Introduction
During this assignment you will complete several tasks designed to make you think about your future and potential careers. This learning activity is all about helping individuals discover which career(s) are the best match for them and how they can get there. Students will accomplish this by determining their area(s) of interest and personality type. They will discover which careers match their interests and personality type. Students will then explore these careers to determine which one(s) are the best for them, as well as the education and training that it will take to achieve their dream.
The over-arching goal for this webquest is to help students begin their career development journey. Through this journey, they will discover who they are, what career(s) interest them, begin to decide where they are going and finally, begin to decide how they will get there through a plan developed in conjunction with guidance counselors/advisors/teachers/parents.
This learning activity is designed as an interdisciplinary activity with collaboration among several different groups, including but not limited to, guidance counselors/advisors and classroom teachers. National standards in several different areas are addressed through these activities: National Guidance Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, National Business Education Standards.
The ASCA (American School Counselor Association) Standards that will be met through this activity are (http://wvde.state.wv.us/counselors/links/initiatives/ASCA%20National%20…):
7.2. Career development. The content standards for career development guide the school counseling program to provide the foundation for the acquisition of skills, attitudes and knowledge enabling students to make a successful transition from school to the world of work and from job to job across the life career span. The career development content standards are:
7.2.1. Standard 4: Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions. Examples of student competencies associated with this standard may include, but are not limited to:
a. Students will develop skills to locate, evaluate, and interpret career information.
b. Students will learn about the variety of traditional and nontraditional occupations.
c. Students will develop an awareness of personal abilities, skills, interests, and motivations.
d. Students will learn how to interact and work cooperatively in teams.
e. Students will learn to make decisions.
f. Students will learn how to set goals.
g. Students will understand the importance of planning.
The National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) The Next Generation that will be assessed through this learning activity are
(http://cnets.iste.org/students/NETS_S_standards-1-6.pdf):
2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
Students:
a. plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources
and media.
c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
d.
process data and report results.
Task
Your tasks are to 1.) Perform a complete career assessment, 2.) Research and select a college or university, 3.) Develop an entry level resume, and 4.) Search for jobs in your field. Lastly, you will write a brief summary of your experience. Did you agree with your career assessment test results? Did you find the quiz helpful in your selection of a career? Did you find your online college visits helpful? Did you learn more about the academic programs you will be required to complete to earn a degree in your field and did this have any impact on your choice? These are just a few of the items you can touch on in your summary.
Process
Phase 1 – You are a high school senior. You are considering possible career and college choices.
STEP 1 - Go to the following link and take the short career assessment quiz.
Test Prep: GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, SAT, ACT, and More | The Princeton Review
You will have to register for an account where it says “Get Full Access for Free”.
Enter your email address and create a password.
Enter the basic information to register and you will be returned to the homepage.
Click on “careers” on the left side of the page.
Click on “Take our 5 Minute Career Quiz”.
Complete the quiz and analyze your results. Do you agree or disagree with them? Has it changed the way you think about yourself or opened your eyes to any new career ideas? Continue to use the site to research the possible career choices that were listed for you.
STEP 2 – Once you have selected your future career, continue to use the Princeton Review Website to research “Schools and Majors”. After choosing your major, you can search schools that offer programs in your major. You can then research the schools and choose one. For your final summary, think about the factors that were important to you in making your school choice. Location, cost, length of program, etc…
Phase 2 - Congratulations, you have graduated from college with a degree in your chosen field. Now it’s time to develop a resume and find a job.
STEP 1 – Use the following links to examine sample resumes and get resume writing tips. There is a lot of information on these sites with sample resumes and templates targeted to your career. Remember, you are an entry level candidate so look for entry level samples and templates.
Resume Examples - Free Resume Samples and Resume Templates
After using the links, develop your own resume. Be sure to list your newly acquired college degree on your resume. Be creative with your accomplishments on your resume. Obviously you haven’t actually completed your college education yet but make sure to include clubs or organizations that you may become involved with while in college. If you plan to work during college, you will have a job history for your resume as well. Also, be sure to spell check your resume!!!
STEP 2 - Use the following links to search for jobs in your field in the location of your choice.
CareerBuilder.com Jobs - The Largest Job Search, Employment & Careers Site
Find Jobs. Build a Better Career. Find Your Calling. | Monster.com
Yahoo! HotJobs - Thousands of jobs. Find the right one.
STEP 3 – Write a brief reflection of your experience with the webquest. Tell me what you liked or disliked about the project. Has the project opened your eyes to any new possibilities for your future? What type of factors affected your college or career choices? The reflection should be approximately 1 page in length.
Evaluation
Evaluation:
The student will be evaluated on the following
50 Points Ability to navigate the internet with minimal assistance to perform required tasks.
50 Points Ability to use templates and samples to successfully create a basic entry level resume that is free from spelling and grammatical errors.
50 Points Create a thoughtful written summary of the assignment. Tell me what you liked or disliked about the project. What did you learn?