Choosing a career path at 17 can be a huge challenge! Besides being in a phase full of changes, young people in this age group generally have little experience and life lessons that would allow them to make a confident choice.
With that in mind, we've put together a list of 5 steps to make this process easier and help you decide which degree to pursue!
1) Know yourself
The first step is to explore your interests and skills. Analyze your strengths, think about what you enjoy doing and what you are usually praised for. Also consider your life goals and values: what is important to you? What kind of lifestyle appeals to you? From these answers, you will have several important pieces of information for your decision-making process.
2) Find out more about the day-to-day work of the profession.
To find out if you'll be happy (because that's what matters, right?) with your future professional routine, it's important to check what the possible areas of work are, considering your personal skills, and what the routine is like in each one.
In addition to considering aspects such as: "Is it a job that requires teamwork or individual work?", "What are the processes?", it's also interesting to know if it's performed in a more formal office or not, for example. Even the type of attire required for the profession should be taken into consideration. Although they may seem like details, some of these issues may not be compatible with your personality, and therefore it's important to consider them.
3) Talk to people who work in that field.
After observing and researching the professions that interest you, the next step is to talk to someone who is already in the field! There's nothing better than hearing from someone who has already gone through the decision-making process and now lives the reality of the profession to learn about the challenges and opportunities in the area. Learning more about their career path, especially that of people you admire, can be a great way to get inspired and confirm if you truly identify with that career! And it can help you set goals and pursue your dreams, right? A little inspiration is always welcome.
4) Consider your opinion
Advice and experiences are always welcome and can help you see things from a different perspective, as well as give you insights from people who have already walked many of the paths you will still travel. However, the opinion that should prevail is your own. Therefore, listen carefully to advice and opinions, try to understand each one and the different reasons behind them, but make your decision taking, above all, your own will into consideration.
5) Seek experiences that bring you closer to the field!
Engaging with the subjects and experiences that will be part of your professional reality is a great opportunity to test-drive a career before making a decision. Therefore, observing a day in the life of a professional you know, taking short courses on related topics, or even starting as an apprentice at a company are all ways to better understand the world of a particular profession before making a choice.
With this in mind, IDP created the Pre-College Winter Camp: 100% online courses in which students will have a deep and interactive immersion in some of the topics covered in undergraduate courses.
“The idea behind the Pre-College Winter Camp is to give high school students the opportunity to learn more about some of the subjects and topics covered in our undergraduate programs,” says Andréia Miguens, project manager at the School of Management, Economics and Business at IDP.
The courses offered cover relevant and innovative topics, such as:
Startup Thinking: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The World of Finance: An Insider's Perspective
You can select up to 4 courses to participate in the selection process and, after receiving your approval, select up to 2 to take. This way, you can explore various professional fields!
To see all Pre-College courses and register, visit: www.idp.edu.br/pre-college/
"Thus, in addition to learning more about these topics and about the degree programs, students will also be able to get to know our institution better," he adds.
Are you already familiar with the undergraduate courses offered by the School of Economics, Management and Business at IDP? See here!
