What do you know now, that you wish you would have known in high school? Someone probably explained this to me, but I wish I would have better understood that, at least for me, the journey from high school to a career is not a straight line. It’s not a ladder that you climb, rung by rung.
One of my favorite authors, Marcus Buckingham, describes the journey as a scavenger hunt. Every day, your life is sending you clues about what you love. The clues are in the form of all the activities, situations, people, tasks and responsibilities that you encounter each day. Some of them you dislike, some you withstand, some you barely notice, but some of them create in you a strong positive emotional reaction that gives you energy. With each new job or position, you scavenge for clues, looking for activities, tasks and responsibilities that give you that feeling, and strive to do more of them. Finding that energy in your job leads to better job satisfaction, less burnout, heightened productivity, reduced stress, a greater sense of contribution, and increased recognition and growth. Isn’t this something we want for everyone?
Growing up in this area, I also wish I would have had a better understanding of the many different careers that are available here. Even now I sometimes drive past a new business and wonder what they do there.
In order to deliver new career scavenger hunt clues to our students, Green County Development Corporation (GCDC) has teamed up with local employers to offer a School to Career Tour for Monroe High School seniors. While the freshmen, sophomores and juniors are taking the practice ACT exam on Friday, January 12, seniors will visit Monroe Truck Equipment, Precision Drive & Control, SSM Health Monroe Hospital and UPG Electric. They will return to school for lunch and then participate in a panel discussion facilitated by GCDC Executive Director Olivia Otte with young professionals from the Bank of New Glarus, Fehr Graham Engineering & Environmental, Sabrosura Foods and the Village of New Glarus.
The School to Career Tour will provide students with valuable insights into the real working environment of an industry. Students’ understanding of their career options are often limited by what they’re exposed to, and worksite tours can open doors to many careers they never knew existed. Students (and adults) often have a limited understanding of what really happens at workplaces in their community. Career tours provide the opportunity to get accurate information directly from the employers, helping students make choices about next steps on their career scavenger hunt.
During tours and the panel discussion, students will learn more about each business, its industry sector, and its role in the economy and our community. Students will hear about the education and career pathways of young professionals who’ve made the transition from high school to the workplace. Stories like these provide a vision for what happens after high school and can make the path forward relatable.
For example, hearing directly from professionals in their workplaces provides students the opportunity to learn about the positives and negatives of a career. Students can then discern their own “fit.” Hearing a professional talk about their own success stories, or examples of situations that needed perseverance, can make a big impact.
The School to Career Tour will also provide valuable information directly from employers about what they are looking for in their future talent. What can be better than having an employer tell you exactly what they are looking for in their future employees, and the steps it takes to get there? These conversations will reinforce the skills that we are teaching in high school, especially when it comes to things like critical thinking, flexibility, communication and teamwork..
Throughout the day, employers will help make connections for students into the “why” they are in school, and how it connects to the world of work. We hope this opportunity will give our students some clues on their lifelong career scavenger hunt by helping them visualize their own futures.
— Cara Carper is the School District of Monroe Student Occupation and Academic Readiness (SOAR) Coordinator. She can be reached at caracarper@monroe.k12.wi.us.
