fter I presented a high school workshop at a recent homeschool convention, several parents asked me questions related to the importance of getting work experience in high school.

Experience matters. That was my short response to a multi-faceted answer. Employers hire employees with experience. In fact, employers currently seeking individuals for entry level positions are giving preference to applicants with prior experience. Gaining experience begins at home and grows outward to the community. As home education families, we can work with our middle and high schoolers to consider the answers to these questions.

• How do we prepare our middle and high schoolers for work experiences?
• How do we locate opportunities?
• How do we prepare high schoolers for interviews?

I begin to answer these questions here and will continue by addressing preparations for interviews in the Autumn Issue.

As Voddie Baucham says, “The family is the incubator for the world.” Incubation includes equipping learners with foundational skills for future work experiences before those opportunities present themselves, and often those experiences occur within the context of the immediate or extended family unit. Here are some examples:

• A middle or high schooler takes interest in a home renovation project and offers to help. During the project they learn new skills such as how to identify tools and appropriate applications, practical construction skills, how to receive instructions, the importance of following directions, creative problem solving, how to teach others, and the use of appropriate nonverbal and verbal communication skills.
• A sibling asks for the high schooler’s assistance to create an athlete highlight reel or graduation video. Your teen will get experience on how to utilize digital media and graphics, edit video footage, meet deadlines, and use collaboration and written communication skills.
• A grandparent needs assistance with data entry for a small business. Your student learns how to enter data, maintain a good work ethic, learn business skills and organizational strategies, and apply time management to meet deadlines.
• A parent needs help changing the oil in the car, replacing air filters, or listing a vehicle for sale online. Your teen learns practical automotive skills, how to follow directions, how to cultivate fortitude, and develops online communication skills.
• A high school athlete serves as an assistant mentor coach for younger players at practices and tournaments. Your student learns skills about how to teach and reinforce applicable skills to others, how to encourage others, and how to utilize effective interpersonal communication skills.

With these opportunities, confidence and skill mastery is fostered and we can encourage the strengths and growths we observe. For example, you might say:

Skills, strengths, and confidence are springboards toward a first job and provide clues to specific career interests. As parents, we play an integral role in calling out the goodness we see in our high schoolers, within the home or as they launch toward opportunities outside the home.

What is learned close to home lays the foundation for opportunities to gain work experience outside the home. For example, experience with home renovations helps build the skill set to be hired as an assistant to a handyman or apprentice to a builder. This is equally important foundational knowledge for a high schooler interested in mechanical engineering or architecture.

Along the journey, our children will meet fascinating people. Those interactions could lead to volunteer opportunities, employment offers, or even scholarship prospects. We encourage our middle and high schoolers to be prepared for conversational interactions, having a repertoire of ready-to-ask questions prepared. We review skills with them such as active listening and body language. In doing so, we prepare middle and high schoolers to grow and practice their interpersonal communication skills and confidence before meeting people who could widen their horizons. Our ready-to-ask list of questions includes:

• Did your career require a college degree?
• Did you attend college, and if so, where did you attend?
• What degree did you earn?
• How did your post-secondary education influence your career?
• What post-secondary education or work experience was particularly beneficial for your career?
• What types of writing are important to your field?
• Is there a skill or an experience that has been exceptionally helpful to you in your field?
• What should I be considering as I look at post-secondary education options?
• How do you see your career field changing in the next five years?
• What industry certifications or degree would best prepare me for this career five years from now?
• What is the most gratifying or rewarding part of the work you do?

Experience matters. First, they gain foundational skills in the home and later in the community and beyond. High schoolers, as well as new college graduates seeking employment, will need experience to be preferred applicants. Home educating families have an advantage: time—time to gain skills, time to process and practice, time to prepare resumes and gather recommendations.