<p>How do you decide on what you want to major in? I have always said I wanted to be a massage therapist or reflexologist, but I am not positive that is what I want to do. HELP!</p>
<p>Your library should have a terrific book called What Color Is Your Parachute? It will help you to think about the question. (Your librarian is your friend.)</p>
<p>When you have some ideas, start to explore them.</p>
<p>Read about people who do those things. Talk to them. Ask if you can spend a day at work with them.</p>
<p>Does your school have a career day? Does a parent have a take-your-kid-to-work day?</p>
<p>There are many occupations you’ve never heard about. There are many more that don’t even exist now but will during your lifetime. Lots of people have multiple careers, and sometimes they’re wildly different. </p>
<p>Approach this with a sense of adventure.</p>
<p>The weirdest job I ever interviewed for, though I didn’t get, was binocular renting at a local stadium that hosted basketball games and concerts. There were binoculars under all the seats. The renter went around the seats and, if someone wanted to rent the binoculars, collected the money and unlocked the glasses. It paid commissions, so there was an incentive to talk to the people and sell the binocular experience.</p>
<p>The weirdest job I actually do (freelance) is pedestrian counting, once a year for 4 days, 2 hours at lunchtime and 2 at dinner, for our neighborhood business improvement district. I sit in a specific place on a specific block with a clicker. I count everyone who passes me (though not babies in arms or strollers). On a sheet of paper I tally all the bicyclists who go past in either direction. About a dozen other people also do this on other blocks in the neighborhood. It documents foot traffic in areas where the district wants to encourage more businesses to settle. I’d hate to do this every day, but as a change of pace, it’s kind of fun.</p>
<p>If you’re interested in a job, do an informational interview with someone (or several someones) already in the profession. This is a chance to put your networking skills to work - find someone (a friend, teacher or relative) who knows someone who does that job. Contact them by email, tell them you are a high school student and you are not looking for a job - you just would appreciate 30 minutes of their time on the phone to answer questions about their job because you think you might be interested in working in this area. You need to get a good list of questions together (sometimes people want to see them in advance to think them over). Questions would include 1) what do you like most and least about your job 2) what kind of training did you get and what would you suggest to someone who wants to enter the field 3) what are the job prospects for someone in this field 4) if you were doing it again, would you still choose this field and why or why not, and finally, 5) what advice would you give me about entering this field, etc…Notice that these are open ended questions that are designed to elicit thoughtful answers. Make sure you follow up with written and profuse thanks to anyone who gives you their time.</p>
<p>Good suggestions!
A book I recommend is “10 Best College Majors for Your Personality”. See if your public library or school library has it. It is a very readable book, more so than the giant books that cover every major. Basically it gives a good overview of various careers and how they relate to college majors and which ones might be a good fit for you based on personality characteristics.</p>
<p>You should do an internship or volunteer job in a field that you find interesting. My entire life I went through “phases” where I thought I would do certain careers. Then one day as a result of an internship it just hit me that this is my passion, what I’m good at and what I want to do the rest of my life.</p>