Your future begins with exploration about yourself. The more you know about yourself – yours strengths, interests, abilities, best working conditions, and more – the more informed you will be on selecting appropriate career paths. Choose electives during the school year that can help expose you to different areas, as well.
Interest Inventories and Career Research with Naviance Student
Get the login information from your counselor. You can take a survey to get information about your personality style and explore career information.
The following two government sites have descriptions of many careers:
Bureau of Labor Statistics – www.bls.gov
Occupational Outlook – www.bls.gov/ooh
Some universities have great links at their websites about careers:Northern Illinois University has links for each of their majors. You can read about careers related to the major and see what types of jobs people find
www.niu.edu/careerservices/weblinks/majors/index.shtml
The University of Tennessee in Knoxville has a great website associated with their career services. They call it “What Can I Do With This Major?” They organize the information into types of careers within a field, detail who the employers are, and give you strategies for success. You can find the link on their career page – http://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/
Program of Study
Use the links below to explore the 16 Career Clusters. Learn about the related coursework and activities that can help you prepare for your college and career path!
Agriculture
Arts, Audio Visual
Architecture
Business
Education
Finance
Government
Health Science
Hospitality
Human Services
Information and Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security
Manufacturing
Marketing
STEM
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics
Questions to Ask about a Career
What high school subjects would you recommend to prepare for this field?
What training and/or experience is necessary after high school to enter your occupation?
What special skills and abilities does your job require?
What do you do in a typical day at work?
What are your responsibilities?
What do you most look forward to as you head to work each day?
Are there opportunities for advancement in this field?
Could a person who has the preparation and experience required easily attain a job in your occupation?
What changes are taking place in your occupation?
What is the employment outlook for your field?
How will new technology affect your occupation?
What are some of the best things about your field?
What are some of the worst things about your field?
What kind of person “fits” into this occupation? Who would not be happy?
What advice would you offer young people entering the work force today?
What’s your favorite subject? Find out what you can do with it!!
- I LIKE ENGLISH!
- I LIKE FINE ARTS!
- I LIKE FOREIGN LANGUAGE!
- I LIKE MATH!
- I LIKE PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH!
- I LIKE SCIENCE!
- I LIKE SOCIAL STUDIES!
Summer Opportunities
Use your summer to explore! Every experience can help you learn more about yourself. See some of the options below:
- There are over 400 Enrichment programs described on www.enrichmentalley.com. This is a free comprehensive searchable database. It includes numerous free programs as well as many that offer financial aid.
- There is a file cabinet in the CRC with “Summer Programs.” Take a look and see if something seems of interest to you.
- The National Student Leadership Conference hosts career-focused leadership programs at universities in New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Chicago. Students can choose from one of 14 career areas, including: Medicine, Engineering, International Diplomacy, Business, Sports Management, Forensic Science, International Business, Law, U.S. Policy and Politics, Theater, Journalism, National Security, Education and the Arts. More information on the programs can be found on our website at www.nslcleaders.org. Students can earn college credit from American University. Financial assistance is available.
- Career Classes through summer school – each year there are several career exploration classes offered during the summer. Several of these are offered at Oakton Community College. You can learn about health careers, business careers, and more.
- Job Shadow – spend a few days observing a career that interests you. Find a neighbor, relative, family friend, or community member who will let you observe and help out for a few days.
- Internship – Spend time each week delving into a career and specific work environment. Search out internships on your own, check the summer school list to see if there is an internship class that you can take, or check back regularly to see if summer opportunities are posted on the website.
- Summer Job – Try to find a summer job in a field you would like to learn more about.
- Volunteer – There are many volunteer opportunities in the area. This is a great way to help out. You learn a lot about yourself in the process. Many not-for-profits in the area would be happy to have you help out for a few hours a week. Find an organization that means something to you or that you feel is doing something important in the community, and give them a call.
Many universities also hold summer enrichment programs. These can be wonderful experiences for students.
The link below is for Summer Engineering Camps hosted (currently or in past) at colleges and Universities in the US and Canada.