What to Do During Your Senior Year When You are NOT Planning on Going to College

August 28, 2024 byCharlotte Davies

5 min to read

Young male teen tudent in a denim shirt talking to a an adult in a yellow shirt with glasses.

For many people, a four-year college experience isn’t the right fit for them. If you want to use your senior year to better prepare for life after graduation, let’s explore some things you can do now to help you enter the workforce feeling prepared and confident.

What to Do Instead of College?

There are plenty of ways to get the most out of your senior year, so you can become a more rounded person and well-prepared to enter the workforce.

What Are Skilled Trades?

Taking time to prioritize learning more about your interests can help you better understand yourself and your career goals. A great way to start can be through extracurricular activities.

Building a plan for your life involves bringing in things that make you happy. Exploring work that aligns with your values and interests can not only make for a rewarding career but help you deepen your sense of purpose and joy.

Some people know exactly what they want to do from a young age, but others might need time to weigh their options and figure things out. Career quizzes can help you identify and categorize what kinds of work lights you up versus what doesn’t and allows you to examine whether you’d be happy doing it long term.

There’s also nothing wrong with pivoting. One of the benefits of taking time to experiment can give you a sense of whether a career path is right for you or if you want to shift your direction toward something different.

Prep for the Workforce

If your focus is on entering the workforce immediately after graduation, here are some ways you can hit the ground running while still in school.

Do an Internship

Internships and work experience can give you a sense of whether or not you find a particular job enjoyable on a day-to-day basis; it can also give you an opportunity to practice using technical or hard skills in real time, helping you feel more ready when it’s time to enter the workforce.

Develop Your Technical Skills

Earning professional certificates and taking part in online courses during your senior year can help you get a jump on acquiring some key technical skills while you’re still in school. Connections Academy has partnerships with organizations like Credly, Coursera, The National Technical Honor Society, The Home Depot Path to Pro program, and more, which are intended to introduce you to a variety of industries and provide a launchpad for your hard skill development.

Build Your Soft Skills

Communication, time management, problem-solving, and resilience are just some of the soft skills you can develop during your senior year that will serve you well as you prepare to enter the workforce. No company runs on the power of a single individual; knowing how to work with different types of people and perspectives, bridge gaps, collaborate on ideas, and reach compromises are essential skills to build.

Find a Mentor

A mentor can help you plan your career trajectory, set goals, develop professional competencies, provide insight and life advice, or just be a source of stability while you’re considering your options after graduation. A mentor can be a Learning Coach, teacher, family friend, or a parent, as long as they’re a trusted adult that you feel you will learn and benefit from.

Evaluate Your Social Media

Your social media gives people a window into who you are and what you’re about, and many employers use social media to vet their job candidates. What you post about gives people an immediate first impression of your values, so be mindful of posting or sharing content that is combative, inflammatory, or false, especially if your profiles are public.

On the flip side, being open about what’s important to you can help you use your voice to make an impact and get you noticed. No matter what, though, always remain professional and respectful when interacting with others online. How you handle yourself online is a clue about how you might interact with others in the real world.

Best Jobs Without a College Degree

Opting not to attend college doesn't mean sacrificing financial security in your career. There are many high-paying jobs that don’t require a degree available for those who are looking for alternatives to college, including developers, transportation managers, and commercial pilots.

While many jobs only require a high school diploma or equivalent for entry, others may require technical school and apprenticeships to enter the field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, both of the fastest growing occupations from now through 2032 are technical roles.