20. Working for the Future

Have you ever thought of your future career? If not, you'd better start thinking about it. This article will give you useful tips on how to do that.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

You've probably heard that question a thousand times. You may even be one of the lucky ones with a definite plan for the future. But if you're like most teenagers, the question makes you want to leave the conversation—and the room.

Thinking about a career is hard for everyone. There are hundreds of industries, thousands of professions, and millions of jobs to choose from. It may seem too early in your life to try to figure out where you belong. But now is actually a great time to experiment—before you need that paycheck.

Interested? Then don't think about jobs. Think about yourself. What kind of people do you like to be with? What kind of things do you like to do? What are you good at? The answers may suggest some work possibilities. Are you patient and good with children? Maybe you'd like teaching. Do you like physical activity and the outdoors? Think about construction work, or being a traffic policeman.

With your brain filled with those questions, go to the library. Find the book What Color Is Your Parachute?, by Richard Nelson Bolles. It's a bible for many job-hunters today, and it can help you, too. There's a whole chapter full of ideas on how to figure out your skills and interests.

After this research, you should have a list of a few fields of interest—and a lot of questions about them. What kinds of jobs are there in these fields? How do you train for them? What is the work really like? To find the answers, go to the source: people who hold those jobs.

Start by talking to the people you know best. Your family and family friends may be in the right field or know someone who is. So might your teacher or guidance counselor. Your priest, or minister, may be able to help you, too. Don't overlook the obvious. Are you interested in medicine? Talk to a family doctor or dentist. Are you crazy about cars? Make an appointment with the mechanic at the local gas station.

Most people like to talk about their work. The ones you approach should be happy to help with advice and information, if you treat the occasion seriously. Call first to arrange a convenient time. If you set up a meeting in person, arrive a few minutes early, looking neat and well-groomed. Have clear and detailed questions ready: What exactly does the person do at work? What was the training required for this job? What does the person like about the job? What parts aren't so great? Does the job require a lot of contact with the public? With co-workers? Or does the person mostly work alone? What other jobs are there in this field? It's okay to come in with your questions written down, and to have pencil and paper ready to take notes on the answers.

Those answers should give a pretty good picture of a certain career. Do you belong in that picture? One way to find out is by putting yourself in it.

You can do that through internships and volunteer programs. (Internships are "trial jobs" run by many businesses, non-profit groups, and government agencies. They usually don't pay a salary, but they give you valuable experience that can help you get a paying job later, sometimes with the same organization.)

Once again, the local library is a good place to find out about these programs. Check the latest edition of Internships, published by Writer's Digest. It lists internship programs (though mostly for college students) and offers helpful hints on how to get into one. Libraries often have lists of local organizations with jobs or internship programs available. Librarians receive all kinds of mailings and fliers and may know about opportunities for students.

If you're interested in working for a certain company, call that company and ask them if they use interns or volunteers. If you're interested in doing a particular kind of work, the United Way, the Volunteer Council, or a local group like the Kiwanis should be able to tell you about volunteer possibilities that come close to your interests. And the Chamber of Commerce is a good source of information on business internships. Call them and ask.

Don't give up if you can't find something just right. You may have to invent your own internship program. Call the boss you'd like to work for. Explain how much you can do for the organization. If you state your case well, someone will listen.

Your main goal through all of this is to learn about working in a certain field. You're going to come away with more than information, though. Along the way, you're going to collect recommendations, experience, and practice in the fine art of getting a job. Good luck!

Abridged from Science World Sept. 22, 1986.