Learning Clicks

Steps to plan your future

  1. 1

    Know yourself

  2. 2

    Explore possibilities

  3. 3

    Choose a direction

  4. 4

    Make it happen

  1. 1: Know yourself

    At this stage in the game, your goal is to figure out who you are and what you want in life. Getting to know yourself will help you plan for your future based on what really matters to you.

    Ask Questions

    • What am I good at?
    • What interests me?
    • What am I passionate about?
    • What are my values?
    • What is important to me?
    • What inspires me?
    • What is my learning style?
    • What do I want to study?
    • What do I want to do for work?
    • What sort of work environment do I prefer?
    • Am I ready for post-secondary?

    Read Real Student Stories

    Heidi knows all too well the pressure that students face when deciding what's next after graduation; Kendra considered what makes her happy when she chose her career path; Sephra talks about how university helped her discover her passions; and Stefan explains what to do if you have a million interests and are struggling to choose just one.

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  2. 2: Explore possibilities

    Once you've gotten to know what drives you, you'll want to start exploring your career and education options. 

    Ask Questions

    • What career paths or fields interest me?
    • What post-secondary programs interest me?
    • What training do I need to become ___?
    • What careers have good prospects?
    • What are the job requirements for my careers of interests?
    • How much money could I make in this field?
    • What can you do with a ___ diploma/degree?
    • How can I figure out if this field really is a good fit for me?

    How to Explore Your Options

    • Online research: the good ol' internet makes researching career and education options a breeze. See below to get started.
    • Talk to people: meet with someone who works in the field you're interested in. Most people are happy to talk about their jobs, and they can probably give you good advice on what you'd need to do to get into their field.
    • Job shadow: spend a day following around a professional in your field of interest. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at a real work day, so you can figure out if this is really the career for you.
    • Student for a day: some schools offer student shadow opportunities where you get paired up with a current post-secondary student to learn about what life is like studying in your program of interest. 
    • Volunteer: this is a great way to get a foothold in a field you're interested in, build your network, and boost your resume. 
    • Work experience: If you're old enough to have a part-time job, see if you can gain some experience working in the field that interests you. Want to be a journalist? Write for your community newspaper. Interested in a trade? Enroll in the RAP program.
    • Open houses: visit a few post-secondary open houses to learn about the programs they offer and whether the school would be a good fit for you.

    Read Real Student Stories

    Kelsey describes his experience job-shadowing an electrician, Sarah has a funny story of the summer she job-shadowed cowboys, Devon recounts her summer jobs working at a prison and working at McDonald's, and Sephra recalls her sweaty summer job planting trees. Learn about the benefits of volunteering, how Sarah discovered her dream job, and how Cullen's volunteer experience changed his life. Plus, if you're looking for work Heidi has some good advice for job hunting and Devon has a three-part series on landing your first job.

    Get Started

    • First, check out CAREERinsite's "Explore Options" section to learn how to explore your options.
    • Then, visit OCCinfo to get down to business and start exploring different career paths and educational programs.
    • If you're thinking about the trades, go to TradeSecrets.
    • Another great resource to learn about different career paths is the Canada Job Bank.

  3. 3: Choose a direction

    Choosing a direction is a matter of weighing your options, evaluating the pros and cons, and finding your best fit. Remember: there's no such thing as a wrong decision. Career planning doesn't mean making one BIG decision about what you'll do for the REST of your life. It's about continually making choices and exploring opportunities. At this point, you're just choosing your next step. Consider this good practice for all the future decision-making you'll be doing as an adult.

    Ask Questions

    • What schools offer programs I’m interested in?
    • What are the best schools/programs for studying in my field of interest?
    • What should I study in school to get to my dream job?
    • How long will it take to complete this program?
    • Will classes work with my schedule?
    • How much does tuition cost, and what will my living expenses be?
    • What financial aid is offered?
    • Where will I live when I'm a student?
    • What’s my 'best fit' school/program? 

    Read Real Student Stories

    Stefan talks about how to make hard choices and offers an alternative approach to pursuing your passion; Cullen recounts what he learned during his gap year and how he found his best fit; Jade reflects on how to know if distance learning is right for you; and Devon explains why she chose a school close to home.

    Get Started

    • First, check out CAREERinsite's "Get Ready" section to learn how to compare and focus your options.
    • Then, visit OCCinfo to compare career paths and educational programs. 
    • If you want to get into a trade, visit TradeSecrets.
    • Transfer Alberta will help you understand how you can create a learner pathway that works for you.

  4. 4: Make it happen

    Once you've gotten this far, it's time to make plans and put them into action. This phase of your career and education planning journey is all about setting goals and then working to achieve them.

    Ask Questions

    • What are my goals?
    • Which school(s)/program(s) will I apply to?
    • What is the application deadline?
    • What are the admission requirements?
    • Do I need to upgrade?
    • How do I apply for school?
    • How will I pay for school?
    • What scholarships/bursaries can I apply for?
    • What can I expect after I apply?
    • What do I do once I've been accepted to a program?
    • What do I do if I don't get into my school or program of choice?

    Read Real Student Stories

    Joel explains why you should apply to different schools, Cullen backs this up by sharing his own experience applying to multiple schools, Dylan explains what the heck pre-req's are, and we've got a whole bunch of info on how to pay for school, including:

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