You don’t need to wait until college to start learning about careers. In fact, the more research you do in high school, the more strategic and confident your decisions will be. Here’s how to do meaningful career research — without it feeling like homework.

Use Career Interest Surveys

Tools like the Holland Code assessment (also called RIASEC) or O*NET’s Interest Profiler ask you questions about your preferences and match you to career categories. These aren’t definitive answers, but they’re useful starting points — especially if you feel like you have no idea what you’re interested in.

Look Up What Jobs Actually Do

When you hear a job title (“product manager,” “physical therapist,” “civil engineer”), most people have only a vague idea of what the work involves. Sites like the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook break down exactly what people in those jobs do daily, how much they typically earn, and how fast the field is growing. It’s free and surprisingly readable.

Watch and Listen

YouTube, podcasts, and documentaries are full of people talking honestly about their careers — including the parts that aren’t glamorous. Searching “day in the life of [career]” on YouTube will give you dozens of firsthand accounts. This is casual but genuinely informative research.

Talk to Real People

This is the most underused form of career research. Ask people you know — relatives, neighbors, teachers — what they do and what they wish they’d known earlier. Most adults are happy to talk about their career journey. Even a 15-minute conversation can give you insight that you can’t get from any website.

The goal of career research in high school isn’t to pick a career — it’s to get curious. Build a list of things worth exploring further.