Career Exploration Models

							        SELF-DIRECTED CAREER EXPLORATION
Before High School students can effectively decide upon a Post-Secondary
educational program, they need to ask themselves this question:

                           “What occupation is for me?”

The Good News is:
There is a WebQuest which will take you on a journey to help you answer this
question.

The Bad News is:
The answer you come up with will not be (in the words of Regis) “the final answer”.

A career is a journey. In your career, you may have many occupations and many
more jobs. At various stages of your life you will question whether the job you are
in is the right one for you. You may even question whether the occupation you are
in (or striving to be in) is right for you. As you evolve, your career evolves.

The model below is the one we will be using to help you answer “the occupation
question”. This model can be used anytime you have a decision related to
education and career choice. Of course, the decision we are focusing on is
choosing a Post-Secondary educational program that is right for you.



                       The Career Planning Process Model




Let’s look at the four parts of the model:
Know Yourself:
You need to know who you are, what you like and dislike, what your values are
and what you are good at so that you can choose an occupation you will enjoy.

Explore Your Choices:
You need to explore a few of the 10,000 occupations that are out there. Find out
all the information you can. What is a typical day like? What kind of education and
training is required? What are the future prospects of this occupation?

Make a Decision:
Use what you have learned about yourself and what you have learned about some
of the occupations you have explored, to make a decision about an occupation that
might be right for you.

Implement a Plan:
Select the University or College programs that best suit your decision.
Use the University or College Research Package to further explore your choices.




The Applewood Student Services Web Site is an excellent starting point in
your journey:
                     www.applewoodguidance.ca

All of the Web Sites listed in this package have a link in the Applewood
Student Services Web Site.




                   Follow the four steps on the next page.
 PART 1: KNOW YOURSELF

   1. Go to the iQuizzes web site:
      http://www.jobsetc.ca/toolbox/quizzes/quizzes_home.do?lang=e

      Take up to 4 surveys relating to your interests, abilities skills and values.
      Each quiz will provide you with a short list of occupations that might suit you or
      lead you to think about new possibilities.

 PART 2: EXPLORE YOUR CHOICES

      Use the Career Cruising website (http://www.careercruising.com), the
      Bridges website (http://cdn.cx.bridges.com/) or the StudentCounselor.com
      (www.studentcounsellor.com) websites.

   1. Use the search function in the web sites to research any occupational
      choices.
   2. Record the following information about your occupational choices:
               1. job description
               2. working conditions
               3. earnings
               4. education
               5. career path
               6. related jobs
               7. type of post-secondary education required

 PART 3: MAKE A DECISION

   1. Reflect on what you have learned from exploring your occupational choices,
      what further exploration you would like to do and any decisions you have
      made.
   2. Compose a list of your top three to five occupational choices.
   3. For each choice, state the post-secondary program that will best prepare
      you for the occupation

   (Note: At this point you still may not have decided on your top occupational
   choice. Don’t worry. You can still decide on post-secondary programs based
   a field of interest).


PART 4: IMPLEMENT A PLAN

      Now that you have some Post-Secondary programs in mind, use the
      University or College Research Package to further explore your choices.



                         GOOD LUCK ON THE JOURNEY!
                MY PERSONAL PROFILE

  My Interests                         My Values




    My Skills                     My Top Intelligences




My Personal Style                 My Favourite Subjects
Occupations that interest me:




Educational Path to Chosen Occupation
Occupation                                   Educational Program




                      Best Choices?? Compare!!
     Alternative      Advantages        Disadvantages       Outcome
1.




2.




3.




4.