Potential Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 90

It's Your Future, You Decide Even though it may not feel like it right now, there is life after high school, and going straight off to college is not your only option. You can definite- ly choose to go right into a four-year university — many students do. If you’re not so sure about college, though, you can choose to learn a trade, earn a certificate, join the military, take a gap year, or enter the workforce. The possibilities really are endless! The best thing to do while considering your options is to spend time learning about your skills and interests, and how those relate to the working world. This will help you narrow down the types of jobs you might be good at or interested in, as well as help you make a career plan that works well with your aspira- tions—and your budget! Understanding yourself is the first big step toward choosing (and landing!) your dream job. The ASVAB Career Exploration Program (CEP) is a career plan- ning resource that helps you do just that. (BONUS: It’s offered at no cost for high school students nationwide!) Students who sign up have the opportunity to figure out what they’re good at, dis- cover what their work-related interests are, and explore potential career options. The program shows different routes you can take to reach your dream job, and includes tons of tools to help you start planning. CareersintheMilitary.com contains everything you need to know about the military as a postsecondary option: benefits (like money for college), specific job opportunities, what boot camp is like (and how to succeed), commitment options, pay scales, ranks, the enlistment process, and so much more. 42 | Winter 2018 DYK? Choosing a career that aligns with your skills and interests increases your chances for overall job satisfaction. Interested in a military career? Great! ASVAB CEP participants in 11th grade and beyond can use their scores to identify which military career paths are most closely related to their skills and interests, and can then use their ASVAB scores to enlist. CareersintheMilitary.com allows ASVAB CEP participants to research military career opportunities across all branches and see which branches offer which jobs. The site also gives participants quick access to their scores, so they can easily research the jobs they qualify for. Not interested in a military career? That’s okay! Students who take the ASVAB CEP have no obligation to military service. The ASVAB is one of the most researched and respected aptitude assessments in the world, so even if they have no plans to join the military, participants still gain knowledge about their unique skills and interests, and are able to find careers that match. They have access to information about career field entry requirements, job outlook and salary details, paths to certain career fields, planning tools, and so much more! Discover yourself and all of your options with the ASVAB CEP! Find out more at www.asvabprogram.com and www.careersinthemilitary.com. It's a place for students and parents to become more informed, and get a feel for what the military is really like. Then, you can easily contact recruiters to discuss your options and find out more if you choose! www.potentialmagazine.com