By Charlyne Nguyen
Many students may be wondering what they want to do after high school.
Besides thinking of which colleges to go to, some students haven’t thought of which majors are best for them when the time comes to attend college. They probably haven’t even decided on what job they want either.
For any students who are unsure about their future, the Bridges website can help answer those lingering questions.
Bridges is an annual subscription website that allows students to take quizzes in order to see which majors and careers best fit them based on their interests.
A student’s interests and abilities can be determined by the Holland Code, a theory for choosing careers, that assess a person’s career pathway based on their personality, particularly whether they’re realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising or conventional (RIASEC). Many people can fall under multiple personality categories.
“Careers Quiz is an abridged RIASEC quiz. This interest profile helps students learn about characteristics that are related to different careers. After students finish the quiz, they will have an opportunity to compare different career interests with the quiz results,” Fountain Valley High School College and Career Specialist Irene Yu said.
Yu added that the career quizzes on the Bridges website are “a great way to connect what you’re good at with what careers can maximize your strengths!”
With this in mind, students are encouraged to take the test with honesty and an open mind.
“Students should answer the questions based on their gut feeling,” Yu said. “The quizzes are meant to solicit responses that first come to mind. Don’t overthink it.”
Good-paying jobs don’t always require a four-year college degree. Sometimes, all it takes is a two-year associate’s degree from a local community college.
For example, if students are interested in a career related to technology, an associate’s degree or certificate in technology can be great for obtaining a career in Information Technology.
Information like this can be found on the website under the “Exploring Careers” and “Do You Need a Degree to See the Money?” sections.
And if technology doesn’t tickle a student’s fancy, the website also lists other career paths that have the potential to pay well. These jobs include teacher assistants, child-care workers, registered nurses, truck drivers, cleaners, maintenance and repair workers, food preparation workers and much more.
Many people come from many walks of life and perhaps don’t know what they want to do until after high school. If students want to try to find the answer now, it’s recommended that they start as soon as they can.
“Students should start exploring the website at their earliest convenience so they can take the necessary steps to work towards their career goal,” Yu said. “Knowledge is power!”
To access the Bridges website, students will need to follow these six steps:
- Go to fvhs.com.
- Go to where the “ACADEMICS” tab.
- Click on “College and Career Center.”
- Click on “Free College/Career Resources.”
- Scroll down to the bridges.com link.
- Then, use the given site ID and password located near the bridges.com link on the school website in order to access Bridges.
