High School College to Career Planning

I knew Jake in high school when he attended Lyme-Old Lyme.

• Solid GPA in a rigorous academic environment
• Challenging courses, including honors and AP classes
• Participation in extracurricular activities
• Responsible, well-liked, and capable

Like many students from Lyme-Old Lyme, he was well-prepared academically and earned admission to a strong college.  His parents were sensible, well-educated, and helpful.

We worked for SAT Prep and college counseling.  He was accepted Early Decision to his hoped-for college and… everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The Missing Piece

Jake entered college with a general idea of what he might study—something in business or economics.

This is common and not inherently problematic.

The issue was not uncertainty.

The issue was a lack of structure around that uncertainty.

During his first two years of college:

• He focused almost entirely on coursework
• He earned good grades
• He explored different classes

But he did not:

• Pursue internships early
• Develop specific, marketable skills
• Build relationships with professors or mentors in a targeted way
• Test his interests in real-world settings

By junior year of college, a realization set in:

He had done well in school—but had no clear path forward.

He also realized that he said “business,” but that the reality is that “business” is so broad that even a practical answer is not that practical

Jake was in a deep state of anxiety when we met.  “I never really thought what I would do after college.  I said I did….

He then relayed the all too common – “business sounded like a plan” – and then the equal discovery this was not really a plan.

High School as the Foundation

College-to-career planning in high school does not mean forcing a 16-year-old to choose a lifelong profession.

It means:

• Introducing students to how different careers function
• Encouraging exploration tied to real-world outcomes
• Developing early professional habits
• Helping students think in terms of skills—not just grades

For example, a student interested in business might:

• Explore basic financial concepts
• Take on leadership roles with real responsibility
• Seek out summer experiences, even informal ones
• Begin understanding how internships work

This does not limit options.

It expands them—by adding direction to ability.

The Parent’s Role

Parents in communities like Lyme-Old Lyme often do an excellent job supporting academics.

The next step is expanding that support into career awareness.

This includes:

• Asking questions beyond “How are your grades?”
• Encouraging students to think about how their interests translate into real work
• Supporting early efforts to gain experience
• Helping students stay consistent in their efforts

The goal is not pressure.

It is guidance.

A More Effective Model

The students who navigate the college-to-career transition most effectively follow a pattern:

• They explore early
• They build skills intentionally
• They pursue experience before they feel fully ready
• They adjust direction based on feedback and results

They do not wait for clarity.

They build it.

Final Thought

Students from Lyme-Old Lyme High School and similar communities have every advantage academically.

But in today’s world, academic strength must be paired with strategic career development.

Jake’s story is not a cautionary tale.

It is a common one.

And it carries a clear message:

College is not a bridge that automatically leads to a career.

It is a platform.

Students who learn how to use that platform—early and intentionally—are the ones who move forward with clarity, confidence, and momentum.

Jake repeatedly said – as did his parents – we should have done this long ago.

Schedule a college-to-career meeting.  Your future self will be very happy.