High School Endorsements

HERE’S WHY DECIDING your endorsement or major

ISN'T THE END OF THE WORLD. Making decisions about your future can feel overwhelming - maybe you’re not sure what you want to do, or can’t imagine your life beyond high school. Believe it or not, you don’t have to know exactly where you want to end up to start yourself on the right path. Here are a few reasons to stop freaking out and rethink your fear of the future.

THE FEAR OF THE FUTURE STARTS (EARLY) TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL ENDORSEMENTS In 2014, Texas public high schools adopted the Foundation High School Program. The new program introduced new requirements for students enrolling in high school. Along with the 22-credit core curriculum, students also select from five focused paths called endorsements.

SELECT YOUR PATH. For the first time, students entering 9th grade must select a focus for their high school career.

ARTS & HUMANITIES

Selecting an

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

STEM

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

PUBLIC SERVICE

ENDORSEMENT is similar to selecting a COLLEGE MAJOR. AND SO ARE THE FEELINGS THAT COME WITH IT:

PRESSURE

ANXIETY

UNCERTAINTY

BUT THE TRUTH IS THERE IS NO WRONG PATH.

WHY IT'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT YOUR EDUCATIONAL FOCUS DOESN'T FINALIZE YOUR DESTINY. CAREERS and COLLEGE MAJORS often DON'T MATCH. For example, getting a STEM-related degree DOESN’T MEAN YOU’LL END UP IN A LAB COAT.

48%

63%

48% of people with a career in construction have a STEM-related degree.

63% of STEM college graduates end up in non-STEM career fields, such as construction.

Many STEM-graduates make their careers in non-STEM industries.

DIVERSE OPPORTUNITIES are in EVERY INDUSTRY. IT TAKES ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE

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TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL COMPANY, NO MATTER THE INDUSTRY OR FIELD.

Let’s take a construction management company, for example.

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WHAT JOBS MAKE UP A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY? PERCENTAGE OF COMPANY BY DEPARTMENT | TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 370

78% Construction Operations

Common Degree: B.S. in Construction Management Typically college educated, construction project managers & superintendents love tackling tough projects and are often out in the field.

8% Off-site Project Support

Common Degree: Associates in Business Management Back at the office, administration professionals manage, organize, and execute construction documents. An admin can work in just about any industry so long as they are organized, a good listener, and detail-oriented.

5% Estimating

Common Degree: B.S. in Construction Science The estimators work behind computers and focus on the numbers behind a construction project. Their role requires them to be quick-thinking, confident, and thorough.

1 construction firm 370 employees 14 departments

3% Internal Support

Common Accounting Degree: B.B. in Administration Common HR Degree: B.A. in Communications Every major company will have a Human Resource (HR) & Accounting department. Their common function is to support the internal operations of what makes a company function. An HR job will typically have a lot more one-on-one interaction with new hires and employees, while Accounting does most of their work solo at a desk.

2% Safety & Risk Management

Common Degree: B.B. in Management

Safety is big business in construction. Safety professionals must be dedicated to enforcing OSHA safety standards on job-sites & educating staff year-round.

2% Marketing & Biz Development

Common Degree: B.A. in Communication

These departments work together to win construction projects for the company. They drum up business by thinking creatively.

They also manage the brand image internally & externally.

2% Technology

Common BIM Degree: B.S. in Construction Science Common IT Degree: B.S. in Computer Information Systems A construction firm will have two different tech departments.

The BIM departments use building modeling software to create visual 3-D models of buildings. The IT department manages the technology used day-to-day by the entire company.

Biggest Piece of the Puzzle

While a majority of the company is made up of people managing projects in the field, that department is only one piece of the puzzle.

The Rest of the Pie

Each additional department has a different skill set and role to play in making the company function successfully. The individuals within each department will have had very different career paths, some with or without degrees.

3 THINGS TO DO INSTEAD OF WORRY HOW TO LOSE THE FEAR AND EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND (even to industries you haven't considered.)

LOOK for GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Desire more knowledge.

TUNE into WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

Don't ASSUME it's not for you.

Take on challenges.

If you enjoy it, it’s worth pursuing.

Trust yourself.

YOUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT, EVEN IF YOU CAN’T PICTURE IT IN DETAIL. Sources:

HOUSE BILL 5: FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM. TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, N.D. WEB. 27 JULY 2016.

WHERE DO COLLEGE GRADUATES WORK?: A SPECIAL FOCUS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH. REP. U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, 2012 AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY., N.D. WEB. ELLARD, D. (2016, JULY 26). PERCENTAGE BY DEPARTMENT REPORT, JOERIS GENERAL CONTRACTORS.

Additional Resources:

EMPLOYMENT PROJECTIONS -- 2014-24. REP. U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, 8 DEC. 2015. WEB. 25 JULY 2016 “HOW WE ORGANIZE PROJECTS.” SERVICES. JOERIS GENERAL CONTRACTORS, N.D. WEB. 27 JULY 2016.

Visual Sources:

“ALIEN EMOJI” COLLECTION BY MOHAMAD SABBAGH FROM THE NOUN PROJECT. “TECH LEAF CIRCUIT” ICON BY FRANK AMEKA FROM THE NOUN PROJECT. “SOCIAL CARE” ICON BY DIEGO NAIVE FROM THE NOUN PROJECT. “SWIRL CIRCLE” ICON BY RFLOR FROM THE NOUN PROJECT. “GLOBAL SETTINGS” ICON BY CREATIVE STALL FROM THE NOUN PROJECT. “PENCIL STAR” ICON BY DAN CHRISTOPHER FROM THE NOUN PROJECT. ICONS ADAPTED FOR INFOGRAPHIC BY SELENA MARQUEZ.

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