law, Public Safety,
corrections &
Security cTSos
for short) from the Texas Workforce Commission. It is seek Out special Programs
one of the best ways to acquire
a vast database of information about hundreds Many Texas schools offer innovative programs to
experience in your chosen
of professions. You can find OSCAR at prepare students for specific career areas. These
career is by joining a career and
www.ioscar.org/tx. Another good place to start is include career and technical education (CTE)
technical student organization
O-NET (www.onetcenter.org). programs, academies, and magnet schools. Once
(cTso). In law, public safety,
Gather information about what you can earn in the you’ve decided on a career direction, ask your
corrections & security, the most
careers in which you are interested. Find out whether counselor about special programs in your area that
helpful cTsos are:
the careers you are considering have a promising may provide related experiences in your chosen career.
future—are they adding or losing jobs? Check out the Samuel Odamah, an undergraduate student in • Business Professionals
education you’ll need to enter those careers. architecture enrolled at the University of Texas at
of America (BPA)
The chart on pages 10–11 presents data on 25 Arlington, found his career calling at Dallas’s Skyline
www.texasbpa.com
possible professions. Remember, though, that these Career Development Center, a high school with career
• Future Business Leaders
are just a sampling of careers available in the cluster. programs in a number of different fields. of America (FBLA)
Go to OSCAR, O-NET, or another resource to “Skyline is one of the few schools in the country
www.txfbla.org
investigate other careers. that offer programs in architecture,” Odamah says.
• Health Occupations
“In some careers, Skyline students could even get
Students of America (HOSA)
Create Your TAP professional certifications or licenses right in high www.texashosa.org
Once you have a better idea of your interests and school. It was a great place because you could find out
• SkillsUSA
abilities, you are ready to plan for high school and whether you really wanted to enter a career.”
www.txskillsusa.org
beyond. The Texas Achievement Plan, or TAP, is your Odamah says that the career cluster system at
plan for preparing for the career of your choice. Skyline taught him the value of planning for his career • Texas Technology Students
“Students first choose a program of study,” says and his life. “We learned about planning ahead,” he
Association (TSA)
Terry Brock, “not a particular occupational goal. In the says. “Those who plan things ahead of time don’t have
www.texastsa.org
eighth grade a student might choose Health Science to catch up. It’s just a matter of what a person wants
and then later become interested in a narrower field out of life. Planning gives you a better platform
such as surgery or radiology technology.” for success.”
The program of study you choose—and your
plan—does not stop with graduation from high
BeIng a
school, Brock emphasizes. “A student could then
Texas ranger
pursue a two-year degree as an x-ray technician or a
four-year degree as a radiologist.”
Is so popular THaT more
You should set up a TAP that takes you through
THan 200 polIce offIcers
career preparation after high school, revising your
applY for anY openIng.
blueprint as needed as you go along. If your career
plans include college study, ask your counselor
about tests required for admission to college,
such as the PSAT, SAT, or ACT.
Page 3
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