If High School Seniors Don't Have a Dream

Many seniors don't know how to move forward after graduation

I was talking to several high school seniors over the weekend. Two told me that they had been accepted to all of the colleges to which they submitted applications. One young man explained that he had not applied to any colleges because he didn’t know what he wanted to do professionally long-term. His post-graduation plan currently involved spending a year or more in a Peace Corp. kind of service. Other than that he had no clue what we would do. Too many high school graduates share the same uncertainty.

A Long-History of Confused or Unambitious People

Our country always consisted of groups of people who did not have clear plans for what they would do long-term. They stayed on the family farm, or continued in the guild of their father, during our agrarian era. The industrial revolution gave them the opportunity to work for the same company or factory in town, many times following in their parents footsteps.

They didn’t need to make plans because the company took care of the direction of their professional lives. Sadly the reduction of factory work eliminated many of the high-paying jobs for undriven people. The service industry hired people who didn’t have a strong professional direction. Unfortunately, the pay did not provide for a good, stable career. Not sure, take a look at the average age of fast food workers the next time you grab some food to go.

Avoid the College For All Mentality

Another problem many high school students encounter involve parents, counselors, teachers, and friends focusing solely on college for post-high school training or education. We also need to stop implying that trade or technical occupations rank second-class to college occupations.

I once saw an overworked, conscientious guidance counselor telling a high school senior that he needed to get his 2.3 grade point average up if he were to be accepted into college. The boy had failed most of his courses, except for auto shop which he had received an A all 4 semesters he had taken the class. The federal guidelines on helping high school students obtain apprenticeships sat on the shelf behind the counselor. The young student could have completed half of the apprenticeship requirements for auto mechanics during high school, but nobody had mentioned the possibility to them.

Students and parents need orientation to all of the training and education options available to them which includes apprenticeships, certificates, and similar training. In some states students may enroll in certificate programs while attending high school: dental assistants, medical assistants, phlebotomists, engineering drafting, construction trades, automotive mechanics and body repair, robotics, and more.

Sometimes It Takes Time to Find Your Path

Finally, many students require more time and life experiences before selecting a path which they think will last the rest of their working life. A few facts may help the student discover their career path.

1. Most of the students in high school today will change careers 4 to 5 times in their lives. The traditional anticipation of just one career for 30 years disappeared at the turn of the century. We’re creating 500 new occupations every 4 years. So, some of the careers a student may choose don’t eve exist at this point.

2. A very large number of parents want their high school student-age children to focus on extracurricular activities rather than work while in high school. Consequently, a large number of children do not have experience to explore the world of work. The lack of experience inhibits their ability to explore career paths.

3. Very few students will have found their professional calling by age 18. A few more may achieve a career orientation envisioning how each job will lead to better ones in a steady string of growth. A large number, however, will at best possess a job orientation (looking at each job separately without regard to the next one) into their 20s.

4. Finally, youth do not talk to adults outside of their family as often as they did in the past. Multiple interactions with adults from various occupations allow youth to learn about a variety of career paths.

My freshman year of college one of the university bice presidents gave this advice to a large assembly of students. He acknowledged that many freshmen students did not understand exactly what they wanted to do. He recommended, when asked about a student’s major, if they did not have a clear idea, to answer “Urban Survival.” I’ve shared that with not only freshmen in college, but with high school seniors who were graduating. I now share it with you.

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