Career Planning

Our Services

Entering college with a defined idea of where a student’s collegiate path will end and professional path will begin is an integral part of college planning.

Our career development process begins with a comprehensive assessment that questions the student’s skills, personality, values and interests. Assessments are reviewed with students for accuracy and we ensure they have a high level of comprehension and understanding when it comes to reading their results. This assessment reveals careers that the students have a propensity towards and the personalized appointments include an in-depth discussion of the students desires and hopes for their future, while comparing their desires with the listed careers. It is important to define what a successful career means to each student. Satisfaction comes in many forms and it is important to balance personal satisfaction with financial satisfaction when choosing a career path.

“Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” – Confucius

Students are encouraged to choose several careers they are interested in researching. These careers often vary – from Astrophysicist to Copy Editor to Forest Engineer. It is important to pursue all careers of interest, in order to help eliminate or encourage ongoing research of each career.

Once these choices are defined we begin the process of finding professionals for the student to interview. Interviews are held in person as well as via conference call. We’ve had professionals from many fields join us on the interviews: JPL/NASA, Los Angeles Natural History Museum, Charles Paddock Zoo, Engineers, Doctors and many more.

Job shadowing is another avenue we encourage students to participate in. Job shadowing is an opportunity for students to actually get in the field and get a firsthand account of what professionals do in their everyday life. These opportunities are often defining moments in our students’ educational paths.

The fact is, students who enter college with a defined major are more likely to:

Graduate on time: Students who change their major, or enter undeclared, often have an overload of class credits that are no good upon changing majors.
Incur less debt: An overload of credits that don’t apply to a new major means more classes to take in their new chosen major which leads to increased tuition costs. In addition, undeclared students may not get the scholarship or financial aid they could get if entering with a defined major.
Succeed in school: Students who enter college with a defined major have an enthusiasm for their classes that will propel them towards better grades and college success. Undeclared students often find themselves wandering through their college years studying the same subjects they studied while in high school; English, Math, Science etc., which can lead to burnout and a higher dropout rate. Many schools are placing students with a declared major in major specific classes in their first semester of college, which again can lead to a more satisfied and adjusted student.

You can count on National College Planning Solutions, Inc. to help your child navigate the path towards future success in college and beyond.