5 Tips for Jumpstarting Your Career After High School
You’ve graduated high school, and you’re not planning to immediately enroll in college or trade school. Instead, you’re focused on landing a job and gaining experience first. NJJobMarket explains how to pursue entrepreneurship or apply for your very first job.
Find Out Which Jobs Interest You
With your high school diploma, you’ll be able to apply for jobs in many industries, like retail, food service, hospitality, healthcare, and more. Think about where your interests lie, and which industries will open up doors for upward advancement.
Consider Launching Your Own Business
You don’t necessarily need to work for someone else’s company after high school – instead, you could launch your own! If starting a home-based business, renters should be particularly mindful of what they are and are not allowed to do. Check your lease and with your landlord, and if you need to relocate, look for a place that accommodates your plans well. Using an online real estate portal, you can filter by price range and peruse photos and even 3D tours.
Under 30 CEO states that you could become a pet sitter or dog walker, work as a virtual assistant, or offer your services as a nanny. Running an online business is also an option. You do not need a business degree to start an e-commerce company! You can utilize an e-commerce platform for your digital “infrastructure,” including security features. Leveraging a platform like this will guarantee a smooth, streamlined user experience, and you’ll be able to collect detailed, AI-powered insights to inform your strategy.
Whatever type of business you choose to start, you’ll first need to decide which structure to operate under. Many entrepreneurs choose to form a limited liability company (LLC) due to benefits like limited asset liability, tax advantages, and less required paperwork. You can form an LLC on your own, or hire an attorney to do the work, but a popular option is to use a formation service. First, find out what it takes to form an LLC with ZenBusiness, then contact the service to get started.
Once you’re up and running, you’ll want to include an effective content marketing strategy in your marketing plan. Creating and sharing engaging content increases brand awareness, improves SEO to drive traffic to your website, and attracts and nurtures leads by providing valuable information. To find out more about strategies for content marketing, click here to check out online resources.
Another important aspect to marketing is more traditional means, such as creating brochures. You can use free tools to achieve consistency in your promotional materials by designing eye-catching and informative brochures. Using customizable templates, you’re able to download your brochure and either print for distribution or send in digital form to your social media channels and upload to your website.
Write a Resume and Cover Letter
If you do plan to apply for jobs, you’ll need to write up a resume and cover letter that you can tweak for different positions. Cappex recommends including sections covering your education, previous jobs, clubs and activities, awards and honors, volunteer experience, skills, and any other relevant projects you’ve completed. You can write cover letters based on the descriptions of jobs you’re applying for.
Practice for Common Interview Questions
It’s normal to feel nervous before your first interview! By preparing your answers for likely interview questions ahead of time, you can boost your confidence. You should be ready to talk about your relevant past experience, your strengths and weaknesses as an employee, how you would solve common challenges, and why you want to work for this particular company. You may want to set up a mock interview with a friend or family member so that you can practice answering questions like these out loud.
Make Plans for Furthering Your Education
After getting some professional experience under your belt, you can start thinking about the next steps in your career. For instance, if you’ve been doing manual labor, you might want to seek out an apprenticeship in the trades so that you can specialize. Alternatively, if you’ve been working in an entry-level position in a healthcare facility, you could think about going to nursing school or medical school down the road.
No matter what path you’re considering, you can meet with career advisors or academic advisors at local colleges to find out which coursework or certifications they would recommend for someone in your shoes. This will help you make wise financial decisions regarding your studies so you can avoid debt.
Many people enter the workforce right after high school. This is a great way to figure out what you want out of your career. With these tips, you’ll be ready to explore different paths, whether you’re interested in becoming a business owner or working for a traditional employer.
Use NJJobMarket to find the top mid-career to senior level jobs in the Garden State. Read more informative articles today!
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