Exploration Wrksheets
Exploration Wrksheets
Exploration Wrksheets
Directions: Check the things that you have completed in your career-planning process.
HAVE YOU:
____ Discussed your career or college plans with a school counselor or advisor?
Make plans to do these when appropriate. Use Junior & Senior Timelines (Facilitator Guide pgs. 234-235)
to help you stay on task and organized.
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-2006 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]
2007 MnCareers Facilitator Guide Page 62
Worksheet #14: Career Alphabet
Directions: Write at least one career that starts with each of the following letters (i.e., A = astronaut).
If you get stuck for answers, check the list of careers in MnCareers or go online.
Circle 3 careers that reflect your interests and that you would like to learn more about.
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-2006 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]
2. What are the education and training requirements for the occupation?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What school subjects or courses would help you to prepare for this occupation?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Does this occupation deal mainly with people, data, things or ideas?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Do you think you have the aptitude (potential ability) for this occupation?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
14. List 3 resources (books, magazines, computerized information, etc.) used for this research.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
15. List the name and title of a person(s) that helped you locate this information.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
16. List the name of a person(s) you know (or know of) who is in this occupation.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-2006 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]
Definition for Nontraditional Careers: The Department of Labor defines jobs as "nontraditional" if fewer
than 25 percent of the jobs in these occupations are held by one gender. For example, a carpenter,
electrician, brick mason and auto mechanic are considered nontraditional occupations for women.
Nontraditional Careers
FOR WOMEN FOR MEN
Architect Child Care Worker
Auto Body Repairer Cosmetologist
Carpenter Dental Assistant
Construction Worker Dietitian
Drafter Elementary School Teacher
Electronics Technician Flight Attendant
Engineer Kindergarten Teacher
Fireman Librarian
Greenskeeper Licensed Practical Nurse
Mathematician Registered Nurse
Mechanic Secretary
Office Equipment Repairer Stenographer
Police Officer Telephone Operator
Plumber/Pipefitter Therapist
Scientist
Small Appliance Repairer
Surveyor
Welder
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-2006 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]
Directions: From the list below, select a woman and write a paper about her containing
the following information:
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-20063 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]
Directions
1. Select a person or company from the list below, or discuss different choices with your teacher.
2. Include the following information in your paper: (Sometimes not all of the information is available.)
a. Factual data about the entrepreneur: birth date, marital status, children, education.
b. Factual data about the company: name, address, telephone number, date the company was
founded, current revenues, number of employees, amount of the original investment, and the
current value of the company.
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-2006 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]
6. What personal qualities do you feel are needed to succeed in this line of work?
10. What type of technology do you use? (computer hardware, software, etc.)
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-2006 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]
Directions: Select someone you know to interview. Ask them the following questions
concerning skills they use on their job:
6. Does your company have customers or work with people in different counties, cities, states or
countries? Examples?
8. Are you a problem solver at work? Could you give an example please?
13. Where did you learn the skills needed for your job?
FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY
Combine the results of all the students' interviews into a master list for display. Make one list
for each question and title each sheet with the skill. List the examples the various people told
the students.
*Note for teachers: The objective is for students to explore skills (rather than occupations) on
a field trip or shadowing experience.
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-2006 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]
2007 MnCareers Facilitator Guide Page 70
Worksheet #21: Career Planning List
The following is a list of career planning activities. Some of them you might have already work on, while
others you are just starting. Place a check (9) next to an activity you've accomplished and summarize what
you learned. Choose 5 activities you have not completed. Use MnCareers and other resources to
determine how you can begin to work on each activity. Be sure to add this information to your portfolio.
Checked out and read books on careers Attended a job fair or career day
What I learned: What I learned:
Talked to a college admissions representative Reviewed career and educational plan with
parents or mentor
What I learned: What I learned:
Discussed career and educational plans with a Used the Internet to search for career and
school counselor or advisor educational resources
What I learned: What I learned:
Use this list and expand on your ideas throughout the year. Make sure to check each activity box after
completing it and document what you learned. Fill in the 2 blank spaces with additional career-planning
activities not already on the list.
1. Using the table on page 9 in MnCareers, fill in the grid below. In the first column, select 6
occupations with a high growth rate. In the second column, list the employment numbers. Next,
list growth rate and the median hourly wage.
2. Categorize the job titles for Minnesota's shrinking occupations from page 9 into the correct career
fields.
Agriculture and
Natural Resources
Arts and Humanities
Business and
Administration
Engineering and
Technology
Health Services
Human Services
3. Based on the table in question 2, which career fields contain the most shrinking occupations?
Which fields have fewer expected losses? Give at least one example of why you think these fields
are changing.
4. Many popular occupations have few openings and applicants face tough competition. Name 5
popular occupations that have few openings in Minnesota. Approximately how many openings
does each popular occupation have per year? (See page 9 in MnCareers for help.)
5. What are the "real" odds of getting hired as a pro athlete? What do these odds tell you about
popular occupations in general?
6. Many occupations in Minnesota have a large number of openings available right now. See page
10 in MnCareers and list 8 occupations with many openings.
7. Why should you be interested in occupations with high vacancies when considering a career?
Congratulations!
As of right now, you're a high school career counselor. Students come to you with their hopes and dreams.
Your job is to help them turn those dreams into reality. Sometimes that means recommending schools for
post-secondary education or training in a specific area. Other times, it means showing individuals how to
apply for financial aid. Some of your students don't have a clue what they want to do after high school, and
it's your job to help figure it out. The principal (your boss) believes that all students have to have some idea
of what they will do following graduation. "Our kids are good kids, and they all need goals," he said at a
recent staff meeting. "Help them get some," he said, while looking right at you.
Your Task:
Counseling sessions with your students begin tomorrow at 9 a.m. sharp. Your boss promised parents that
as a counselor, you're responsible for the development of 4 career and education options for each
student. To do your job well, you'll need to:
• Get acquainted with career-planning resources on the Internet
• Meet each of your advisees and evaluate some basic information about him or her
• Fill out a form for each advisee in which you develop 4 possible career paths and appropriate
education options for him or her
*Note: As a counselor at a large high school, you have many students to advise, so you'll have to learn quickly.
Potential Resources:
The Internet has numerous college and career-planning resources. It would be a good idea for you to
familiarize yourself with some of the ones listed in 2007 MnCareers. Other resources include the activities
in the 2007 MnCareers Facilitators Guide; MCIS Web site; ISEEK.org; Minnesota Office of Higher
Education; and CareerOneStop.org, just to name a few.
When using Internet sites, be sure to remember the URLs and note which information you obtained from
which sites so that you can refer to them when taking with your advisees.
Written Recommendations:
Your final task is to write up a recommendation report for each of your advisees. Be sure to explain why
you've chosen the options you have (for example, is it because of their academic record, personality traits,
abilities, etc.?). At the end of your report, name 3 Web sources you found to be the most valuable in
reaching your professional conclusions and why. Then be prepared to present your report orally to your
peers what you advised and why. It's also a good idea to jot down notes as to anything you would do
differently the next time around (spend more or less time one-on-one with students, give students different
assessments, research additional materials in a particular subject, etc).
*Remember: Faculty occasionally meet around the water cooler or lunch table to generate or exchange
ideas and information. (It's OK to exchange resource ideas with other career counselors, but not gossip
about your advisee's low skill level or blue hair.)
Adapted from:
FutureQuest: www.pvpusd.k12.ca.us/teachweb/twidwelll/FutureQuest.html
WOMEN MEN
Nontraditional Median Current Nontraditional Median Current
Occupation Wage Employment Occupation Wage Employment
Architect Bank Teller
Bookkeeping / Accounting
Auto Body Repairer
Clerk
Bricklayer / Stone Mason Childcare Worker
Civil Engineer Dietician
Clergy Social Worker
Computer Support
Librarian
Specialist
Data Communications
Licensed Practical Nurse
Analyst
Dentist Manicurist
Drafter Medical Assistant
Electrician Occupational Therapist
Firefighter Paralegal
Painter Personal & Home Care Aide
Surveying & Mapping
Registered Nurse
Technician
Tile Setter Special Ed Teachers
Speech-Language
Welder & Solderer
Pathologist & Audiologist
1. How do the median hourly wages compare for men and women?
Good
Agriculture & Natural Caution
Very Good
Resources Fair
Excellent
Good
Caution
Arts & Humanities Fair
Very Good
Excellent
Good
Caution
Business & Administration Fair
Very Good
Excellent
Good
Caution
Engineering & Technology Very Good
Fair
Excellent
Good
Caution
Health Services Fair
Very Good
Excellent
Good
Caution
Human Services Fair
Very Good
Excellent
1. Based on the information in the table above, which are the best job prospects? Which are the worst?
2. What are some reasons why you would consider these jobs? What are some reasons why you
wouldn't consider them?
3. Does an occupation with a strong outlook mean it has good job prospects? Why or why not?
Directions: Divide participants into 4-5 groups of trivia buffs. Each group will be assigned 1 of the six
career fields. Have participants use MnCareers (or other resources provided) to prepare 12 questions
related to the career fields. Have participants keep their answers on a separate sheet of paper.
Have each group exchange their trivia questions with another group. Which group found the answers to the
trivia questions first? Time each group.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
1. Choose one of the resource pages in MnCareers, like the "How to Job Search" page (found on page
103). Find another resource page in MnCareers and record it below.
2. For the topic you've chosen, read through all the resources listed. Choose one resource you would
like to explore further. List the resource below and summarize what you expect to learn from it.
Resource:
3. List 3 questions you hope to answer about this topic that haven't been answered by MnCareers.
1.
2.
3.
4. Locate and use your chosen resource. How did you find or contact this resource?
Yes No
Why or Why not:
6. What new questions did using this resource make you think of? Were you able to answer these
questions with your resource? Did this resource point you to other useful resources on this topic?
Which ones?
7. MnCareers is in need of 1 more resource for your topic and you are the authority for locating it.
The resource can be a book, agency, Web site or anything. Record the resource below. Include a
title, description, and how or where to find this great new resource.
MnCareers has skill information for occupational groups. (For example, skills information for Computer
Careers is found on page 38 under "What Skills Do You Need?") Use the skill information in the publication
to complete the activity below, using the following steps:
1. Think of 3 different occupational groups you find interesting (like Mechanics & Machinists, or Law &
Social Services). Record each occupational group, one in each of the tables on this page and page 93.
3. Indicate whether or not you have this skill by circling YES or NO in the "Have skill?" column.
4. If you have the skill already, explain how you acquired it. If you don't have it, explain how you could
develop or gain this skill.
Occupational Group:
Have How did you gain How could you develop
Skill
skill? this skill? this skill?
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Occupational Group:
Have How did you gain How could you develop
Skill
skill? this skill? this skill?
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Occupational Group:
Have How did you gain How could you develop
Skill
skill? this skill? this skill?
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
When people ask which high school course is never used again, most people respond that
algebra is not needed in the real world. But lots of jobs and daily tasks require algebra. The
left column lists occupations and the right column lists how workers in those occupations
would use algebra. Match the occupation to the correct application of algebra.
______ Landscape Architect e. Calculates duct size for maximum air transfer
Interpersonal Skills: Team work, ability to teach others, leading skills, customer service skills,
negotiating, working with culturally diverse people
1. I'm working to develop a variety of skills that might help me in the workplace.
usually sometimes never
Name the skill(s) you're working on: _________________________________________
2. I think creatively and like to learn from new experiences. usually sometimes never
Give an example of a new experience: _______________________________________
3. I show energy and enthusiasm when working with others usually sometimes never
List an example: _________________________________________________________
4. I don't give up easily and am responsible for my actions. usually sometimes never
List an example: _________________________________________________________
6. I establish goals and figure out ways to achieve them. usually sometimes never
List an example: _________________________________________________________
Now, consider the characteristics of successful people. Do most successful people enjoy learning
something new? Develop new skills? Do they meet their goals? Show energy in completing tasks? Do
successful people keep trying? Do they seek information from experienced people? Do you?
*For more about the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, visit: wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS
Adapted from:
Career Choices in North Carolina, 2005-2006 Career Development and User’s Guide, Youth edition
[State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee]