Today’s college recruiting tip is the importance of identifying a major and a potential career path. College recruiting is about more than finding a school to play volleyball. Let’s face it, college tuition is continuing to rise far past the rate of inflation. Students are forced to take out large loans to pay for their education, and many are spending years in school trying to decide on a career. Some even transfer because the major they decide on is not offered at the college or university they are attending.
Several high schools and colleges offer a class on career exploration. This class is extremely helpful in coming up with a potential career path. The teachers or professors typically offer a career aptitude test which offer ideas based on your personality. If these kinds of tests are not offered, I highly suggest Personality Reports which offers a Myers Briggs assessment and a career report.
Once your student athlete establishes a list of possible careers, talk to friends and family who have experience in the various fields. It would be important for your son or daughter to shadow or intern to get real hands on experience. I worked with an athlete who thought she wanted to be a physical therapist until she followed one for the day. At this time, she discovered she didn’t like touching peoples feet. This may sound silly and you are probably laughing at the moment. However, teenagers will envision themselves in a career based on what they see on television, what they hear from friends, or maybe they have had some experience working with someone in that field.
It’s not realistic to say that you will identify what you want to do the rest of your life at 15 or 16 years old. However, you can begin to explore ideas and come up with a general direction to pursue which will save you time, and money in college! The recruiting process is about far more that finding a volleyball program where you can play. If you need help with your student athlete, email Kara@myrecruitingsolutions.com or call 888-354-0052 to set up your free consultation. For more tips, subscribe to my blog.