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Your Career Compass

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Lesson Plan

Your Career Compass

Students will be able to define 'career,' identify various career pathways, understand the general steps involved in career development, and utilize an interest profiler to begin exploring potential career options.

Understanding career paths early helps students make informed decisions about their academic and extracurricular activities, fostering motivation and a sense of direction for their future.

Audience

10th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, slide presentation, and a digital interest profiler activity.

Materials

Your Career Compass Slide Deck, Warm-Up: Career Brainstorm, Interest Profiler Activity, and Cool-Down: Next Steps

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up & Introduction (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Warm-Up: Career Brainstorm and give students 2-3 minutes to complete it individually.
    - Facilitate a brief class discussion based on their responses. Ask: 'What words came to mind? What do you think a career really is?'
    - Introduce the lesson objectives using the Your Career Compass Slide Deck (Slide 1-2).

Step 2

What is a Career? (7 minutes)

7 minutes

  • Lead a discussion on the definition of a career, distinguishing it from a job. Use Your Career Compass Slide Deck (Slide 3-4) to guide the conversation.
    - Encourage students to share their initial thoughts and ask clarifying questions.
    - Transition to discussing the idea that careers evolve and often require a series of steps to achieve.

Step 3

Steps to a Career (8 minutes)

8 minutes

  • Present the general steps involved in career development (e.g., self-exploration, research, education/training, experience). Use Your Career Compass Slide Deck (Slide 5-6).
    - Discuss each step briefly, providing simple examples. Emphasize that these steps aren't always linear.
    - Ask students to think about which step they are currently on or will soon be on.

Step 4

Interest Profiler Activity (8 minutes)

8 minutes

  • Introduce the concept of an interest profiler as a tool for self-exploration. Use Your Career Compass Slide Deck (Slide 7-8).
    - Guide students to access the pre-selected online interest profiler. Provide clear instructions on how to navigate the tool.
    - Give students 5-6 minutes to begin the profiler. Circulate to assist with any technical issues or questions.
    - Emphasize that this is just a starting point for self-discovery.

Step 5

Wrap-Up & Next Steps (2 minutes)

2 minutes

  • Bring the class back together.
    - Briefly discuss initial reactions to the interest profiler. Ask: 'Did anything surprise you? What did you learn about your interests?'
    - Distribute the Cool-Down: Next Steps and explain it as an optional take-home reflection or a starting point for further exploration.
    - Conclude by encouraging students to continue exploring their interests and potential career paths (Slide 9).
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Slide Deck

Your Career Compass

Navigating Your Future Path!

Welcome students and introduce the exciting topic of career exploration. Emphasize that this is about discovering their future, not just picking a job.

Today's Journey

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Define what a career is.
  • Identify general steps in career development.
  • Begin exploring your interests using an interest profiler.

Read through the objectives clearly. Ask students if they have any initial questions about what they hope to learn today.

What IS a Career?

Is it just a job? Is it forever? Let's explore!

Start a discussion. Ask students: "When you hear the word 'career,' what comes to mind?" Write down some keywords on the board if possible.

Job vs. Career

Job: What you do to earn money, often short-term.

Career: Your journey through learning and work, evolving over your lifetime. It includes your jobs, education, and experiences.

Explain the difference between a 'job' (often for income, short-term) and a 'career' (long-term journey, growth, development). Provide simple examples for each.

Charting Your Course: Steps to a Career

It's not a single leap, but a series of steps!

Introduce the idea that getting to a career involves steps. Ask students what they think some of these steps might be.

Your Career Journey Steps

  1. Self-Exploration: What are your interests, skills, values?
  2. Research & Discovery: What careers match your interests?
  3. Education & Training: What knowledge or skills do you need?
  4. Gaining Experience: Internships, volunteering, part-time jobs.
  5. Networking: Connecting with people in fields you like.

Elaborate on each step with brief examples. Stress that this isn't a strict linear path, and people often revisit steps.

Your Inner Navigator: The Interest Profiler

A tool to help you discover what careers might be a good fit based on what you enjoy doing!

Explain what an interest profiler is and how it can help. Emphasize that it's a tool, not a definitive answer.

How to Use Your Profiler

  1. Go to the provided link.
  2. Answer the questions honestly about what you LIKE to do.
  3. See your results! What career types resonate with you?

Provide clear instructions for accessing and using the profiler. Remind them it's about honest self-assessment.

Where To Next?

  • Keep exploring your interests!
  • Talk to people in different careers.
  • Think about how your classes connect to future paths.

Encourage students to view this as a starting point. Answer any lingering questions and remind them that career exploration is an ongoing process.

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Warm Up

Warm-Up: Career Brainstorm

Instructions: Take 2-3 minutes to individually brainstorm and write down any words, ideas, or jobs that come to mind when you hear the word "CAREER." Don't overthink it, just write down whatever pops into your head!













Bonus: What is one question you have about careers or your future after high school?













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Activity

Interest Profiler Activity: Discover Your Strengths!

Introduction: Today, you will begin exploring your interests and how they connect to different career fields using an online Interest Profiler. This tool helps you learn more about yourself and the types of work environments and tasks you might enjoy.

Instructions:

  1. Access the Profiler: Your teacher will provide a link to an online Interest Profiler (e.g., O*NET Interest Profiler, Vocational Biographies, Kuder Career Interests Assessment).

  2. Answer Honestly: Click through the questions and answer honestly about what you like to do, dislike to do, or how you feel about certain activities.

    • There are no right or wrong answers!
    • Your responses help the profiler understand your preferences.

  3. Explore Your Results: Once you complete the profiler, it will provide you with a summary of your interests and suggest career areas or occupations that align with them.

    • Take a moment to look at your top interest areas.
    • Are there any careers listed that surprise you? Any that you already know about?

  4. Initial Reflection: As you look at your results, jot down a few thoughts:

    • What are your top 2-3 interest areas?


    • List 1-2 careers suggested by the profiler that you find interesting:


    • What, if anything, surprised you about your results?


Remember: This is a starting point for your career exploration journey! It's designed to give you ideas and help you think about your strengths and passions.

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Cool Down

Cool-Down: Next Steps

Instructions: Reflect on today's lesson and your experience with the Interest Profiler. Briefly answer the following questions.

  1. What is one new idea you learned about what a
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