Why Career Readiness is Important

There are more people applying for jobs than ever before and many jobs are becoming obsolete at a fast pace. These two factors combined have created an increase in job competition. The only way that you can find employment and stay employed is by ensuring career readiness. It is the process that prepares students, job seekers, and even those who are already employed, with the skills needed to acquire a job and grow in that role. Whether you are a parent, a schoolteacher, an administrator, or even a curious high schooler, it is crucial that you focus on improving career readiness. For this blog, we are focusing primarily on the benefits for students. Without it could mean a struggle to retain a job or take on a new role or responsibilities.  

What Is Career Readiness?

Career readiness is defined as the process that equips students with the information required for entering the job market. Similarly, it also aims to teach employees the skills needed to progress in a role. The fact is that career readiness skills apply to every type of job, at any level, and at any company. 

Even if you want to work as a grocery store cashier while studying in high school or college, it is a good idea to learn career readiness principles early on for an amazing career. Career readiness covers everything you require for both entering the job market and remaining employed. This includes crucial items like career exploration and professionalism. Students should know things like which jobs would be a good fit for them and the behavioral expectations of the workplace. 

Digital citizenship, financial literacy, and career development are integral for career readiness, as only a well-informed and well-rounded student can enter the workforce. Thus, it can be said that career readiness covers everything students must know for launching a successful career and ensuring its stability. Sometimes, career readiness is used to refer to soft skills, whereas, other times, it means learning how to perform various tasks specific to a job. However, its name should make it clear that it helps students get career-ready.  

Why Is Career Readiness Important?

There are many reasons why career readiness is important. Parents, schoolteachers, and students alike should take notice of the following benefits of career readiness.

1. Provides Students with the Opportunity to Learn More about Themselves

One of the main reasons why it is important to pursue career readiness is because it helps provide students with the chance to learn more about themselves. It allows them to discover career options that are available to them. The fact is that many students do not realize their full potential and underestimate what they can do. Therefore, participating in career readiness allows someone to start their career on the right foot. 

When people are young, they are curious about who they are and others around them. However, adolescence is a time for self-reflection. Even though high schoolers might have an idea about which career path they should embark on, it is still important to sow the right seeds. 

Online College and Career Readiness (CCR) programs have become incredibly popular as they provide students with a platform to explore their strengths, skills, unique interests, learning style, and personality traits. Assessments encourage reflection and match relevant career options that students might not even have considered. It is important to start exploration in high school to adapt to your passions and pursue the field that fits. That is why Shamrck is so dedicated to helping students in this area.

2. Build 21st-Century Skills

Another reason why career readiness is important is that it builds 21st-century skills. Introducing students to social-emotional learning (SEL) such as organization, self-regulation, critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills is extremely important.

Before students start their career journey, they must master 21st-century skills to succeed. We live in a fast-paced, digital world where students need to be able to understand themselves and learn how to think critically and creatively to make informed decisions. Employers value these skills and are more likely to hire those who have a command over them. Therefore, if you want to boost your chances of getting a high-paying job, you need to learn these skills.

3. Prepare You for Specialized Programs

As students graduate from school, they might want to study a specialized program. To get admitted to such a program, they would require career readiness. To seek a post-secondary education that is industry-recognized, you must have the correct skills. Otherwise, your application would get rejected as you would appear unfit for the program. Those who have undergone CCR exploration would already have a sense of their interests and aptitudes. It means that they would be better positioned for entrance into a specialized program and would be able to continue on their career journey without any hindrance.

4. Prepare Students Who Check Out

Not every student that enrolls in school graduates. This is why career readiness is important. Without the proper skills, students who check out of school would struggle to secure a job and make ends meet. Since academics are not for everyone, certain students are at a higher risk of turning away from school. High school is the ideal time to determine which students are more inclined to pursue a non-academic route. By using an online CCR program, it is possible to suggest alternative post-secondary options to students that are a good fit for them. 

When students take the self-assessment, they would get to discover a route for them, ranging from whether they should study at an Ivy League school or opt for a technical program or an apprenticeship. By increasing awareness of the options that are available to students, it is possible for them to seamlessly move forward with a purpose and find the correct path for them sooner.

5. Gain an Understanding of Having a Career

Many high schoolers do not know what to expect from work. In fact, they find it to be a nebulous term and are unclear about what to expect from the workplace on a daily basis. Through career readiness, a door is opened into the world of work and students can see what it is like to work in a certain profession. This insight includes the core tasks that they would need to perform along with the workplace conditions and earnings. In addition to this, students would be able to look into what it would be like to pursue different jobs.

6. Identify Areas That Require Improvement

In addition to the above, career readiness also helps identify areas that require improvement. Not every student has the skills needed to secure employment. Therefore, in order to boost the chances of getting a job, it makes sense to undergo career readiness. Both academic and life skills are necessary for succeeding in a real job. As a real job would require communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, and time management skills, it is important to know where you stand. By offering a career readiness program in schools, teachers can identify areas where students need to improve and equip them with the right skills to succeed.

7. Instills Confidence

A great thing about career readiness is that it instills confidence. Many students lack the self-assuredness needed to take on interviews and convince employers to hire them. This is where career readiness truly shines as it equips students with the skills needed to feel composed enough to respond to the demands of employment.

As they become increasingly confident, they would be more likely to get job offers from different companies. This is why Shamrck believes the importance of career readiness cannot be stressed enough. It puts students in the front seat and prepares them for interviews and encourages them to respond with poise and competence. Consequently, high school teachers and students must consider career readiness as a fundamental tool for entering the job market. Besides, it trains one to have a positive mindset which plays a huge role in conquering challenges that come along the way.

Establishes a Realistic Outlook

Career readiness is also important because it sets a realistic outlook and informs students about what they can expect from their future in the workforce. Only when a person has a realistic outlook of different careers would he or she be able to choose the career that is the best fit for them. 

Being prepared for what employers expect and everything the job entails allows you to narrow down your options and pick out a career that is most suitable for you. You need to know what you would get out of the job to pursue a role that truly satisfies you.

9. Teach You How to Apply for Jobs

Lastly, career readiness also teaches students how to apply for jobs. Since applying for different jobs is an art, it is crucial for one to master it in order to secure employment. When students have recently graduated, they are likely to struggle finding work and may not know how to approach employers. However, career readiness can equip them with the skills needed to know the intricacies of how to apply for jobs.  

Conclusion

Hopefully this post has helped you to understand why career readiness is important. Mastering these skills will open up a world full of possibilities for people looking to thrive in the workforce. As stated before, schools, teachers, administrators, and high school students all need to consider career readiness as it is the secret to a student’s future success.  

For more tips on how to prepare for your future career, check out the Shamrck platform today.