Mike Smith:
It may take time for your student to decide on a career—and sometimes there’s just no substitute for experience. If your high schooler takes advantage of his or her opportunities—learning as much as possible in every situation—it could lead to unexpected opportunities.

Homeschool graduate Victoria Pizana enjoyed a variety of jobs after high school, including being a nanny, a church office assistant, and a full-time employee in a hospital human resources department. Today she works in the HR department at a state university. Aside from the valuable experience she gained, Victoria was earning money. Instead of paying high tuition bills every year, she was able to set aside a majority of her income, and now has enough to buy her own home.

Now 25, Victoria is content to take her time earning a college degree. “It’s not always necessary to set a time frame for the years after high school,” she says. “God unfolded His plan for me in ways that I could not have planned or imagined.”

If your student doesn’t have a particular job in mind, encourage him to try out an area he thinks he may be interested in. He might just discover unexpected talents.

Next time, we’ll take a look at a young man who developed a childhood interest that resulted in successful, enjoyable employment.

And until then, I’m Mike Smith.