 Researching Career Options › Look at class activities from Ch. 1 & 2  Skills / Interests Worksheet / Activities You Like to Do, etc. › Careers are organized into 16 different clusters called Career Clusters – Page 60  Groups of related clusters  Do you fit into one, two or three?  Why?

› Where are your sources that can help you explore careers?  Primary Sources – original ex. Person, event or document  Secondary Sources – other people have gathered ex. Web sites, documentaries or magazine › Informal Research  Keep your eyes and ears open  Interview people  Find a career Inspiration….mine was Mr. Lundell – Do you have one?

 Formal Research › Informal research gives you ideas but doesn’t yield enough › Libraries (CD’s, Reference Books, Magazines, etc.) › Books (Occupational Outlook Handbook, Guide for Occupational Exploration, etc.) › Internet Career Resources (Career Cruising, DWD, O*Net, etc. › Exploratory Interviews

 Learning from Experience › Work Experience Programs  Learn job skills while in high school – cooperative program › Job Shadowing  Follow a worker on the job for a few days › Volunteering, Internships & Community Work  Volunteer = No Pay  Internship = Short term job, requires formal commitment, sometimes unpaid › Service Learning = connect academic work with community service

 Once you know where to get career information, the next question is what information you should get.  Find out what the career is like and whether it is the right fit for you

 You will find out more by examining careers in terms of ten characteristics 1. Values 2. Tasks and responsibilities (who, what, why, when, how, etc.) 3. Working with data-people-things (one usually dominates) 4. Work environment (physical & social) 5. Working hours (flextime) 6. Aptitudes and abilities (match natural talents to career) 7. Education and training (learn about career pathways) 8. Salary and benefits (insurance, paid vacation and holiday time, retirement plans, bonuses, product or service discounts, low-interest loans, gym memberships, personal days, etc.) 9. Career outlook 10. International career outlook