preferably some honors or AP classes as well (if your school offers them). You need to fill out the required application, submit transcripts through your counselor’s office, and turn in a writing sample or test scores (SAT or ACT scores). If you need some assistance paying for college (most people do!), you’ll also want to fill out the FAFSA, which opens October 1st each year. Finally, you’ll need to decide on a major- most schools require students to enter with a declared major and if you are using any federal funding from the FAFSA to pay for college, it is also required.
If you need some help deciding what major would be best, see the italicized paragraph above.
4. Begin a trade school or apprenticeship program
Many trade careers require formal training that is different from what you get in a traditional college setting. Most trade positions pay extremely well, so they are great options if you don’t mind completing some training (typically much shorter than a 2 year degree) prior to starting work. Traditional trades include carpentry, welding, electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, cosmetology, dental assisting, auto mechanics, etc. In some cases, local school districts provide this training to high school students, so you may be able to take advantage of this if you are interested and eligible. If not, there are a number of different trade schools across the country that you can locate to provide the training you are most interested in.
5. Start at a 2 year college
There are some professions that require only 2 years of education, rather than 4 or more. Some of these careers include occupational therapy assistant, physical therapy assistant, air traffic controller, radiologic technologist, fire inspectors and investigators, etc. There are both junior colleges and community colleges that will offer these types of degrees. The process to enter these is similar to traditional 4 year institutions, however most community colleges and junior colleges do not require SAT or ACT scores and didn’t pre-COVID, so are unlikely to require them in the future. If you haven’t taken the SATs or ACTs and want to start on a degree program sooner, you can always start at a community college and then transfer to a 4 year college later. This is also a great option if you are looking to save some money as community colleges (not so much junior colleges) are significantly cheaper than 4 year colleges or universities. Many high school students choose this path as a way to save money on their 4 year education.
If you need some help deciding what major would be best, see the italicized paragraph above.
6. Bonus- take a gap year
And, the bonus option- the gap year. A gap year is a semester or full year of experiential learning taken between high school and college and gives you a break from academics to discover yourself and the career and educational paths you’d like to pursue. This is really popular outside of the US and it’s something that I wish our society would embrace more. Taking a gap year is a great idea if you are unsure of what you want to do, need a break from education for a beat, or are looking to travel the world. Many young adults in other countries take this year to travel, getting jobs in various countries to make the money that they need to support themselves and have the experiences they want for a year (i.e. a working holiday) before heading back to their home country to embark on a more serious and long-term career path. Taking a gap year does not mean you need to travel outside the US, or even travel at all, but to me it sounds like a great way to spend a year before you have more serious commitments and responsibilities. If you prefer not to travel, you can spend time visiting with family that you don’t see often, volunteer with a meaningful project, do a virtual gap year (so you get the experience of being abroad without the travel) or participate on a work exchange on a farm or as an Au Pair. There are lots of options to explore on a gap year and it is worth the consideration.
No matter what you decide to do after high school, there are lots of doors that are open. It’s important to consider all options before making a decision. As I mentioned previously, if you need help sorting your options and deciding which option is best, feel free to reach out!
I hope you’ve found this helpful. If you are looking for more information, please visit my website- Higher & Hire. If I can be of assistance to you, please reach out to me here.
Many Thanks!
Valerie Palmer - Career and College Admissions Expert
