POST - HIGH SCHOOL OPTIONS

EMPLOYMENT

Job vs. Career

 

Without vocational training, high school graduates may find limited career options. Rather than starting a career, they may be forced to "get a job". The unfortunate reality is they may not be making more than minimum wage and their opportunities for advancement will be quite limited. However, businesses and industries are always looking for polite, industrious, punctual, well-groomed employees who are willing to learn. Employees with these qualities can prove invaluable to an employer, possibly leading to advancement and opportunity. High school graduates should attempt to find a job in an area that might prove to be a career interest and lead to job advancement.

Finding a Job

Prepare a Resume - Prepare a professional looking resume and attach a copy of your resume to each application you complete. You can also mail or e-mail a copy of your resume and a cover letter to prospective employers requesting an interview.

Job Leads - Job Leads can come from a variety of sources.

  • School counselors
  • Co-op programs
  • Word-of-mouth
  • Former employers
  • Employment agencies
  • Personnel office postings
  • Newspaper ads
  • Help Wanted signs
  • Professional people you know

The best job leads will probably not be in the newspapers. For career-oriented jobs, it is best to network with the people you know in the field you desire and always keep a professional rapport with each of your past employers. It’s a small world, don’t burn your bridges!

Dress for Success

  • Look sharper than you usually do. You must sell yourself and let the employer know you consider the interview to be very important.
  • Be conservative in dress; revealing clothes, very short skirts, extremely high-heeled shoes are not appropriate.
  • Careful grooming is a must. Avoid too much of anything, such as colognes, aftershaves, make-up, or jewelry.

 

How Employers Think

Traits Employers Consider Important

  • Dependable
  • Team Player
  • Responsible
  • Self-starter
  • Efficient

Factors Which Eliminate Candidates

  • History of absenteeism
  • Poor communication skills
  • Lack of specific skills
  • Lack of enthusiasm
  • Poorly groomed

Job Interview Tips

Preparation

  • Learn about the organization.
  • Have a specific job or jobs in mind.
  • Review your qualifications for the job.
  • Prepare to answer broad questions about yourself.
  • Arrive before the scheduled time of your interview.

The Interview

  • Answer each question concisely.
  • Respond promptly.
  • Use good manners. Learn the name of the interviewer and shake hands as you meet.
  • Use proper English and avoid slang.
  • Be cooperative and enthusiastic.
  • Ask questions about the position and the organization.
  • Thank the interviewer and follow-up with a letter.

Information to Bring to an Interview

  • Social security number
  • Driver’s license number
  • Resume - Although not all employers require applicants to bring a resume, you should be able to furnish the interviewer with information about your education, training, and previous employment.
  • References - Usually an employer requires three references. Get permission from people before using their names. Try to avoid using relatives. For each reference, provide the following information: name, address, telephone number and occupation.

 

Ending the Interview – Leave promptly when the interview is concluded.  Be certain to use good manners.  Thank the employer for the time taken with you and also thank the receptionist or secretary. His or her opinion of you may also count in the hiring. Try to make arrangements to call the employer back at a specific time to find out the decision. In that way, the employer will be expecting your call.  When you return home, be certain to send the employer a "Thank You" note. This will not only show good manners, but will also remind the employer of you.

 

MILITARY Enlistment

The Military offers qualified high school graduates a good salary and free job training. They also provide discipline and structure, as well as many opportunities for career advancement and travel. Most branches of the military require a high school diploma; however, you should contact recruiters to determine requirements. Students serious about exploring their opportunities in the military should take the ASVAB.

Benefits – When young people enlist, they obligate themselves to active duty from two to six years. Besides basic pay and free education and training, the enlistee also receives free housing and free medical and dental care. The Montgomery GI Bill provides enlistees with excellent opportunities to earn money for college while in the military. Contact military recruiters for a more specific list of benefits.

Basic Training – Basic training is usually 6-10 weeks of intense mental and physical preparation in which enlistees receive classroom instruction, exercise, and field training. Enlistees also learn discipline, self-control, physical endurance, and respect for authority.

 

TRADE AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS

Trade and technical schools offer short-term training in a wide variety of career fields. They are usually privately owned, and the programs vary greatly from school to school.

 

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Community colleges provide affordable, career-oriented programs, which allow students to begin their careers after one or two years of college. Students completing one-year programs may receive certificates or diplomas, and students completing a two-year program earn associate degrees. Students may also begin their education at a community college and transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Why Community Colleges?

  • Small classes with individualized instruction.
  • Affordable.  (Tuition is about one half of a four -year school.)
  • Accept high school graduates and students with a GED.
  • Many courses are transferable – consult the college counselor.
  • Close to home.
  • Less stressful transition.
  • Opportunity to build remedial skills, before taking the plunge at a university.
  • Job training courses that lead to a career in two years.

FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES

A bachelor’s degree from a four-year university can open doors, provide status, and prepare students for financially and emotionally rewarding careers. Colleges vary greatly in programs offered, costs, and admission requirements.  A “College Admissions Check List” is available in the Appendix.

How Do I Find College Information?

Reference Materials - The Counseling Center and the library have several college reference books and handbooks. From these sources you can obtain information on college costs, housing, admission procedures, entrance tests required, major programs of study, and much more. Some references available are:

  • The College Handbook
  • Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges
  • Peterson’s Guide
  • Comparative Guide to American Colleges
  • Minnie Steven’s Piper Foundation Compendium of Texas Colleges
  • College Costs and Financial Aid Handbook
  • Index of Majors and Graduate Degrees
  • www.collegeboard.com

College Catalogs - The college catalog in effect for the year you enter a university is your contact for graduation. Keep it and refer to it frequently. It is the best single source of information about a college. Your high school Counseling Center will have a file of many college catalogs. You may want to write for a catalog from colleges you are seriously considering.

What Do Colleges Look For?

  • Academic Record. The single most important credential in the applicant’s folder is the academic record, particularly the junior year and senior year.  Grades are important. In many cases you can help your college chances by making a strong effort to improve during this time, thereby indicating you are “on the way up”. In addition, the level of difficulty of your course curriculum taken through all four years receives close scrutiny by admissions officers. Your rank in class and GPA are major factors in being admitted to some colleges.
  • College Entrance Examination Scores. The SAT/ACT college entrance examinations are important even though not all colleges require them. The majority of schools pay close attention to the SAT/ACT because, when taken together with grades, they constitute a reliable predictor of academic achievement.
  • Extra-curricular Activities. Extra-curricular activities both at high school and in the community play an important role in the admissions process. Colleges frequently state that they look for students who will make a significant contribution to the college community. Because between 70% and 80% of all students can handle the academics, colleges often look for that extra dimension – musicians, editors, actors, photographers, athletes, leaders, volunteers and others with a developed and usable talent.  Students with superior ability in these areas can expect to receive special review by faculty and careful consideration by the admissions office.
  • Recommendations.  For most colleges, recommendations are an essential part of an applicant’s file. (The exception to this rule is large state universities, where written recommendations are often not given as much weight.) Recommendations describe not only achievements and skills, but also character, integrity and patterns of growth. Teachers’ reports also play an important role in the selection process, particularly when the teachers know the student well and are willing to detail potential in specific areas.

Grade Point Average & Class Rank

Beginning with the ninth grade year, courses taken count toward the student’s grade point average and class rank.  Only grades earned in the four foundation areas of English, mathematics, science, and social studies will be used to determine rank in class and GPA. Within these four foundation areas, difficulty levels are assigned to every course. (Outside of these four areas, no courses will carry a difficulty level nor will they be used to determine rank in class or GPA.)  Grades are weighted according to the assigned level as follows: level 1 is 1.2; level 2 is 1.1; and level 3 is 1.0. These weights are referred to as Course Grade Multiplier. The student’s actual grade earned is multiplied by the Course Grade Multiplier. The computed score of all foundation courses is then totaled and divided by the number of foundation courses taken (averaged). Each student’s averages will be placed in numerical order from highest to lowest. The highest average shall be number one in class. GPA will be reported numerically. Summer school, correspondence courses, credit by exam and eighth grade courses are not included for GPA calculations. The ACTUAL grade earned in ALL CLASSES will be entered on the report card and the transcript.

College Visits

Seniors are allowed two college visits. Prior to your visit, turn in a written request from your parent or guardian to your attendance clerk. Two weeks prior to your intended visit contact the college admissions office in writing, by phone, or e-mail. During your visit you must obtain documentation of your visit from the college. Documentation must be given to your attendance clerk once you return to campus.

NOTE: These visits WILL count against total absences for spring semester exam exemptions.  (Not all schools have exam exemptions.)