Researching Occupations

One good way to help students who are frantically undecided is to have them fill out an "interest inventory." Teachers can construct their own, or use a copy of the Encarta "Personal Survey for Career Planning" (activity sheet). Print out copies to distribute to the class. The sheet will help students categorize their interests. Also, the bottom of the activity sheet will be useful in planning interview questions.

Students should finally select one career to research using the Internet and/or library resources. Explain that in the course of their research, students should look for job descriptions, necessary education, training, or background experience, income potential and job availability, and notable people in the field.

Once students have completed the research, have students interview a person in the community employed in the researched career. Remember to review with students the etiquette of making an appointment for an interview. Either in class or as homework, have students write a thank-you note afterward expressing appreciation for the professional's time and assistance.

Encourage students, wherever possible, to take or obtain a picture of the person interviewed or to obtain a photograph [magazine or internet] of the type of work involved to enhance their presentations. A variety of possibilities exist for presenting their work. Some instructors prefer a formal research paper while others have students present their findings in an oral report. Other ideas include a power point presentation, arranging their findings as an informative web page, or creating a collage or a career poster to be displayed in class. Any combination of presentation modes is acceptable as well.

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MODIFICATIONS:
Simplify the lesson by circulating a list of careers for students to choose from. If possible, compile a list of people in the community who are willing to be interviewed to make this part of the activity easier for students.

Challenge older students to expand their use of the Internet by exploring university and company web pages. Suggest that they design a web page or power point presentation to present their research. Also, have them practice writing mock resumes and cover letters [see previous articles on resume writing tactics].

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WHERE TO LOOK FOR CAREER INFORMATION:

JobWeb

Futurework

Bureau of Labor and Statistics

100 Hot Jobs

Enhance Your Career

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