This recent high school grad has a long list of careers not to pursue. But how to hone in on the real possibilities?

It’s not easy, our elder admits, but counseling can help.

Dear EWC:

Hello, I just graduated High School and I am not sure what I should study. I have no plans for where I might want to work. I am good with people and I love children, but I could not handle being a teacher full time (I’ll stick to Sunday school). I enjoy organizing things; I really, really enjoy that. I like helping people, but I get squeamish around blood (nothing medical I guess).

Many things have pointed to business or management, but I am honestly frightened of the math and statistics that are required. I get easily frustrated with computers and anything that needs repairing. I love cultures and language. I need a people kind of job. I want to make people happy; I want them to come to me because they need a pick-me-up. I really enjoy cooking, but I am not much of a stick-to-the-recipe type. I am afraid of the precision and competition a career in cooking requires. I would like to open up something, be my own boss. I am not too excited about all the responsibilities. I need help.
PS: I love God

Papa-Smokey replies:

Choosing a field of study can be difficult. I would suggest you meet with a guidance/career counselor at either the high school where you graduated or a local community college. These counselors may be able to help you to focus on a field that could be a good match for your skill sets and interests. They may even be able to have you take an aptitude survey to add clarity to your decision.

You can also do some research on your own. Talk to friends and family to see the kinds of careers they’re involved in and see if any seem like a match for you. Look at job descriptions of open positions to see if any seem interesting.

Most colleges don’t require students to select a field of focus until at least their second year of study so you may have more time before having to make a decision. Even once you make a decision many people change their primary fields of study several times.
I hope these suggestions are helpful. Good luck!

Career
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