DREAM JOBS

Milagros and Dylan were the best of friends in high school. They both had big dreams of being famous in the things that they were passionate about. For example, Milagros was a crazy talented guitar player and she knew—knew in her heart—that one day she would be a world-famous musician, touring from country to country, playing for her adoring fans. Dylan, on the other hand, had visions of challenging Kobe on the court, making a quick head fake and taking the lane unchallenged for a monster jam. He was just as sure that his mad skills would take him all the way to the NBA—non-stop.

Reality sets in…
It didn’t take long for both Milagros and Dylan to realize that their big dreams were very big indeed. Even if you are an incredibly talented axe, err, guitar or basketball player the odds of making it professionally in music, acting, sports, or any other glamour occupation are extremely long. Only the smallest fraction of kids who compete in sports go on to play at the professional levels.

Most can only hope of playing in the minor leagues of their respective sports where the pay is low and the opportunities for advancement are minimal. Likewise for musicians, there are literally millions of aspiring musicians in the United States whose careers are filled with gigs at wedding receptions and county fairs, not soldout stadiums. So to survive, most of these passionate people, like Milagros and Dylan, have to have a solid “Plan B”.

Taking out an insurance policy for their future
Luckily both Milagros and Dylan remembered what their high school career counselor had told them about how getting more education, on average, meant higher wages and lower levels of unemployment. While Milagros worked at her music career she enrolled at the local university and started studying computer science because she had an interest in computers and her career counselor had shown her that computer programmer was a 5-star job in Utah, with high wages and excellent job prospects. Dylan, as well as being an awesome ball player, loved working with his hands, so he enrolled in a vocational training program that would lead him to an apprenticeship as an electrician—another 5-star job in Utah.

Both Milagros and Dylan still dream of making it big in music and sports, but now they have both made sure that, regardless of what happens, their futures are secure. The important thing is to not be afraid to pursue your passions while at the same time realizing that it is always important to have a good second, and even third, option. The more flexibility you give yourself—and more education will give you that—the happier you will be in the future.

What about you?
Can’t decide on a good plan B, or need help? The Department of Workforce Services has tons of resources and data to help you make the best decisions when it comes to your education and career choices. ...

Download Free eBook: Career Guide for Teens

PDF format, 4.15MB, 28Pages.

Utah Careers Supplement for Teens
Utah Department of Workforce Services

Even though the data contained in this publication can be immensely helpful in making career decisions, it really is only a small part of the full spectrum of information available from the Department of Workforce Services (DWS). You can access much of the department’s career planning information by logging on to the Utah Occupational Explorer, an online tool powered by the Utah Economic Data Viewer.

From within the Utah Occupational Explorer you can find not only occupational projections and wage data, but also learn about the skills required by the occupation, see if any licensure is needed, find schools and training providers, and—perhaps most importantly—view the current job openings posted with DWS.

Getting to all this information is easy. From the Utah Occupational Explorer start page you can search for an occupation that interests you by either entering part of its name in the keyword search box or by looking for it in the occupational title list box. After finding the occupation you are interested in, you will be prompted to select between several different report types.

To get the most information possible, select the full report to reveal everything the Utah Occupational Explorer has available.

CONTENTS
Dream Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
It’s Your Life—Take Control of it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Money, Money, Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Jessica’s Story: Get the 411 on Massage Therapists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Education Pays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Career Planning Myths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Your First Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
What’s Personality Got to Do With it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Gaining Work Experience in a Competitive World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
grlz@wk: Nontraditional Careers for Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Childish Dreams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Work Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Independence Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
My Child Doesn’t Want to Talk About Careers or Planning...Now What? . . . . . . . . . 24
How to Have Career Conversations With Your Kids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Helpful Links for Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Help Your Child Succeed in the World of Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

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