High school freshmen always have a lot of questions on their minds. "What can I do when I grow up?" is one of them. It's definitely not too early to start thinking about his tough question. The following tips may help equip you for your future career.
l Think beyond grades
Getting good grades in high school is important, but focusing only on straight A's could go wrong. Spending too much time on your schoolwork will leave you little time to explore opportunities outside of the classroom. Extracurricular（课外的）activities are necessary because they serve as a form of career exploration. They can help you figure out your work preferences, like whether you are a "people person（擅长交际的人）" or prefer to work alone. Nowadays, most well-known colleges care about candidates' experiences as much as their grades.
l Seek advice from grown-ups
Talk to your parents, teachers and school counselors（顾问）about how they started their careers. Even though you're interested in the careers they are in, it would be useful to learn about the process which got them where they are now. If you find your friend's mother doing a worthwhile job by chance, ask her if job shadowing（体验工作）is possible in her company during vacation. After all, seeing a typical day in the position you have an interest in can be an invaluable experience.
l Start your search online
If you really have no idea what you can do when you grow up, take online career quizzes to get ideas about what professions naturally match your skills, interests and personality traits（特点）. For the time being, you just need to focus on finding a field or two that interests you, rather than a specific career. Chances are you'll change your mind several times before finding a career that you want to stick to. Starting to explore career options now can at least help you decide what your potential major might be.
