| 1. Dont rush into anything that costs you a ton of money 2. Spend as much time learning about yourself as you do about different career fields 3. Dont take advice from career counsellors or program advisors. In my experience most of the time they are sales people in disguise. 4. Talk to seasoned adults who have been doing what they are doing for a while (lets say at least 5 years). In most professions it is not weird to ask for an informational interview, and they are super useful. A lot of the time people you interview with will try and find you jobs or other leads. 5. Remember it is your life, not your parents. Making them happy wont necessarily make you happy and you have to live your life. 6. Volunteer (if you can afford to) 7. Travel (if you can afford to). check out youth/student working visas in foreign places. 8. consider if your personality and lifestyle is compatible with career fields you are considering. For example, if you like stability and routine, Film might not be your thing. If you like to move about and use your body as well as your mind, computer stuff might drive you batty. If you want a life outside of work, and dont want to be working all of the time, dont become a nurse, etc 9. Check out trades apprenticeships. Trades are high in demand, you get paid while you are in school (in Canada at least), you have a job most of the time, and at the end of it you make way more money than most people. If you decide the trade you have chosen isnt for you, you will at least be making enough money to put yourself through school again. 10. Meetup.com. Find a group that meets about something you are interested in and join it. |