You're in high school, still quite a few years away from working full-time, but the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" follows you around like a shadow. It's not easy to know what you want to do in life, let alone how to actually reach that goal, but you can start by considering your answers to the following questions:

* What job will help me be myself?

* What job will enable me to incorporate my interests, values, and skills?

First, consider your interests. What do you like to do? How do you like to spend your time away from school? What types of books do you like to read? Do you like to build things, draw pictures, or work with numbers? Do you love to act in school plays or have debates with your friends? Only you know what really interests you!
Next Steps

Research Majors That Interest You
Investigate Careers and See What Majors Lead to Them

Next, consider what you value in life. Do you like to be in charge, or do you prefer to have someone else guide you? Do you like to be creative? Do you like to take it easy or work really hard? Do you like a lot of variety in your life, or do you like routines? What's more important to you: the amount of money you make or the amount of joy your work brings to others? There's no right or wrong answer, so be honest with yourself.

What about your skills? What are you really great at? Are you a math whiz or a super athlete? Do you get good grades in science? Do you put puzzles and models together faster than most people can get them out of a box? When you talk in front of a group, does the audience hang on your every word?

Whenever you come across a career that interests you, ask yourself if it fits in with your interests, values, and skills. Is it a job that you would enjoy doing all day? Is it a job that suits your values? Will you have the chance to use your strongest talents and skills on the job?