9781422270639

Introduction

Students are often interested in learning more about careers, but many don’t take the steps necessary to do so, according to a survey of 14- to 18-year-olds by the nonprofit ECMC Group. It found that while 74 percent of respondents believe it is important to have their career plans determined when they graduate from high school, only 39 percent have taken classes or participated in programs to explore occupations. Many young people are not aware of the wide range of activities that are available to help them explore the field they’re considering, discover career paths, and learn what it takes to train and be successful in a given occupation. If you are a middle school or high school student, here are just a few of the exploration activities in which you can participate: • art and fashion competitions • school clubs • interviews and job shadowing experiences with beauty and fashion professionals • summer exploration camps • volunteer opportunities • tours of design studios, salons, and other places where beauty and fashion professionals do their work • books • websites • podcasts • videos • mentorship programs • resources from professional beauty and fashion associations, companies, and government agencies • being creative on your own (e.g., designing apparel, drawing, taking photographs, using fashion design software)

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