How to Homeschool High School with All Career Paths in Mind

Going through the high school years, and even beyond, it can be difficult to know what career path to follow. And, as parents, it can be tough to know how to guide children through this decision-making process. How do you homeschool high school with all career paths in mind? Is college in their future? Trade school? Military? Or, will they jump straight into the workforce? It’s tough to know…right?

So, how do we deal with this uncertainty?

How do we guide them?

How do we set them up for success whether we know, or don’t know, which career path they will take?

How to Homeschool High School with All Career Paths in Mind

First, explore a variety of career options as they travel through their homeschool years. Second, build an amazing resume of things your child did during their middle school and high school years that will help them stand out from the rest of the workforce, scholarship, and college/trade school applicants. And, third, provide them with a polished and professional-looking transcript. So, how do we do all this in an easy way that doesn’t overwhelm us or our kids? Well, here are a few tips to help get you started.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer opportunities are a great way to test the waters and see what piques your child’s interest. Have them volunteer in a variety of areas. Volunteer in areas where they have expressed interest but also areas that you think might be a good fit for them. And, be sure not to limit your creativity in this area. You might be surprised what you’ll find.

For example, our daughter did a variety of volunteering. She was interested in geriatric nursing. And, before the pandemic, she did some volunteering at a local hospital. And, through this experience, she found that she wanted more connectivity with patients. So, we reached out to a local nursing home. She was able to volunteer there for months and they offered her the opportunity to do a variety of things from visiting patients in their rooms, escorting them to the dining hall to teaching arts and crafts classes. She loved it! My point here is…explore options, ask questions, and dig deeper beyond the current volunteer program to see if there’s an even better fit for your child.

Other great examples of getting creative with volunteer and apprentice programs can be found in the book Blazing Trails by Cindy LaJoy and Natalie Vecchione. Talk about two homeschool moms that got creative in helping their kids explore career opportunities…wow!

When it comes to volunteer service hours, broaden your thinking. Do your kids volunteer at church by babysitting, doing repairs, helping with audio/video tech? Do they volunteer and help with local homeschool expos, fun runs, chili cook-offs, arts & craft shows, etc.? Do they volunteer at the library, and if so, which programs? Track each activity separately.

What did they do during all these different activities? Were there areas of interest? Look at these activities as potential things that might influence their career choice. So, be sure to ask questions and explore these interests further.

Specialty Programs & Apprentice Opportunities

Specialty programs are another great way to help your child gain skills, explore career possibilities, and gather great content for resumes. Resumes for jobs, specialty programs, scholarships, and college/trade school applications. For example, check to see if your local Chamber of Commerce offers youth or youth leadership programs. But, don’t stop there. Connect with several local civic groups to see what programs they offer. Many offer programs that are free or low-cost.

Check with local industries that offer careers that your child has expressed an interest in. See if they offer volunteer or apprenticeship programs. Even if you think they don’t offer these types of programs, check into it. You might be surprised at what you find.

For example, some utility companies offer apprenticeship programs where students are supervised by professionals that teach real on-the-job skills…safely. Here’s another example, we checked with local hospitals for standard volunteer programs as well as specialty programs. Pre-pandemic, one of their specialty programs ran for several weeks and introduced students to a variety of healthcare fields. Yes, while this was pre-pandemic, please don’t miss my point. Which is…think outside the box regarding specialty programs and apprenticeship opportunities. When reaching out, ask beyond basic volunteering. Ask about other specialty and apprenticeship programs that might be available.

Additional Ways to Hear About Specialty Programs & Apprenticeships

Oftentimes, you can hear about specialty programs and apprenticeships by connecting with local homeschool Facebook groups and face-to-face meet-up groups. But, don’t stop there. Connect with general parenting groups too. Using these options connects homeschool families with great community programs for teens. So many times, you will hear parents mentioning things like “that’s only for public or private school kids.” Not so. So many organizations have opened up opportunities for homeschoolers. We just have to ask and keep our ears and eyes open!

But, don’t limit yourself to just local groups. Join national Facebook groups. You can find a wealth of guidance here too. For example, if your child doesn’t seem to have an interest in attending college, check out the Facebook group, Blue Collar Homeschool. Or, if you are looking for a group that gives homeschool guidance that includes free inside-the-group live and recorded workshops, check out the Facebook group, Homeschooling Super Moms.

How Does All This Help When There Are So Many Career Options?

So far, everything sounds great, right? But, how does all this help prepare your child for whichever career path they may choose? And, what if they change their mind several times? That’s why we want to pull all this information together.

First, track everything! That way, it is easy to retrieve all the great things your child has done and create one amazing resume. A resume they can be proud of that sets them apart from other applicants.

Second, create a polished and professional-looking transcript. Why? We never know where the future will take our kids and what will be required to apply for that college, trade school, job, or military branch. And, in five years, ten years, and beyond, no one wants to apply for programs or jobs with a handwritten and unprofessional-looking transcript. You have homeschooled to give your child the best. Don’t take a shortcut here!

Easy-to-Use Resources

So, how about some easy-to-use resources to help with record-keeping, transcript creation, and resume writing? Solution Point offers programs for each of these that are easy to use and reasonably priced. Check out the Easy All-in-One Record-keeping Solution, Easy Transcript Services, and resume writing workshops and step-by-step tech courses.

So, whatever the career choice, now or in the future, enrich the homeschool journey with a variety of great volunteer, specialty, and/or apprenticeship programs. Be creative. Think outside of the box. Seek programs they are interested in and explore all the options. Track everything…even the small volunteer opportunities to help create one amazing resume. Prepare for the future, whatever their career path, with a professional-looking transcript. You never know when or how far into the future they might need one.

Happy homeschooling!