Let me set the scene, it is 1992 in Midland, Texas.  I am sitting in the guidance counselor's office at Midland College (a tiny community college in my hometown).  I have been taking classes in high school and after graduation and it is time for me to transfer.  Listen in to the conversation....

Helpful, but somewhat limited counselor:  "So, the only thing left to complete is your major declaration."

Me:  "Um, Business."

Counselor:  "Right, but you will be a junior and you need a concentration so I can register you for classes."

Me, acting really cool:  "Oh, of course.  What are my choices?"

Counselor:  "Human Resources, Marketing, Communications, Finance..."

Me:  "Wait, what is Finance?"

Counselor (this is the part where she shows her limitations):  "Oh, well Finance is like Accounting but with larger numbers."

Me (again, wanting so badly to be grown up and cool so I don't ask any more questions):  "Oh, that sounds great.  I really liked my accounting class, but Finance sounds more like what I will be doing on Wall Street."  (This is shortly after the movie Wall Street....  SMH)

Fast forward to mid-October of the same year.  My first semester in my new school was packed with finance classes because I had already taken my basics.  I was about 9 weeks in and I was MISERABLE and because I was miserable I didn't try, and because I didn't try...I was miserable.

I make an appointment with the Guidance Counselor at the University of Texas.

Me (overconfident and clueless):  Yeah, I need to change my major.

Way more knowledgeable counselor:  "Um, you can't.  You are midway through your junior year.  The University of Texas does not allow for changes....rules....student count....yada yada."

I managed to finish on time with a degree in Finance and got a mediocre job.  For two years after, I attended night school in order to get enough accounting credits to sit for the CPA Exam.  It all worked out, sure, but my lack of preparation cost me valuable time and money.  

And that was when college was way cheaper....

The more your teen can narrow down the options of a future career BEFORE selecting a college and degree the better your odds at using your money wisely.  After all, college is meant to train students for the future.  If they don't know what their future will be, how will they get the best return on their (and your) investment?

The first step is to focus on "career clusters".  The following assessment will help your student narrow down (or eliminate!) career paths.  Once they know the two or three clusters that are the best fit, you both can drill down to see what education makes the most cents (I had to do it, sorry 🤦🏻‍♀️).

Click the image to download the full document.

For a deeper dive into Career Clusters, go HERE.