Your senior year of high school is a time for preparing yourself for college and really having a good think about what you want to do with your future. Although you might not be ready to jump right into building your career, which is understandable, there are a few things you can do to get yourself a head start on building your career in the most effective way. Here are some tips that will propel you ahead of your colleagues, and help you excel at business even before your career gets off the ground.

Make Yourself a LinkedIn Profile

You probably already have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, but you really want to make yourself a LinkedIn profile. Once you create yourself a profile with a professional image of yourself, (even if you don’t have any working experience quite yet), you can utilize LinkedIn for its excellent networking opportunities. You can start joining groups surrounding topics you are interested in, and you can begin making connections (aka friend requests) to people in fields you might find relevant to you and your future career dreams.

Get a Job – Even If It’s Not The One You Want

Although miracles do happen, more likely than not, you won’t find yourself landing your dream job right out of high school. That being said, it’s a really good idea to get yourself a job, even one that’s part-time as soon as possible. Having a “real job” (one with a boss, when you are actually on the clock) will prepare you for the working world after you finish school. You will be able to dip your toes into the world of hours, shifts, taxes, bosses, and all types of coworkers. Not to mention it’s a great feeling to start earning your own money, and it might give you  that extra drive for success once you start your real career.

Find Yourself a Mentor

It could be a favorite teacher or professor, or it could be your best friend’s mom. Whoever it is, finding yourself a good mentor who you admire and trust is worth its weight in gold. Not only will you be able to see and learn, first-hand, from someone who has already been through it, but you will always have that person to ask questions to and to bounce ideas off of. A second (knowledgeable) opinion is priceless.

You’re young and you have the whole world ahead of you. Now is the time to get yourself a headstart so, by the time you are ready to walk out into the wide world of business, you will be more than ready.

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