There is no one right first step, but asking questions such as these might be an excellent place to start:
[1]What is your vision for the future?- What interests you the most?
- What kind of job do you see yourself doing?
- Do you want to go on to more schooling?
- Where do you want to live?
Using the answers provided helps you figure out how to make them possible. There often needs to be a transition between high school and college. Taking an interest inventory of your child can help determine a path. There are many great tools and assessments to help with transition planning, and while there are companies that can help profile your child’s strengths and interests, you can save time and money by doing it yourself with the following two links that Christa Fisher M.Ed. Assistant Director of Integrated Studies at Gwynedd Mercy University recommends:
[2]Next Move-Interest Profile Assessment
This free online tool assesses interests and helps you match them to future careers. With the O*NET profiler [3], you see how interests relate to the world of work and what kinds of careers your child might want to explore.
(https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip [3])
[4]
Transition planning is the culmination of years of hard work from the students, their parents, and teachers. When done well, it is the bridge. Christa Fisher’s words and insight highlight the need for students to move from the classroom to the real world and be successful.
The earlier you start, the more time there is for the student to explore opportunities, interests, and strengths and expose them to their future self before settling on a realistic vision for the future.