Build a career exploration plan for a high school student
A month-by-month career exploration program for a teen, built around their strengths and interests, covering college and non-college paths.
The prompt
Help me build a career exploration plan for a high school student.
Student: [grade, school type, setting]
Academic strengths and weaker subjects: [e.g. "strong in English and Spanish, weaker in math"]
Interests and activities: [hobbies, games, sports, clubs, social media, part-time jobs]
Skills already building: [e.g. "learning Python", "good with spreadsheets"]
Personality and work style: [e.g. "likes people, adaptable, not detail-oriented, self-directed"]
Learning needs or support: [e.g. ADHD, accommodations, anything that affects planning]
Paths open to them: [4-year college, community college, trades, apprenticeships, military, gap year, work]
Money for education: [scholarships, jobs, savings, aid needed]
Program length: [e.g. "9 months"]
Deliver:
1. Career clusters to explore: 5-8 fields that fit this profile, with why each fits and example roles at different education levels.
2. Month-by-month program: one theme per month with hands-on activities (informational interviews, job shadowing, online courses, volunteering, small projects, campus or workplace visits), each doable in a few hours a week.
3. Self-discovery checkpoints: short reflections after each activity to narrow the list.
4. Path comparison: costs, time, and outcomes for the realistic post-high-school options, with funding ideas such as scholarships, work-study, and apprenticeships. Mark figures to verify as [CONFIRM].
5. Skill builders: courses and portfolio projects that strengthen applications for the top choices.
6. Support for focus and follow-through: short tasks, visible progress tracking, and regular check-ins.
7. End-of-program output: a one-page plan with a top choice, a backup, and next steps.
Keep it encouraging, and let the student's choices lead.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Career & Job Search prompts
What to fill in
- grade, school type, setting
- e.g. "strong in English and Spanish, weaker in math"
- hobbies, games, sports, clubs, social media, part-time jobs
- e.g. "learning Python", "good with spreadsheets"
- e.g. ADHD, accommodations, anything that affects planning
- scholarships, jobs, savings, aid needed
- e.g. "9 months"
- CONFIRM
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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