research Your Career Options Brock emphasizes. “A student could then pursue a
•
Once you’ve learned about yourself, learn more two-year degree as an x-ray technician or a four-year
about your career options. There are thousands of degree as a radiologist.”
Health Science
occupations out there of which you may never have You should set up a TAP that takes you through
heard, and others that do not yet exist because the career preparation after high school, revising your
CTSOs
technologies have not been developed. Fortunately, blueprint as needed as you go along. If your career
one of the best ways to acquire
there are plenty of resources (see inside back cover) for plans include college study, ask your counselor about
experience in your chosen
you, and they are as close as the nearest computer. tests required for admission to college, such as the
career is by joining a career and
One of the most helpful is the Occupation and PSAT, SAT, or ACT.
technical student organization
Skill Computer-Assisted Researcher (or OSCAR,
(cTso). In health science, the
for short) from the Texas Workforce Commission. seek Out special Programs
most helpful cTsos are:
It is a vast database of information about hundreds Many Texas schools offer innovative programs to
of professions. You can find OSCAR at www.ioscar. prepare students for specific career areas. These
• Business Professionals
org/tx. Another good place to start is O*NET (online. include career and technical education (CTE) of america (BPa)
onetcenter.org). programs, academies, and magnet schools. Once
www.texasbpa.com
Gather information about what you can earn in the you’ve decided on a career direction, ask your
• Family, career and
careers in which you are interested. Find out whether counselor about special programs in your area that
community leaders of
the careers you are considering have a promising may provide related experiences in your chosen
america (Fccla)
future—are they adding or losing jobs? Check out the career. www.texasfccla.org
education you’ll need to enter those careers. Samuel Odamah, an undergraduate student in
The chart on pages 10–11 presents data on 25 architecture enrolled at the University of Texas at
• Future Business leaders
of america (FBla)
possible professions. Remember, though, that these Arlington, found his career calling at Dallas’s Skyline
www.txfbla.org
are just a sampling of careers available in the cluster. Career Development Center, a high school with
Go to OSCAR, O*NET, or another resource to career programs in a number of different fields. • health occupations
investigate other careers. “Skyline is one of the few schools in the country
students of america,
that offer programs in architecture,” Odamah says.
texas association (hosa)
Create Your TAP
www.texashosa.org
“In some careers, Skyline students could even get
Once you have a better idea of your interests and professional certifications or licenses right in high
• texas technology
abilities, you are ready to plan for high school and school. It was a great place because you could find students association (tsa)
beyond. The Texas Achievement Plan, or TAP, is out whether you really wanted to enter a career.”
www.texastsa.org
your plan for preparing for the career of your choice. Odamah says that the career cluster system at
“Students first choose a cluster,” says Terry Brock, Skyline taught him the value of planning for his
“not a particular occupational goal. In the eighth grade career and his life. “We learned about planning
a student might choose health science and then later ahead,” he says. “Those who plan things ahead of
become interested in a narrower field such as surgery time don’t have to catch up. It’s just a matter of what
or radiology technology.” a person wants out of life. Planning gives you a better
The program of study you choose—your plan— platform for success.”
does not stop with graduation from high school,
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