Career Planning for Students and Young Adults

When considering potential careers, there are a lot of questions and unknowns. At Workforce Solutions, we want to help you navigate the road to finding the career of your dreams. Some of the questions we can help you answer might include:

• Which career excites you?
• Are there current job opportunities for you to explore potential career fields?
• As a student or young adult in Southeast Texas, what educational options are readily available for you to achieve your career goals?
• How can you pay for college or a training program?
• What step do you need to take first?

Workforce Solutions has the tools and resources to help you steer your way toward a rewarding career. Use the paths below to explore your options, look at educational opportunities and figure out how to execute your career planning.

Explore

Exploring potential careers opens up job opportunities that might not have been previously considered. By answering a few questions or cataloging interests, you can find new roads and options to explore for possible future careers.

Texas Workforce Solutions of Southeast Texas also hosts other opportunities to help you explore available jobs and possible career routes, including:

Workshops –Workshops are offered throughout the month and are held at each Workforce Solutions center. Each Workforce Solutions center schedules workshops, so please contact your local Workforce Solutions center  for more information.

Job Fairs – Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas sponsors Job Fairs throughout the year.

Workforce Solutions Centers – Each Workforce Solutions Center, including our Mobile Solutions Center serving Hardin County, offers free access to computers and the internet, fax, copiers, and phones to help conduct your job search.

Career Exploration Resources:

Reality Check – See if you will be able to afford the lifestyle you want.

My Next Move – Help determine what you want to do for a living.

Career Check – Explore Careers and Educational Options.

Road Trip Nation – Empowering stories to help you find your future career.

Map My Grad – Map your high school courses toward future careers.

Texas CREWS – Compare schools, colleges, majors, and financial requirements for education in Texas.

Educate

Educating yourself on available careers, the paths required to get hired, and developing the necessary tools within your desired career field is an excellent step toward financial independence and career satisfaction.

At Texas Workforce Solutions of Southeast Texas, we have opportunities to further educate yourself about potential careers and how to be hired, including:

Virtual Reality Headsets – Here’s your chance to “try on” a job! With our Virtual Reality Headsets, you can experience careers in multiple professions and industries, including construction, engineering, medical, and many more!

Resume Writing Help – A professional, well-prepared resume, whether online or printed, is a powerful and effective job search tool. Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas offers free resources and access to resume writing assistance, applications, resume paper, fax machines, phones, and computers.

Other available resources:

Jobs Y’all – Explore salaries, fields, and education options in eight growing industries.

Texas Internship Challenge – Browse paid internships across Texas.

Texas Reality Check – Calculate the salary you’ll need to fund your ideal lifestyle and find the career paths that offer it.

Texas Career Check – Compare jobs and schools side by side based on various factors to find the right one for you.

State Training Inventory – Search for schools and workforce training providers to acquire marketable skills.

Texas CREWS – View potential salaries and student debt for your schools of interest.

DallasFed – Discover educational resources on economics and managing money.

Execute

Once you have found a career that appeals to you, it’s time to execute your career roadmap. You can step directly into a chosen profession with the military or apply for entry-level jobs with training and skill building. You can also try on a potential career using an apprenticeship or internship.

Texas Workforce Solutions offers several on-the-job training opportunities, including:

Paid Work Experience (PWE) is an eligibility-based, specialized activity in which a youth works one on one with a Workforce Career Specialist to match their skills, talents, and interests with a selected job opportunity. PWE is utilized after all other job search efforts are exhausted. Paid work is subject to funding availability and time-limited.

On-the-Job Training is also eligibility-based and allows a youth to learn specific job skills as required by an employer. This work program requires youth to work one on one with a Workforce Career Specialist and is subject to funding availability.

For more information, please visit the Workforce Solutions Center nearest you!

Other job resources are available through:

ApplyTexas – One college application for the majority of colleges in Texas.

Apprenticeship.gov – Resource to learn about and look for available apprenticeships.

WorkInTexas – Look for jobs in Texas.

Careers in the Military – Search and explore available careers in the military.