If you are not planning to go to some type of training after high school, then you need to plan for a JOB! Things you can do:
Work Experience: Try to get Work Experience as part of your school program. It should be written into your IEP. As you try different jobs, try to remember what you liked about them and what you didn’t like about them. It might be helpful to keep a journal of each job you had. This will help you narrow down your choices later.
Volunteer: Even if you can’t get Work Experience written into your IEP, you can volunteer. Places like day care centers, humane shelters for stray animals, libraries, and hospitals are all places that use volunteers. Just remember that you can’t volunteer and replace a person who would be getting paid for the work you do.
Extra Curricular Activities: Employers like to see that graduating youth were involved in their school. Anything from being involved in sports, to music, to drama, to glee club, to art club to pep squads is great. If you don’t play a sport, perhaps you can be an assistant manager. If you don’t play a musical instrument, maybe you can be the sheet music “keeper” or the director’s assistant. But all sports need pep squad members! Just ask, lots of teachers and coaches need help.
Community Involvement: So if school activities aren’t your thing, then be involved in the community. There are things like 4-H, Scouts, teen clubs, and young artists. Just like being involved in extra curricular activities, employers like to see youth who are involved in their community.
If they say you are not ready, find out what you need to do to get ready: The best place to get ready for work is in a work setting. Often times youth are placed in sheltered settings so they can get some experience. For example, showing up on time, finishing a job, following directions. Yes, they are important on a job and the best place to learn them is on a real job.
Find out what you like and don’t like to do: While you are participating in work experiences, volunteering or being involved in extra curricular activities or in the community, pay attention to what you like and don’t like. Things you like could lead to exciting job opportunities or career paths.
Know what jobs are in your community, be willing to move: While it is important to know what you like and don’t like, it is also important to know what jobs are available in your community. If what you really like isn’t there, are you willing to move? If not, look more closely at what is available.
Be part of your IEP team: Your IEP meeting is where important decisions happen and you need to be there. Some youth say “Nothing about me without me”, meaning that they don’t want major decisions made without being involved in them.
