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College & Career Connections: Your Road Map to Success

Teens and parents: use this guide to navigate Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's College & Career resources.

 

Planning for your future isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s hard to know where to start!

If you’re a teen between the ages of 12-18, we encourage you to build your Road Map to Success with us, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. You decide what your journey will look like by taking this challenge and participating in activities over the course of the school year. The idea is not to earn all the badges as quickly as possible, but rather taking your time to Explore, Read, Write, Create, Plan, and Act your way to be successful now, and in the future. When you complete this challenge, you’ll be able to pick up a prize and be entered into a special drawing! Don’t forget though, you’ll continue planning each school year. Be sure to check out all our College & Career Connections programs and resources from the Library, in addition to book clubs, writing groups, gaming, and much more!

Follow us @cmlibraryteens on Instagram to make sure you never miss out on anything!

 

Your Road Map to Success

College & Career Connections Road Map Checklist

► Download Checklist 

Explore

Read
  • Search for books in our catalog to help you on your journey and plan to read at least one.
  • What do you know about budgeting? Place a hold on one or more books from this recommended reading list and start reading to learn more!  
  • Want to find out more about financial aid and scholarships? Place a hold on one or more books from this recommended reading list and start reading to learn more!
  • Looking to explore colleges and majors? Place a hold on one or more books from this recommended reading list and start reading to learn more!

Write
  • Find out what a brag sheet is and use these helpful hints from CFNC to write your own.    
  • Write a professional resume with Resume Builder, using tips from Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center.
  • Write at least one personal essay that can be used for applying to college or a scholarship using this guide.
  • Learn about planning a schedule on LinkedIn Learning, and then write one that works for your style.
  • Keep an updated list of your references to use for applications.
  • Learn how to take effective notes by taking a course in LinkedIn Learning.
  • Imagine what your life would be like if you had your dream job. From that perspective, write a letter to your present-day self to encourage planning for your future.
  • Make a list of all your extracurricular activities and academic accomplishments to include in your applications.
  • What is your elevator pitch to give prospective schools or employers? Write down why you are an ideal candidate by highlighting your achievements, community involvement, key characteristics, etc.

Create
  • Share any of your college and career activities from your journey on social media by tagging us @cmlibraryteens
  • Create a digital portfolio to help you stand out. Try using freeware like Canva to create yours!
  • Create a plan to help you save and budget for your future using CFNC’s Financial Literacy resources.
  • Create a journal or blog to help you plan, while also improving your writing skills.
  • Create a LinkedIn profile to build your professional presence (for ages 16 and up).
  • Create your own calm and use our Teen Health and Wellness resource to learn about emotional and mental health, as well as mindfulness and meditation. 
  • Listening to music while studying can be beneficial. Create your ideal environment by downloading or streaming music from our resource, Freegal Music+.
  • Open an email account with a professional address.
  • Take a course on LinkedIn Learning to build your skill set.
  • Build a list of schools using College Navigator to do a side-by-side comparison.
  • In thinking about your future, where do you see yourself in five years? Create your college and career goals, as well as your plan to achieve them.

Plan
  • Complete a School Search using Ferguson's Career Guidance Center to compile a list of prospective schools that best meet your needs.
  • Looking for interesting things to do in your downtime? Look at volunteer opportunities or part-time jobs to broaden your experiences.
  • Keep track of important deadlines and plan a detailed list of tasks to help you stay on target.
  • Take a course on LinkedIn Learning to help you plan and manage your time effectively.
  • Prepare for career exams using Learning Express Library.
  • Search scholarship opportunities using resources from Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.
  • Plan for college by learning about Better Money Habits from Bank of America.
  • Plan for college by using this interactive "Get College Ready" guide from Wells Fargo. 
  • Start asking teachers, advisors, and supervisors for letters of recommendation to build your portfolio.
  • Do an online practice application to help you prepare for the real thing.
  • Learn important Skills for School, Work, and Life using our Teen Health and Wellness resource.
  • NCcareers.org now offers you a personal career GPS! Map your path to success with their Career Plan Builder. 

Act
  • Participate in a College & Career Connections program or workshop at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
  • Create digital content for our CMLibrary Teens account on Instagram and earn community service hours. Find out about possible projects and submit at least one using this form.
  • Apply to a job, internship, apprenticeship, certificate program, or post-secondary institution.
  • Find out if you qualify for NC College Connect, which is a new program that provides a simpler way to apply to college.    
  • Register for a My Next Step session with the Library to discuss your future plans.
  • Register and take AP/IB exams.
  • Visit campuses in-person or online. Select your top 5 and bookmark their applications.
  • Joining the military? Register and take the ASVAB test.
  • File for FAFSA and financial aid.
  • Get help with your resume through a Library program or resource.   
  • Attend a college or career fair.
  • Get the homework help you need by accessing Tutor.com, which includes up to 15 free tutoring sessions each week, submitting a paper for review, plus other tools like test prep, videos, and job resources.
  • Become a VolunTeen at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, or volunteer anywhere in the community.
  • Earn community service hours by participating in select Library programs, such as a Teen Advisory Council.
  • Use Northstar Digital Literacy to assess your digital literacy skills in multiple key areas. Start by requesting your Northstar Learner Account to unlock your access!
  • Attend a Library Codelab program to get an introduction to coding, programming, or tech careers.
  • Planning to get your driver’s license? Check out Driving Test Prep, so you’re ready to take the wheel!

Setting Your Compass

  • Check out Finish High School on Get My Future to see why you should invest in yourself.
  • Get a Reality Check to help you gain perspective as you begin your journey.
  • Take this Interest Finder to get headed in the right direction.
  • Find your career path using these tools on Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center.
  • Visit My Next Move to map out your route to the future.
  • Follow us @cmlibraryteens on Instagram to learn about all of our programs and resources for teens, discover new books, and so much more!

Sign up for the Beanstack Challenge

  • Make your life easier and register for this challenge during the school year, which will track all of your activities for you, allowing you to earn badges along the way. Once you finish, you’ll be eligible to win a completion prize (while supplies last), while also being entered into a grand prize drawing in June!
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