How to Help a High School Student Choose a Career

If you’ve ever worked with a high school student (or perhaps are one yourself), you probably already know that asking them to choose a career right now can feel like you’re asking them to predict the weather a year from now.

It’s a huge question, one that’s heavy and loaded with expectations (along with a dizzying number of possibilities).

Whether you’re a student, parent, or mentor, you know the pressure is immense. The good news is that you don’t need a crystal ball in order to help your high school student see the future. 

What you do need: some structured exploration, genuine mentorship, and thoughtful reflection to help you transform this seemingly overwhelming task into a manageable (and even exciting) journey.

Looking for a roadmap? That’s what this guide is for. We’ll walk you through some practical strategies to help your student identify their interests, acknowledge their strengths, and explore potential career paths with confidence.

Remember, the goal isn’t to find a single, perfect answer right now. The goal is to build the skills and mindset for a long, successful journey, taken just one small step at a time.

Why Career Guidance Matters in High School

Is it too early to start talking about careers? Shouldn’t high school just be about getting good grades and enjoying being a teenager? 

While those things are important, early career guidance offers a powerful advantage, and no age is too young to start the conversation.

When students see a connection between their algebra homework and a future in engineering, or their debate club practice and a career in law, their education suddenly has a tangible purpose.

This connection does more than just motivate them in the classroom. It also dramatically reduces the stress and uncertainty that often surround future planning. One study found that students who received career counseling in high school were more likely to feel confident about their post-graduation plans. 

Why? It’s simple. Guidance encourages students to explore their passions and strengths on a deeper level, building confidence not just in their academic abilities but in their capacity for long-term planning. It helps them start thinking like a future professional, which is an invaluable skill no matter how old they might be.

Common Challenges in Choosing a Career

If you feel lost when it comes to learning how to help a high school student choose a career, you’re not alone. The path to choosing a career is filled with common roadblocks that can make anyone feel stuck. 

One of the biggest hurdles is simple decision paralysis. With thousands of potential job titles, how can anyone be expected to choose just one? This feeling, complicated enough on its own, is often further compounded by pressure from family, friends, and society to pick a prestigious or high-earning path, even if it doesn’t align with the student’s actual interests.

There’s also the issue of limited exposure. Most students only know about the careers they see every day, like teachers, doctors, or the jobs their parents have. They may have a hidden talent for user experience design or a passion for sustainable agriculture, but they can’t pursue careers they don’t know exist. 

This makes it tough to match their interests with real-world opportunities. The feeling of not knowing where to start can be absolutely paralyzing, leaving both students and their families unsure of the next step and locked in place indefinitely.

Strategies to Help Students Explore Careers

The challenges are mighty, but they can be overcome. The best way to do so is to start with a proactive and organized approach (and an open mind!). 

Instead of aiming for a final answer, focus on exploration. Think of yourselves as detectives, gathering clues about your student’s unique skills and passions.

Encourage Self-Reflection

Start by encouraging self-reflection. We aren’t talking about a single, serious conversation here. Instead, the focus should be on creating an ongoing, meaningful dialogue. To get started, ask open-ended questions like:

• "What class makes you feel the most energized, and why?"

• "If you could solve one problem in the world, what would it be?"

• "What activities make you lose track of time?"

Their answers will give you valuable insights into their core values, natural strengths, and genuine interests. Help them create a list of these things, without judgment. This is the foundation upon which all other exploration will be built.

Use Career Assessments (with a Grain of Salt)

Career assessments or personality tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Strong Interest Inventory can be useful starting points, as they can suggest career fields that might be a good fit based on personality traits and preferences. 

However, it’s important that you treat these as conversation starters rather than definitive guides. They can help broaden your student’s horizons, but they can’t capture the complexity of a person’s potential.

Explore Beyond the Classroom

Real-world experience is where career exploration truly comes to life. Encourage your student to get involved in high school extracurriculars, find internships for high school students, or volunteer for a cause they care about. These career exploration activities and experiences, aside from being enjoyable, are low-stakes ways to test-drive potential careers.

A student who thinks they want to be a veterinarian might discover after volunteering at an animal shelter that they’re more interested in animal welfare advocacy. At Polygence, our Work Lab is another great place to discover hands-on projects that bridge academic interests with professional skills.

Research with Purpose

Once you have a few areas of interest, it’s time to research. But don’t just Google “best jobs for the future.” Guide your student to look at specific industries and job outlooks. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook is another excellent resource for students to tap into. Here, they can access detailed information on hundreds of jobs, including required education, salary expectations, and future demand.

The Role of Mentorship in Career Decisions

Imagine trying to learn how to swim by only reading books about it. You’d know the theory, but you’d be missing the most important part: the feel of the water. 

Mentorship provides that kind of real-world immersion, but for career exploration. A research program mentor can offer insights, encouragement, and a perspective that you just can’t get from a website or a brochure.

Mentors, while providing a window into the daily realities of a profession, can answer questions like, "What’s the most challenging part of your job?" or "What surprised you most about this career path?" And this kind of insight, as you might imagine, is career-hunting gold.

If you aren’t sure where to find the right kind of mentors, again, we’re here to help. At Polygence, we connect students with expert research program mentors who are leaders in their fields. These mentors guide the students they work with through ambitious projects, offering both academic support and a glimpse into their professional world.

In the meantime, encourage your student to conduct informational interviews with people in fields that interest them. This is a low-pressure way to network and gather firsthand information. 

A 20-minute conversation with a graphic designer, a software engineer, or a marine biologist can be more illuminating than hours of online research, and these connections can blossom into a supportive network that helps your student for years to come.

Turning Exploration into Action

Exploration is fantastic, but at some point, you need to turn that learning into action. Now, this is where you create a tangible plan that connects your student’s interests to their academic and extracurricular life. The goal is to build a bridge between where they are now and where they want to go.

Start by setting short-term, achievable goals. If your student is interested in filmmaking, a goal could be to create a short film for a local festival. If they’re curious about coding, for example, they could aim to complete an online course or build a simple app. Our Project Idea Generator is a fantastic tool for brainstorming concrete projects tailored to their interests.

Next, help them create a roadmap. This document can outline the high school courses they should take, the skills they need to develop, and the experiences they should seek out, like participating in summer programs for high school students. This roadmap isn't and shouldn't be set in stone; instead, it's a living document that can be adjusted as their interests evolve.

Finally, be sure to make reflection a regular practice. After completing an internship, a project, or even a challenging class, talk about it. 

What did they enjoy? What did they find difficult? Did the experience confirm their interest or steer them in a new direction? 

Document these reflections, as they help track a student’s growth and make future decision-making much easier. This process builds a compelling narrative they can use in college applications, which is something that’s reflected beautifully in our students' impressive admissions results.

Building Lifelong Career Exploration Skills

Perhaps the most important thing you can do as a parent or mentor is to teach your student that career exploration doesn’t end with a college degree or a first job. The modern workforce is dynamic, and the ability to adapt is a career superpower. Normalize the idea that it’s okay to change your mind or pivot your career path. Many successful people, if not all of them, have careers that are non-linear, to say the least.

Teach your student how to critically evaluate opportunities. Instead of just asking, “Does this pay well?” encourage them to ask, “Will this role help me learn new skills? Will it open up future doors?” This mindset shifts the focus from finding a “forever job” to building a meaningful and adaptable career.

Encourage them to keep a reflection journal or a portfolio to track their projects, accomplishments, and evolving interests. This becomes a powerful tool for self-awareness and a great resource for future job or college applications. Plus, it will be incredibly helpful to have this list when creating a high school resume with no work experience.

Whether it’s through our core Research Mentorship Program or a collaborative Polygence Pod, we emphasize building skills for lifelong learning and curiosity.

Explore Career Paths with Polygence

Helping your high school student choose a career path is a journey, not a destination.

It’s not about having all the answers right now. It’s about building their confidence, nurturing their curiosity, and providing them with structured opportunities to explore. The process itself (the research, the conversations, the projects, the reflections) is what prepares them for a successful future.

At Polygence, we believe in the power of mentorship and hands-on experience to illuminate the path forward. 

If you need help trying to figure out how to help a high school student choose a career,  let us be your trusted partner. We’ll help your student traverse the exciting road ahead toward a meaningful and fulfilling career.