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3 Rewarding Careers Your College-Bound Teen Should Consider

Careers For Your Teen

If you are a parent of a teenager who plans to attend college in the next year or two, your child is likely stressed out about choosing a college as well as a major. While a college major does not have to determine one's career, a number of professional careers require a college degree in a particular field. Here are three rewarding careers your college-bound teenager should consider if they would like to help people.

Teach Young Minds

One career your teen with an aspiration to help people should consider is teaching. With a variety of ages and subject matter to choose from, your child may make a wonderful educator in their future. Teachers must be caring, compassionate, and willing to teach students with a variety of abilities.

In most states, teachers need a bachelor's degree in order to become a certified teacher. Some states require teachers to obtain a master's degree in the education field, such as special education or literacy. After earning the necessary degree, aspiring teachers take certification exams in order to be qualified to teach in a particular state. Some programs will pay for the necessary degree and certification exam expenses due to teacher shortages or in exchange for a signed contract to teach in a school in a region designated with a low socioeconomic status.

Once certified, teachers can choose to work in a public or private school. Did you know that students who attend private schools generally have higher rates of graduation and acceptance into college? Perhaps your teen would like to go further and become a school administrator in their future to ensure students have the best opportunities available to them, whether it be in a private high school or a public school with limited resources.

Does your teen love working with young children? Do they have a passion for math or history? Perhaps your teen is organized, wants to help others, and plans on attending college with a higher purpose. Teaching is a rewarding career that your teen should consider.

Nurse Individuals Back to Health

Another rewarding career your college-bound teen should consider is in nursing. Being a nurse requires knowledge of medicine and care, patience, flexibility, and an ability to work with and for others. Becoming a registered nurse (RN) requires a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN).

According to data from the American Health Care Association, there are 15,655 skilled nursing care centers in the United States. Aside from nursing care centers, there are several places an RN can work, such as a nursing home, an assisted living facility, a hospital, a private medical practice, or a public school. Your teen's future nursing career can take place at a location and with a population they feel most passionate about.

Nursing is a field that offers growth, too. An RN can go back to school and become a Nurse Practioner (NP). An NP can diagnose illnesses and prescribe medications to patients. Even further, a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a doctoral degree that NPs can pursue. A DNP can work in the medical field as well as teach nursing coursework at a university. With many options, your teen may be interested in nursing as a career that they can further develop in their future.

Help People Feel Confident in Their Smiles

Dentistry is another career your college-bound teen may be interested in pursuing. The education required for becoming a dentist is rigorous. Before applying to dental school, many applicants obtain a bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, or a related field in the sciences. Aside from academics, dental schools look for well-rounded applicants who participate in extracurricular activities in science as well as the community. Make your teen aware of this information. Are they interested in a career in dentistry knowing the high stakes and the time required to be put into it?

Aside from rigorous coursework and the competitive process of getting into dental school, your teen soon-to-be young adult must be aware of the financial obligations of dental school. It is a very expensive program, and one must be dedicated and willing to put in the work to obtain a doctoral degree in the end. However, if your teen is smart, hardworking, and willing to put in years of dedication prior to getting a job as a dentist, then this may be a career worth pursuing.

Dentists must be compassionate, friendly, and knowledgeable in their field. Plusses of this career include the ability to make plenty of money, start your own private practice, and build a steady clientele. At least one in five Americans has one or more untreated cavities, and plenty of individuals want additional services, such as teeth whitening treatments, as well. As a dentist, there are plenty of ways to help people avoid oral infections, maintain healthy oral habits, and feel confident in their smiles.

Teaching, nursing, and dentistry are three career fields your college-bound teen should consider while searching for a college to attend. They are rewarding careers that offer opportunities to help others. You can also obtain additional schooling in each of these fields to enhance your career and help others on a greater level. Perhaps teaching history to high schoolers, nursing the elderly at a nursing home, or practicing dentistry are jobs that will grab your teen's attention. Sit down with your soon-to-be college student and discuss their options today!