Tools

Students, check out this amazing apprenticeship program. It's a great opportunity to identify your dream job and be matched up with a mentor doing that job!

 Here's what GetMilkshake.com posted about it Jan. 11:

Two amazing teachers, Chris Balme and Melia Dicker, got together and launched Spark, a non-profit program to provide life-changing apprenticeships to youth in underserved communities.

Essentially, students identify their “dream job” and Spark matches that student with a mentor doing that job. Kids interested in the medical field shadow a doctor. Students wanting to learn about film production follow a Hollywood producer. Pretty cool, right?

 Fast-forward seven years ... Students have now completed more than 1,000 apprenticeships. Many alumnae credit their Spark experience with keeping them interested in school and changing the course of the life.

 To get involved with Spark, visit SparkProgram.org where you can make a donation or offer to volunteer as a mentor. And don’t miss the awe-inspiring student stories.

Even if you can't take part in this program, it's a great example of the things you can be doing now to prepare for your future. Figure out something you might want to do for a career now and find a mentor. Ask about their jobs, shadow them, and get to know that field in-depth. Do this before investing thousands in a degree.

 The last thing you want is a degree that you can't use or don't need because you decided to change career paths after college. This will help you figure out for sure what you want to do with your life.