Did You Know?
According to government projections, the fastest-growing job in the U.S. from 2025 to 2035 is nurse practitioner, with employment expected to grow 41%. Solar panel installers and data scientists are close behind.
How to Get Started
Getting started as a future career counselor begins with curiosity about people and the many ways they spend their working lives. Asking good questions, listening closely, and learning about different jobs are all early steps you can take today.
Explore the Basics
Make a list of all the jobs you can think of. Then, with a grown-up, ask family members, neighbors, or teachers about the work they do and what they like about it. Notice how many different kinds of jobs there are and how each person found their way. Learning that every grown-up has a career story is the first step to helping others find theirs.
Try It Out
Create a "career interview" with three simple questions, like "What do you love about your job?" and "What did you like to do when you were a kid?" Interview a family member, then draw a picture of their job. Finally, answer the same questions yourself and think about what your answers say about you.
Join the Community
Ask a parent or caregiver to help you set up a visit with your school counselor so you can ask what a counselor does each day. Your school or library may also host a career day or community helpers event where you can meet people from lots of different jobs. Listening to their stories is great practice for a future career counselor.