Category: Career

After graduating from high school, Tyler Grubbs and Grant Morrison landed warehouse jobs at Roche, a multinational healthcare company with operations in Indianapolis. Both work as material handlers—jobs with critical importance to the distribution of Roche’s COVID-19 diagnostic test and Roche’s new antibody test for COVID-19 throughout the United States. Where did you go to high school? Tyler: Lawrence North High School. I loved high school. I played soccer all four years. Through that I made some lifelong friends who are still my best friends today. I was in an…

Find Out More About Joining the Military Benefits like college and career opportunities—not to mention possible travel and adventure—make the military a great option for service-minded men and women. Make sure you investigate all the possible avenues, including ROTC programs on many college campuses. Army There are more than 150 job categories, in everything from science, intelligence, combat and the law within the U.S. Army. Learn more at GoArmy.com. Air Force If you meet the criteria for joining, you’ll automatically receive hands-on training and college credits toward an associate degree….

How will you make the transition? Getting into the world of work is key to knowing what you want to do and getting the experience you need to impress your future employer.A part-time or summer job is the perfect place to start. You can earn money for college or to help with expenses now, as well as pick up on work skills that all employers want, such as being on time and problem-solving. Take it a step further by: job shadowing and conducting informational interviews with professionals in careers that…

Ethyl Ruehman Student, Indiana University NorthwestHometown: Portage, Indiana In 2019, Ruehman attended climate leadership training in Minnesota and organized a youth climate rally in her hometown upon returning home. The rally attracted more than 150 people near Lake Michigan’s eroding shoreline. The strong response inspired Ruehman to create the Northwest Indiana Youth Climate Council to empower local youth who share her concern for the environment. She was named a Hoosier Resilience Hero in 2020 by the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute. What did you do after graduating from high school? I had…

In 2017, Google’s Chief Executive Officer Jaime Casap offered good advice for young career seekers: “Don’t ask kids what they want to be when they grow up but what problems do they want to solve. This changes the conversation from who do I want to work for, to what do I need to learn to be able to do that.” He brings up a good point about why people like to work. Studies show finding a bigger purpose is an important part of job satisfaction. A 2016 survey* of adult…

We all have a lot of questions about the future. The COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed our daily lives and altered the way we live, work and play. While being socially distanced in 2020, we have found ways to stay connected and work together safely to continue moving forward. We can—and will—navigate the future. As a high school student, the best thing you can do for your future is be prepared to learn—in the classroom or through distance education—and take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. That was true…

As you enter the final semesters of high school, take steps to find a new career direction. Unsure? Some ways to narrow down the possibilities: What Do You Like to Do?By now, you know what subjects you like and which ones you’d happily never take again, (although you’ll still likely encounter basic subjects like math, writing or world languages in apprenticeships or college). Maybe you’ve already identified your super power—you are great with people or find working with numbers both easy and interesting. Play to your strengths. If you love…

OK, actually it’s not. Really. Despite what too many social media posts would lead you to believe, being self-absorbed is not a good look.On the other hand, it is important to be able to tell others about who you are. One approach is called an “elevator pitch” because it is a quick introduction that lasts no longer than a short elevator ride. On a piece of paper or in a journal, write words or short phrases to describe your interests, skills, big issues that concern you, and goals for the…

With high school graduation right around the corner, you need a plan for the mission of your life. As you count down to your last years, months and weeks, use these questions to guide you to your next destination: a career you’ll love—or at least like. 3. What interests you? It’s easy to be distracted by those “highest-paying careers” lists, or even by a good starting salary straight out of high school, without thinking about what you really like to do and how your values, preferences and personality can shape…

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development predicts that more than one million jobs will need to be filled in Indiana over the next 10 years. That’s a lot of jobs—but what kind of jobs? And where do you fit in? Where Are the Good Jobs? The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that total employment in the U.S. will increase by 20.5 million jobs between 2010 and 2020, with the fastest growth in healthcare, personal care and social assistance, and construction.Other fields expected to increase: professional and technical occupations, including computer…

If you’ve had a part-time or summer job, you’ve probably already figured out that one minimum-wage job isn’t going to support you forever. Experts say that earning a college degree continues to be a key pathway to a good career and a bigger paycheck. But there are so many ways to combine working, learning, and earning, such as: Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to enter a high-paying, in-demand career, because all the training is at no cost to you, and you even earn a paycheck while you work toward a…

Indiana is a huge manufacturing state, and finding skilled talent is important to keep the state producing everything from cars to medical devices to plastics. Some jobs in manufacturing will continue to change thanks to technology and robotics, but the good news is that people will be needed to create, program, repair, monitor these new systems, and provide all the other services related to manufacturing. Those jobs will likely increase along with other professional and technical occupations. In fact, over the next ten years, U.S. manufacturers are expected to add…

Breanna Gillum attended four different high schools before graduating from North Putnam High School in 2019, but one thing always stayed constant: her love of working on cars. “It started when I got my first car,” Gillum says. “If there was an issue with it, I wanted to fix it. Working on cars is my relaxing place.” She learned new skills through the diesel automotive program at Area 30 Career Center and added experience to her resume as an intern at Hendershots Auto Care Center, where she did tire rotations,…

According to Pew Research Center, employment in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations has grown 79 percent since 1990, from 9.7 million to 17.3 million, outpacing overall U.S. job growth. STEM fields include computer, math, engineering and architecture. STEM workers are physical scientists, life scientists and those in health-related occupations such as health care practitioners and technicians, too. Other facts: • STEM training in college is associated with higher earnings, whether working in a STEM occupation or not. Among college-educated workers employed full-time year-round, the median earnings for those…

A new major in engineering design at top-ranked Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is adding even more real-world value to the already-practical study of engineering. Believed to be the first such bachelor’s degree program in the country, the engineering design curriculum combines design studio classes, junior-year off-campus partnerships with industry, and hands-on experience with machine shops, rapid prototyping, software programming, and computer-aided design. The program was created in response to the rapidly changing engineering landscape, says program director Patsy Brackin, an award-winning engineering educator. Increasingly, she says, the lines between traditional…

You’ve got your first job. You want to make a good impression. What to do? Experts say work on your employability skills: customer service, teamwork, a willingness to learn, and the desire to do things the right way. Employer surveys consistently show that good employees demonstrate their:• Ability to work in a team• Problem-solving skills• Written communication skills• Strong work ethic• Verbal communication skills• Leadership• Initiative• Analytical/math skills• Flexibility How would you rate yourself in those categories? Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from teachers, coaches, and your employer…

Dengke Wang, 19, from Portage, Indiana, emigrated from China to northwestern Indiana at the age of seven. Now he’s featured in a new film, “State of Change: Innovation at the Crossroads” from documentary team Roadtrip Nation. The documentary sent three postsecondary students from Indiana on a life-changing road trip to see how Indiana-grown ingenuity is keeping their home state at the cutting edge of rapid technological change. They spent two weeks during the summer of 2017 exploring industries powering Indiana’s growth—including healthcare services, advanced manufacturing, biosciences, and technology—and connecting with…

If you’ve already found your first job and worked after school, weekends, and summers, you know how exciting it is to earn a paycheck—even a small one. Taking pride in your work and your ability to earn is an employability skill—one of a dozen or so qualities that will make you stand out as a good worker. No matter what the career or job, it’s not enough just to show up: Employers want people with “soft” skills, such as a customer service mentality, a desire to do things right the…