Planning a Vocational or Technical Career
About the Activity
There are many paths towards a successful and rewarding career. Some students decide to attend college and some students pursue careers that don’t require a college degree. Instead, they opt into the military, obtain a vocational certification, or enter the workforce directly after high school. Each of these career options is equally important in our society today.
In this activity, you’ll learn about careers you can pursue right out of high school, and be able to consider if any might be a good fit for you, based on your skills and interests.
Materials
Here’s what you’ll need to complete this activity:
A computer or internet-connected device
Printer
Career Log worksheet
Activity Steps
Part 1: Discover Your Options
There are a lot of different kinds of jobs you can start working toward, right after high school to prepare you for a technical or skills-based career. Let’s see what some of those technical careers are.
Choosing a career is an important decision. Let’s begin by learning about the many different types of jobs that you can pursue straight out of high school, without a four-year college degree.
There are a lot of fulfilling, good-paying jobs in the Health Care and Health Sciences fields.
- Certified Nursing Assistant [CNA]
- Phlebotomy Technicians [CPT]
- Home Health Aide, Paramedic or Emergency Medical Technician [EMT]
- Medical Assistant [MA]
Careers in Manufacturing support the creation of all kinds of materials.
- Machinist
- Tool and Die Maker
- Production Specialist
- Materials Manager
- Materials Acquisition
Human Services jobs are essential because there are always people who need help, including children, people who have been injured, and the elderly.
- Child Care Worker
- Social Service Assistant
- Rehabilitation Worker
- Elder Care Worker
Our lives depend on the hard work and smart planning of Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics professionals. These jobs are in high demand!
- Truck Driver
- Logistics Planner
- Distribution Manager
- Transportations Analyst
There is always a need for a wide variety of Construction jobs to support residential builds, commercial development, and infrastructure.
- Construction worker
- Construction Inspector
- Project Estimating
The Education system needs teachers, yes, but there are lots of other hard-working, dedicated education professionals that support this industry, too.
- Teaching Aide
- Safety Specialist
- Training Consultant
There are lots of jobs available in Sales and Marketing that don’t require a college degree.
- Project Management Professional [PMP]
- Microsoft Office Specialist
- Certified Scrum Master [CSM]
Hospitality can be exciting if you like working with people.
- Guest Experience Specialist
- Reception Manager
- Assistant Hotel Director
There are lots of creative professions that support Arts, Audio-Visual, and Entertainment.
- A/V Technician
- Audio Engineer
- Lighting Technician
City, state, and local Government jobs help deliver services to the people in their communities.
- Administrative Assistant
- Project Manager
- Zoning Specialist
A police officer is the most obvious example of a job in the Legal field, but there are others that don’t require a college degree.
- Paralegal
- Law Enforcement
- Criminal Justice
The Restaurant industry can be a fast-paced, exciting, and creative environment in which to work.
- Cooks
- Bartenders
- Food Preparation Workers
- Waiter/Waitress
If you like crunching numbers, there are lots of Finance jobs out there.
- Controller
- Accounts Receivable
Information Technology and other computer-related jobs don’t always require a college degree, either.
- Web Developer
- Network Specialist
- Site Reliability Engineer
Do you like to help people look great and feel good about themselves? A career in Cosmetology may bring you fulfillment.
- Hair Stylist
- Barber
- Cosmetologist
If you like being outdoors, there are lots of good Agriculture, Farming, Fishing, and Wildlife jobs that suit your lifestyle.
- Farmer
- Wildlife Administrator
- Agriculture Inspector
Finally, there are lots of jobs that require good understandings of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—but many STEM jobs do not mandate a college degree.
- CAD Specialist
- Mechanic
- Engineering Technology Specialist
Part 2: Build Your Career Log
- Choosing a career is an important decision. Creating a career log can help you explore a variety of career options before you decide to make a commitment.Let’s start by learning about different opportunities. As you plan for your career path, be sure to make it personal by thinking about your interests, skill set, goals, and most importantly, your happiness!
- Referencing the jobs we outlined in Part 1, start to think about what you’re interested in and like to do, and which of these jobs fits those interests.
Did you know?Some careers offer on-the-job training that will provide specific training related to the job. A good example of this is the military. They provide the training that you’ll need for the type of job you’ll be performing.
- Use the Career Log to build out a plan based on your interests. Do some additional research to find the starting and median salaries for the jobs you’re interested in, and fill in that part of the log. Most jobs can be found at the My Next Move website: https://www.mynextmove.org.
Did you know?Apprenticeships are another form of on-the-job training that usually pay you to work and learn alongside an experienced employee.
- Now that you’ve filled out your career log, take a couple of minutes to study it, then order the jobs from 1 to 5, with 1 being the job that you are most interested in and 5 being the least interesting if you were going to start looking for work today. Did you discover a new career interest after completing this activity?
Did you know?Some of the jobs that don’t require a four-year bachelor’s degree do require a two-year associate degree. Associate degrees are usually obtained from two-year community colleges or other schools. This degree can lead to a specific career or it can be a stepping stone to a bachelor’s degree.
Test Your Knowledge
See how much you’ve learned about technical and vocational careers.
Reflection Questions
Bonus questions to inspire your career journey:
What were some of the pros and cons of the careers you were interested in?
What are some next steps you can take to learn more about technical and vocational careers?
Talk with some adults in your community about the current need for people to fill vocational and technical jobs. How could you be helping your community by becoming trained in a vocational or technical career?
Investigate and Explore
There are many paths towards a successful, lucrative, and rewarding career. Some students decide to attend college and some students pursue careers that don’t require a college degree. They opt into the military, obtain a vocational certification, or enter the workforce directly after high school. Each of these career options is equally important to the way our society operates.
Choosing a career can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. What’s important is that you choose something that you find fulfilling, and you can do that by making sure it’s something that fits your interests, skill set, goals, and most importantly, your happiness.
Consider your own journey and explore where you might work in the future based on:
- Your Interests
- Your Skills
- Your Goals
- Your Happiness
Career Connections
Your interests can expose you to a number of careers, from project management to IT specialist. Whether you pursue a path that involves college or not, there are many opportunities for you to grow, expand your knowledge, and earn a living.
