If you’re close to leaving high school and not sure what you want, here are some things to think about. There might be a way to find your career path now.

Some of the news flashes about the University of California’s rising fees have died down; but you can bet that’s exactly the news on the minds of parents of prospective students.

Maybe the toughest thing about the situation is the uncertainty: a UC degree no longer means a successful career path. Or even a paying job.

The loudest voice speaking to that uncertainty is National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation hosted by Neal Canon. Just before Thanksgiving, he devoted most of his show to addressing parents on the subject. His guest was Marty Nemko, a career counselor here.

Mr. Nemko opened with a personal statement: “If I have a son or daughter, I don’t want to be considered an average. I want my child guided by a counselor who helps decide, based on strengths or weaknesses, among a four-year or two-year college program, an apprenticeship program, self-employment, or something else.”

Nemko has a blog and his own radio show, and is a regular contributor to U.S. News and World Report. One of the articles on his website is titled “America’s Most Overrated Product: Higher Education”. It brings together devastating statistics: nearly half of all college students drop out of college with damaged self-esteem and a mountain of debt. They are then employed in jobs they could have gotten without going through any of that.

The 2009-2010 costs listed on UC Berkeley’s own website offer three scenarios for California residents: Living in a Residence Hall, Living Off Campus, and Living with Relatives. Estimated annual budgets are $28,897, $24,179, and $19,719 respectively.

So how is a family to be realistic about whether it’s worth the sacrifices? Maybe a place to start is the future projections put out by the California Employment Development Department. The occupations generating the most jobs are broken into categories. Some are entry level: salespersons, waiters, and cashiers. Some are more highly skilled and highly paid: software engineers, general managers, accountants, and nurses. Among the fastest growing occupations, there is one that requires a college degree: biomedical engineers. There are two others that require only on-the-job training: roofers and tile-setters. Both have average wages around $25 an hour, and there aren’t enough skilled people to fill available jobs.

As caring families, we can limit our thinking to those areas where real jobs actually exist. We can hope our student can come up with strengths and interests that match at least one of those areas. We can find ways to explore the field; and we can encourage our student to test the waters without breaking the bank. There are certain to be choices where the available resources are enough to go round. Enjoy the holidays….