beil embraces role as career readiness advisor

By: Alex Kersh

Career Readiness: What does it really mean?

A simple Google search of the term reveals that it is “the process of preparing students of any age with the essential skills they need to find, acquire, maintain, and grow within a job.” 

It is a reasonable definition, and one that Linsday Beil, Glenelg’s Career Readiness advisor, has embraced with open arms. That she gets to be the advisor at her high school alma mater makes relishing the position even sweeter.

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Before coming home, Beil was a counselor at Reservoir High School for 12 years, a place that helped her ultimately find her calling.

“In that realm [of counseling], I loved paving the pathways for future exploration the most,” Beil said. “When this role came up [at Glenelg], I knew I had to take advantage of it –  it was my passion. And I wanted to come home to the community I always loved being a part of.”

Beil described the position with a goal much wider than just helping students plan their future.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide students in Howard County with opportunities and resources for career exploration.”

To this end, Beil visited various classes earlier this year where students took a survey that helped determine potential career paths based on their interests and skills. She has also been sharing new opportunities to students through her “Career of the week” emails. 

This year is Glenelg’s first having a Career Readiness advisor. Beforehand, counselors would help students if they had any questions, but some would still have to turn to themselves or sources of aid outside of school to help with career specific planning.

Beil’s unique purpose as a Career Readiness Advisor is not only to help students prepare for the future, though. It’s also to provide the proper conditions where students can explore career paths without blindly knowing their options. 

Beil presents this information to every student in the school, instead of informing students on an “as needed” basis. 

Doing so provides students with more of an opportunity who didn’t think about their future before to now be aware, and have plenty of time to consider a potential career path, especially since high school students can still find success in rewarding careers without attending college.

“Over the last several decades there's been a shift that you need college to pursue a career, and that is just not true,” Beil said. “There are so many career paths and ways a student can reach their aspired goal.”

In her time working at Glenelg, Beil has had only nice things to say about the school. 

“I’ve loved it,” she said. “I feel like as a whole, the community, staff and students have been very receptive to this new position.” 

And while some may not yet understand the impact and importance of being career ready, with Beil’s help, this position shows promise for the bigger picture: fully preparing high school students for adulthood.