Top 5 Tips for Post-Secondary Planning
1. Ask: What do you like and what are you good at? Choosing a career path…
From there, ask an associated series of questions. Where do your interests and abilities cross paths? What makes you feel good, engages you, and piques your curiosity? Where do you find success or feel a sense of achievement?
More general questions can also be: What are you fascinated by or concerned with? What do you spend y our time doing? Asking follow-up questions that look for patterns and underlying feelings behind your answers, is usually a great starting point for connecting the dots.
2. Start conversations about money/budgets early.
Price points are important factors when considering schools but should not necessarily be the starting point of the conversation. Asking the above questions is a great way to think meaningfully about what a student wants out of their education, and to make sure you are making sustainable investments in education.
Creating a budget is key, students should consider what their sources of income will be, and then compare that with the costs of education- tuition, fees, school books or supplies, cost of living or residence, groceries or meal hall, transportation, etc.
Discussing money in a realistic and constructive way can also help students see the value and importance of seeking out and applying or scholarships. Not only does this requires planning ahead to say on top of deadlines, obtaining reference letters, and meeting scholarship requirements, but most scholarships consider a student’s involvement and contributions over time.
3. Don’t focus solely on careers as the end goal of education.
Young people do need to learn about career options, but when they focus narrowly on one career path and lining up all their educational decisions in relation to that career planning for education gets stressful. Taking steps one at a time reduces stress and makes for a more open process that students and their families are ultimately happier with.
When conversations about happiness are defined only by money, it can narrow the conversation. In these instances, students will focus on the few professional careers they know about- lawyers, doctors, and engineers. This is an incredibly limited vision of the world of work, especially today with new technologies and rapidly changing forms of work.
4. When researching schools, look at more than just the academic programs.
Remember to explore more than just the program options. Check out what supports and services are available, the clubs and societies on campus, and places or groups beyond the classroom.
Students should visit the campus to get a feel for it. Attending open houses or going on a road trip to tour campuses with a parent/guardian can illuminate whether a school should be on a student’s list of places to apply to- or not, which is just as valuable.
5. Teach student to be self-advocates.
Students should learn to make phone calls and send emails inquiring about the programs, services, and clubs that they’re interested in. This experience will lay the groundwork for when they begin university or college and need to do more advocating for themselves.
Post-Secondary Planning Resources
College search, SAT information, etc.: www.collegeboard.com
Financial Aid application: www.fafsa.ed.gov
Scholarship search: www.fastweb.com; www.tfec.org; high school websites
Employment search: https://www.lcctc.edu/resources/counselor/job-postings/; www.indeed.com
Interview tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muwkauOZjEI; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG68Ymazo18
RESUME BUILDING
Resume Building and Interview Skills to help you get the job you want. Sometimes the toughest part of the job is getting the job! Below are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to resume building plus interviewing tips so that you can feel confident applying to your next job.
RESUME DOS & DON’TS:
Do customize your resume for each job: One size does not fit all! You should alter your resume each time you apply for a job because your resume needs to target the employer you are sending it to and emphasize the parts of your background that must fit the role.
Do use the proper resume format: A chronological resume where you list you work history from past to present is usually the best, but if you don’t have a lot of work experience, consider a functional resume. A functional resume lists your skills and experiences first to highlight the best of what you have to offer. In other words, put your main qualification for the job first. There are plenty of templates of both formats online that you can check out to get you started.
Do include unpaid work activities that show leadership: Volunteered with a well-known organization? Worked for an important cause? Awesome! Make sure to include it under “experience” on your resume.
Do tie your previous job responsibilities to measurable data: When listing previous job responsibilities under work history, it is always best to show what you have done in a measurable way when applicable. For example, instead of writing that you loaded trucks on your resume, write you loaded 10 trucks an hour with 100% accuracy.
Don’t send a resume with typos: The fastest way to get your resume thrown in the trash is to send a document riddled with misspellings, formatting problems, or with mistakes. Look it over multiple times for errors.
Don’t use crazy fonts or colors: Using “crazy” fonts or unusual colors might get your resume some attention-but probably not the kind you want. Keep it to one or two fonts and neutral colors.
Don’t go over one page: You probably don’t have enough experience to justify a longer resume. Focus on your bestselling points and use bullet points to keep it clear and concise. Don’t include every class you every took and every summer job you’ve ever had, unless they’re relevant to the job you are applying to. You want to include enough information to get the interview but not so much information that the employer doesn’t need to interview you.
INTERVIEW TIPS
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare: Preparation is a great way to boost your confidence! You should start preparing for the interview. Start googling frequently asked interview questions and practice answering them in your mirror. Research the company so that you have a general understanding of the employer. Make a checklist of what you’ll need to take with you and gather the materials together the night before the interview. It is always a good idea to bring a notepad and pen to the interview in case you need/want to take notes and to show you are prepared and interested. Make copies of your resume/cover latter and any other documents you may want to pass out at the interview. Look up directions the night before so you are sure of where you are going. Plan on arriving to the interview at least 15 minutes early. This will give you time to account for any unplanned difficulties. Doing all these preparation steps will help ensure that you arrive on time and are prepared for the interview.
Dress appropriately: Make sure you are professionally dressed. It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed for an interview. You wan to present a tidy and confident appearance while wearing a professional yet comfortable outfit that allows you and the hiring manager to remain focused on the interview. Try not to wear bold clothing or strong perfume as it can be distracting. Make sure you get plenty of rest the night before to ensure you feel and look alert and focused.
Be respectful to everyone you encounter: Everyone who works at the company may be a potential reference for you. You will most likely be arriving early to the interview and may have to wait until they are ready for you to interview. You never know who you will encounter while you are in the waiting room and more importantly you never know who is giving the hiring manager detailed accounts of how you acted outside the interview. For example, when you arrive you will most likely be greeted by a receptionist before you are brought into the interview room. The receptionist may be asked by the interviewer how you treated him/her while you were waiting in the room.
Answer questions with examples: Try to draw on your past experiences whenever you can in order to answer situational questions. Showing that you have experience doing something separates you from someone who says they “would” do something if they were in that situation. You can use examples not only from past work experiences but also from past school or relationship experiences. Just try to always make sure it relates back to the situation or question that was asked.
Ask questions: At the end of the interview, you will most likely have the opportunity to ask your own questions. This is a good time to show that you are interested in the job and show that you are truly considering the opportunity. It is always good to have one or two preplanned questions that directly align with the company or position you are trying to obtain.
Important Dates and Events
- January 14: Asynchronous Day- Students Online
- January 15: Teacher In-Service- No School for Students, the CTC will be hosting the SkillsUSA District Competition
- January 18: Students in Session, Snow Make-Up day from December
- Beginning the week of January 18th, School Counselors will be presenting a lesson on Cultural Diversity/Sensitivity and Social Media Awareness
- January 27th: End of the 2nd Marking Period
- January 28th: Virtual Financial Aid workshop with interested Seniors provided by PHEAA
- February 9th: Virtual Open House 6-8pm
- February 15: No School- President’s Day
- March 1st: CTC application due for the school year 2021-2022, only new students or any student that wishes to change their CTC program are to complete an application.
