College and Career Resources

• ACT for Youth: Building self-awareness through multiple online inventories that assess learning styles, multiple intelligences, and a personality assessment.
• Education Planner: This site guides students through what they should be thinking about at different ages, as well as how to explore different careers
• Horizon Elementary Career Conversations & Building Self-Awareness: Explore ways to learn about yourself and have conversations about careers and finding a great fit for your own unique personality!
• JA My Way:  Junior Achievement's free interactive site for middle school students guides them as they build self-awareness and begin to explore careers
• Multiple Intelligences Inventory: Find out how you are smart!
• My Plan: From interest inventories to salary research, this site provides multiple avenues for exploring your future

Featured Resource: Xello

Most middle and high school students in Wisconsin have access to an online program called Xello that can be used for virtual career

exploration and college planning.

Additional Virtual Career Exploration Resources:

• Big Future by the College Board: Explore profiles of various college majors and different careers
• Bureau of Labor & Statistics For Kids: Information on careers in the US in student-friendly language
• Careers in the Military: Thinking about options in the military? Find out more here!
• Careers in Engineering and Technology by PBS LearningMedia
• Department of Workforce Development Skill Explorer
• Good Jobs are Back, & College Graduates are First in Line (2015): PowerPoint from Georgetown University and the Center on Education & the Workforce
• Job Center of WI: One-stop shopping for Wisconsin Labor Market Information
• Junior Achievement Program Resources
• My Next Move: Looking to learn more about a specific career, or want to try and narrow down ideas?  Check out this site!
• Student Career Info: Contains videos of professionals in various careers discussing their responsibilities
• The 200 best and worst jobs by CareerCast.com : An analysis of 200 jobs based on various components. Findings are published annually.
• STUFF:  Learn about a variety of career opportunities here in Wisconsin!
• Virtual field trips by Discovery Education
• Wisconsin Labor Market Information (LMI) Guide

Resumes, Cover Letters and more!

Indeed: shares a variety of resources including sample resumes, cover letters and more for a wide variety of careers!

Whether your child is looking for a summer job or a full-time ongoing job opportunity after high school, some industries are hiring. (information taken from WI DPI)

In-Demand Jobs

• In-Demand Jobs from the Job Center of Wisconsin - Note: you may need to create a free account to search for jobs in your specific area.
• Job Center of Wisconsin Youth Employment Resources

Remote Jobs for High School Students

• Remote Jobs for High School Students on Indeed.com
• Best 30 Online Jobs for Teens – Work from Home (18 and Under)

Job-Seeking Resources

• Job Center of Wisconsin
• CareerOneStop Job Search Resources
• Free Resume Builder: LiveCareer
• Free Resume Builder: Resume.com
• Article/database: 100 Top Job Interview Questions—Be Prepared for the Interview
• Special Education Resource: Opening Doors to Employment

• Best College Rankings: US News & World Report ranks colleges across the US
• BestColleges.com: A great tool to help you identify a college with a great reputation that meets your needs.
• Best Scholarship Search Platforms:  An analysis of different search platforms that help you look for scholarship opportunities
• Big Future by the College Board: Explore profiles of various college majors and different careers
• College Scorecard: Explore and compare different colleges based on size, location, programs of study, and other factors
• Community College Search: US News & World Report provides an avenue to search for community colleges in every state
• Education Planner: This site guides students though what they should be thinking about at different ages, as well as how to explore different careers
• FastWeb:  Search for scholarships here!
• Online Colleges:  Looking for an online college opportunity?  Check here to compare different options available!
• QuestBridge:  This is a great tool to support low-income, high-achieving students get into college
• RaiseMe:  Quickly and easily apply for micro-scholarships
• Scholarships.Com:  This site has great ways to explore scholarships - from looking for those that are easy to apply for, to those that don't require essays
• UW Scholarships:  This tool will help you find scholarships that are specifically offered at different schools within the UW System

This information was taken from WI DPI; additional resources can be found on this website

Virtual College Tour Resources

• Xello: Most students in Wisconsin have a Xello account. Go to "Explore Schools" and find the college you wish to explore. Scroll down to the campus map located on the school profile. Drag the peg man onto the map to open the street view. Use your mouse to "walk" around the campus!
• eCampusTours.com
• You Visit College Search
• United States Air Force Academy

College Entrance Exams

• SAT
• ACT

College Transition Resources

• Set To Go
• Special Education:
  
  • WI Transition App
  • UW campus contacts for students with disabilities
• Foster Youth: Youth Services Paying for College

• Model life-long learning for your children.  
• Read, explore new interests, etc.
• Share some of the following aspects of your journey and career choice(s) with your children:
  • What careers had you considered growing up?  Who were your role models?/
  • What were critical points in your journey?  When did you take risks, try new endeavors?  What were your turning points?
  • How did you determine what interests are best served in a hobby versus a career?
  • What do you like about your job?  What do you find fulfilling?  What do you dislike about your job, and how do you deal with that?
  • How do you utilize communication skills, time management, critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving in your career?
  • Talk about times when you were faced with challenges and worked hard to overcome them.
• It can be overwhelming for youth (and parents) to face innumerable career and college options.  Sometimes it is easier to start by asking "What DON'T you want?"
• If your child automatically gravitates to selecting the same career as you, feel flattered.  Then make sure you encourage other options as well.  There are so many opportunities - don't let your child make what might feel like a "safe" choice by following your path.  They may eventually choose the same career.  They may not.  Regardless of their final choice, their journey will be different.
• Listen & Watch.  When you notice a strength or interest within your child, let them know.  Not only will this help build them up, but it will help them develop greater self-awareness of where their strengths and interests lie.  When talking about their journey after high-school, reference these!  Then, let them teach YOU about their strengths and interests!!
• Don't focus only on one post-secondary path (such as college).  For youth to be successful in their future endeavors, they need to be engaged.  Military, technical schools, and apprenticeship programs are noble and valuable post-secondary paths. 
• When you don't have the answer - seek it out together.  Share the excitement about their future goals and dreams.