Table of ContentsSummaryIntroductionConclusionReferencesSummaryTimes are changing, especially when it comes to the working class and the new generation. Common questions should be asked, for example, do you know the difference between a job and a career. Are you currently employed or pursuing a career? It's never too early to ask yourself these questions, you have to start quite young. Career planning takes years and must constantly evolve at the same pace as you. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayKeywords: career, job, planning, futureAmong the number of topics to choose from, I decided to make my research paper on career planning. This essay discusses the importance of career planning and its impact on future success. From my personal experience, this is the one thing that stood out to me and made perfect sense. Not only to educate others, but also to educate myself in this mission.IntroductionBefore we get into what career planning is and why it is so important, I would like to introduce myself to my reader. To help you better understand why this topic is very important to me. First of all, I am considered “second generation,” which means I have a foreign-born parent. That would be my mother, born in Jalisco, Mexico. This would make my son “third generation,” meaning both of his parents were born here in the United States. I am one of my parents' three children. This makes me the middle child and the only girl in the family. I got pregnant my first year in college and refused to become a statistic. I took a leave of absence and when my son was three months old, I re-enrolled full-time at a community college. I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I focused on my general education. I was a sophomore and had many units under my belt, enough that I could graduate soon. But then I realized I didn't have a major, I honestly didn't really know I needed one to graduate. So I looked up all the courses I had taken and determined which degree I was in. I had taken quite a few child development, psychology and sociology classes with my friends. It turned out that I was close to an associate's degree in social and behavioral sciences, so that's what I focused on. Eventually, I graduated and attended Cal States. Turns out I couldn't get a bachelor's degree in social and behavioral sciences, but I could do it in sociology with all my transferable units. Eventually, I graduated again and received my bachelor's degree in sociology. I imagined that I could easily get hired as a social worker with my degree. I was so proud that I was the first and only one in my family to graduate from college, even though I got pregnant so young. My family was extremely supportive of my focus in school and allowed me to live rent-free as long as I remained focused on my studies. My son was seven years old and I felt that school had taken up a lot of my time; I took a year off before looking for work. I was never afraid of getting my career right because growing up my dad always told me, "You can get a degree in knitting if you want, as long as you have a degree you can get a job." no matter where! Career planning was obviously not familiar to me.parents or myself. When I was ready to start looking for a job, I quickly realized that it wasn't that simple. A degree is great to have, but jobs require years of experience in a related field. Everything I worked so hard for came to a screeching halt. I may have been the only person in my family with a degree, but I was also the only person without a career, and it seemed like it would be several years before I earned one. According to Rue, statistics showed that college graduates had held between 8 and 10 jobs and at least three careers during their lifetime. At this point in my life, I had only had four jobs, mostly in retail, and a year of working for children. No real experience where I can use my degree. My experience has shown me how important it is to plan your career as early as possible. Career planning can be something you start as early as 8th or 9th grade. This will give you plenty of time to research your options, make a schedule, and see what resources are available to you. It can also guide you in what kind of part-time jobs you can work in that would be great experience for your future career. During my research, I became interested in early career planning and the benefits that come with it. In an article I found online, there are a number of reasons to start early, including: Get to know yourself, research majors and careers, participate in job shadowing, and use career services professional of the university. There are many resources available and advisors ready to help you as well. In high school, each student is assigned an advisor, my advice is to create a trusting relationship with them, and they can be very helpful in pointing you in the right direction. My fiancé has a very different background than me and he has known what he wants to be since he was little. In high school, he met with his counselor who asked him these important questions. What do you want to do when you grow up? He originally said NBA player, which the advisor supported, but he also recommended having a plan B. His second choice was a police officer. His advisor immediately enrolled him in ROTC, criminal justice electives, and the Police Explorers program; it was the turning point of his life. Today, he is a Los Angeles County deputy. All the jobs he had before his career were security related, which gave him much more experience for his future. He has mentioned several times before that if his advisor hadn't done this, he might not be where he is today. My fiancé's experience hit all the key points I listed above of why it's wise to start early. He met him through the Police Explorer program. Criminal justice classes were the springboard to his chosen major in college. And he observed and worked alongside the Ontario Police Service as an explorer. Rue also mentions in the text that career planning is not something someone else can do for you, it has to come from within. And although everyone is responsible for their own career planning, it has been shown that those who are not encouraged make little progress. I believe this to be true based on my own experience, as mentioned above, and that of my fiancé. Career planning and development should be ongoing and evolve as you do. I believe starting early gives you.