Explore Your Interests & Careers

Close your eyes and imagine yourself in 10 years. What are you doing? What is your dream? What is your life like? If you're going to achieve your dreams, you'll need to gain certain knowledge, experience and skills. But before you can get there, you need to do a little planning now.

Don't worry if you don't know the answers yet. Everyone struggles with these questions, and the answers often change as you get older. Remember that it never hurts to go back and rethink your interests, goals and dreams.

Consider Your Options

Before you make higher education choices, think about what interests you:

• What's important to you?
• What do you like to do?
• What do you dream about when you think about the future?
• What kind of person do you want to be?
• How will you get there?

You don't have to have a career plan or get perfect grades. You just need to stay with it and do your best to create more options for yourself after high school. The single most important thing you can do today is to focus on school and graduate.

Learn more about careers

• Minnesota Career and Education Explorer.
• Minnesota State CareerWise Education.

Your Goals, Strengths and Values

Knowing what you value and what your strengths are will help you set goals for yourself. A goal is something you work toward. It helps you know where you're going, and you will work hard to get there.

• What do you value? There are things you like to do, and there are things you value. You might enjoy rollerblading or drawing, but you might value things like traveling or friends. Think of five things you value.
• What are your goals? Setting goals helps you imagine the type of person you want to be, what you want to do and the things you want to have. You can set personal goals academic goals and career goals. Think of where you want to be in 10 years.
• What are your strengths? List three positive qualities about yourself in school performance, work habits and your character or personality.

Take this interest assessment.