Human Development 0114

Learning Strategies for Occupational Development (Career Exploration)

Instructor: Susan Rush
Office: E-104A
Phone: 936.273.7221

Course description: Career Exploration is designed to assist you in understanding the process involved in making a career decision. This course will aid you in developing the necessary skills to reach and implement a career decision. Career Exploration is NOT designed to end your career indecision. Career Exploration is NOT designed to make your career decision for you. Textbook Required: None. Handouts will be given and sources will be recommended.

Course Objectives: After completing this course, the student will:

• Understand the career decision-making process.
• Develop self awareness related to career decision-making.
• Be able to identify significant career related interests.
• Be able to identify significant career related values.
• Be able to identify significant career related personality traits.
• Develop effective career investigation skills.
• Become proficient in the use of printed career resources available on campus.
• Become proficient in the use of a computerized career guidance system (CHOICES).
• Become familiar with the career-related resources available through the internet.
• Develop informational interviewing skills.
• Develop an individual career portfolio.
• Develop effective job-seeking skills (which will include the development of a resume).

TENTATIVE Assignments and Activities Schedule

Week 1 Overview of course; Work History Exercise; Ice Breaker; Career Fantasy Exercise

Week 2 CHOICES Computerized Career Guidance System (Room C-106)

Week 3 Take Strong Interest Inventory & Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Values Exercise Skills Exercise

Week 4 Review results of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Week 5 Review results of Strong Interest Inventory; Informational Interviewing; Focus Sheet; Resume Writing (Overview)

Week 6 Resume Writing (Development); Internet Resources

Week 7 Interviewing Skills; Job Search Skills

Week 8 Turn in Career Portfolios; Return Career Portfolios

Note: We only meet 16 times for this course. You are allowed 3 absences; after that you will not receive a passing grade. It is the student's responsibility to arrange for any and all make-up work. Please see me if there are extenuating circumstances.

Many of the assignments listed above will be done in class, however, some will require time outside of class. I will be setting up appointments with each student to discuss his/her assessment results and to discuss options. A sign-up sheet will be passed around to set-up appointments.

Grade Distribution:

144 - 160 = A
128 - 143 = B
112 - 127 = C
96 - 111 = D
< 95 = F

Career Portfolio: The Career Portfolio should include ALL activities that were worked on during and outside of class. It should also include a career report and summary report discussed below. This is your portfolio. Feel free to be creative and put it together as you wish. Please do not just throw everything into a folder and turn it in. Make it look nice. Your assignment is to choose a career to research. This career can be chosen from what you have been considering as a career option, or you can wait until we have reviewed your inventory results in class to choose. Once you have chosen a career option to research, you will be required to complete three (3) assignments:

Informational Interview: Do an informational interview with a person in the career field. One of the best ways to find out about a career is to speak to someone who actually works in the field. This means you will choose one person in the career field of interest and interview them regarding his/her career. Use the handout provided as an outline for this assignment. This assignment will be turned in with your portfolio.

Career Report: Write a report (at least one typed page) on the career field. This report should include information from a CHOICES report, internet, books (there are books in the Career Center (E-104A), newspaper, magazines, etc. Make sure and cover the following topics: Description of the Career, Educational Requirements, Occupational Outlook, Earnings, and Holland Type. Three sources should be used. Please attach the sources that you use to the report.

Summary paper: This paper should summarize all of the information that you have learned from the activities in this class (i.e., inventory results, values, skills, decision- making). This should be typed and at least 3 pages in length. For example, how do your values relate to the careers that you are exploring? Do they meet these values? Do you have the skills needed for the career? What do you need to do in order to gain those skills? How do your interest and personality fit in with the career of interest? Place this paper in your Career Portfolio.