"I'm Not Creative" - An Excuse No Longer

Every year I have students tell me they aren't creative (I have to admit I used to use that excuse, too).  Well, that excuse is no longer valid if you read this article from Entrepreneur magazine.  While this article was written for business people, I see no reason why we can't start applying these suggestions while working in high school.  The sooner you start, the more prepared you will be to make yourself more creative (and more marketable) when you start your career.

Where's the Money?

While it might be too late to influence the career choices of the members of the Class of 2014, my sphere of influence hasn't been completely extinguished.  All of you still in high school have time to decide what careers you want to pursue, and you are hopefully considering those in addition to sitting next to the pool this summer.  This article and the chart found in it might give you some guidance regarding what careers will give you the compensation you desire.

H\T to the Business blog at The Atlantic for the original post.

Weighing College vs. Career

Are there instances where a high school student is better off jumping into a career instead of going to college or, in some instances, finishing high school?  This article from The New York Times talks about some teens who have hit it big creating apps and the struggles they face when trying to make that decision.  Their parents and grandparents, as can be expected, want them to go to college and follow the same path to success that they followed.  The teens, on the other hand, see an opportunity to start a career and question why they need to follow what they see as an outdated life path.

As the seniors prepare to embark on their lives after high school and the sophomores begin the career unit, this is hopefully an article which can appeal to any of you.  If you would like, feel free to leave a comment after reading the article.

Using Social Media for More

I am guessing many of you use at least one form of social media almost every day.  While Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (let me know if there are others I should check out) are great ways to keep up with friends, celebrities, and the latest news from around the world, there is an aspect of those social media outlets which could be much more important to you in the future - job/career listings and advice.

Someday each and every one of you will be looking for a job.  It might be right now while in high school or it might be after high school or college.  How will you find out when and where a job is available?  My guess is that social media will be the answer to that question both now and in the future.  In order to get ready for the future, I encourage you to start following various employers on social media so you can get an idea of what they are looking for long before you really need that job. 

To start following some of these employment outlets, search "Careers" on an app like Twitter and see what comes up.  Depending on your interests, you might want to follow businesses/corporations like @ESPNCareers (you will be amazed by the variety of careers they offer), @MicrosoftJobs, @CondeNastCareer (media brands like The New Yorker),or @TWDS_Careers (Disney Studios).  You could also follow career resources like @CareerBuilder or @MonsterCareers to see what kinds of careers might be available in the future and gain advice about building your resume, interviewing effectively, etc.

Ultimately, I want you to enjoy connecting with your friends on social media, but make the social media outlets work for you in the process of planning for the future.  Dream big when it comes to your future career.  I would love to someday say I know someone working at ESPN or Disney!