Career Journaling Grade 10

Why explore careers?• Exploring careers is a good idea because it can

help guide you in:• which classes to take in college• which major/minor to (eventually) choose• expanding your knowledge about careers and career

fields that are available• fastest growing career fields• amount of education needed

Why a career journal?

Reflecting on your own personal values, skills and interests can help you identify careers that:

• might be a good fit for your personality• might be a good fit for your talents• or, may not be a good fit for either

Why is having a career that fits my personal values, skills and interests important?

• Personal values = integrity, pride• Skills = pride, success, and $$$!• Interests = happiness

What do you want your life to look like?

Do the research!• Use Naviance (and other sources on the internet) for

each career to determine:• knowledge, skills and abilities required to be

successful in that work• tasks and activities you would be performing on a

daily/regular basis• what degree is required/how long you would be in

college (Associates = 2 yrs., Bachelor’s = 4 yrs., Master’s = 5+, Ph.D. = 7+)• what you would have to study in college• if there are jobs in that field• if the field is expanding• what type of continuing education is required

Be introspective!

• Introspection (n), the act or process of looking into oneself.•beliefs• feelings•concerns•hopes•goals

Be honest!• Do you have the basic skills for this particular

career?• Are you willing to put in the work required to

attain the amount of education required for that career?

• What subjects are you good at? Does it mesh with what you would have to study in college?

Assignment• Choose two careers or career field specialties (i.e.,

criminal law/family law/government law, pediatrician/podiatrist/dermatologist, teacher for elementary/middle/high school/college)

• Research each career based on guidelines from handout

• Create one journal entry for each career (2-3 paragraphs)

• Check box to “share with counselors”• Email Ms. Ellis after each journal entry

Examples• “The NBA is what I would like to make my career.

I really love playing basketball. It would really please me if I was able to get paid for doing something I love. That is the career I wish to pursue. Basketball makes everything better for me. I am talented and I work very hard, and I feel this is really for me.”

• “I think it would be fun to see how much time my employees have worked. Also how much time they need to make up. I have to be able to listen and read. I would have to be able to record, process and compute information. I know that it will be a lot of work. But with a lot of practice I know that I will be able to do it. “

Examples, cont’d• “I am still thinking about being a Basketball player.

But my back up career is being a detective. I am willing to take extra courses to be a detective. But, my main objective is to go to in the NBA.”

• “I want to be a singer. I want to be a singer because everyone tells me I have a beautiful voice. Me and my mom have the big voice in the family.”

• “I want to become a psychiatrist when i graduate from college. The reason why i pick this career is because I've heard from family and close friends that used to study psychiatry enjoyed taking the courses. And I think i would enjoy this career very much.”

Examples, cont’d• “My career choice is to be a aircraft mechanic. I built

multiple model air planes and i love to fix things on cars. I have been interested because i understand that i would be helping out many people and helping America. The wages vary in what state i would be in but i would be making at least 49,000 a year. But i love the complexity of engines and i would better the world. Recently i helped my father build a truck and it was a challenge to understand it all. the only thing that worries me would be the pay and hours of working, i would be putting in over 50 hours and my highest pay is only 67,000 and I wouldn't be able to have a family nor support them.”

Examples, cont’d“I would like to be a Registered Nurse. My interests are reading, human structures, helping people, and learning about what the body needs to work and how the body works. I would have to complete my general subjects in college, and attend nursing school. Also, in order to become a registered nurse I have to be a medical assistant first. I like to work mentally/physically with others, and indoors. Some experiences I have with people is working with mentally/physically disabled children at the Achievement Centers for Children, where I work. Some great skills I have for this career is being patient, and working well with others. Things I value are my health, orderliness, cleanliness, and my best friend. Having a career should be something you like to do and that interests you. It should be original and you should want to do t not to get paid, but because it's a part of you.”

Examples, cont’d• What is anthropology? Anthropology is the study of humans, past and present.

Typically, in the United States, anthropologists have been trained in one of the following 4 areas: sociocultural anthropology, biological(physical) anthropology, archaeology, and linguistics.

• 1.Sociocultural anthropology - Examine social patterns and practices across cultures, looking for similarities and differences. Topics of concern to sociocultural anthropologists include such areas as health, work, ecology and environment, education, agriculture and development, and social change.

• 2.Biological(physical)- seek to understand how humans adapt to diverse environments, how biological and cultural processes work together to shape growth, development and behavior, and what causes disease and early death.Interested in human biological origins, evolution and variation.

• 3.Archaeology - study past peoples and cultures, from the deepest prehistory to the recent past, through the analysis of material remains,from artifacts and evidence of past environments to architecture and landscapes.

• 4.Linguistic Anthropology - the comparative study of ways in which language reflects and influences social life.

• For me to be a forensic scientist, I would need to study biological anthropology because it deals with death and the human body.

Examples, cont’d• I have always had a calling for interior design and for the

engineering field. I have always been able to be myself and let my creative side come lose. I have a great passion for making things that people will enjoy. Honestly I feel that I can really benefit those around me by chasing my dreams and continuing to pursue my passion. I really began to have a serious passion for design because of my uncle. He is a contractor and the things that he is capable of doing is amazing. My dad also does electrical work and it's complicated and extremely helpful to everyone. I know that engineering is an extremely useful and helpful profession. Engineers are always in demand, and that is a benefit. I love design and everything about it.

Examples, cont’d• One career I'm interested in pursuing is an

anesthesiologist. One reason I feel I would be good at this is because I'm interested in Science, and I receive good grades in Science. In addition, I feel this career would be a good choice for me because I like interacting with and meeting new people. The only thing I'm worried about when it comes to this career is the free time I'm going to be have for myself.

Examples, cont’d• Another career I'm interested in possibly pursuing

is a heart-transplant surgeon. One reason I feel this would be a good choice for me is because I like studying the human body and functions of all the organs. Another reason I feel this would be a good choice is because I'm a very attentive person who pays attention to detail; therefore, I would be able to concentrate and get done whatever needs to be done. The only concern I have about this career is the possibility of me making an error costing someone his or her life.

Examples, cont’d• I am interested in the field of school counseling. I like the atmosphere of being in a

school and the idea of helping young people, but I don’t think I would like to be a teacher. I think I would have more patience for people when I can be one-on-one with them instead of trying to be in front of an entire classroom. Also, I don’t want to have to grade a bunch of papers, or be the “bad guy” and discipline kids and have to send them to the office.

• I am also a very good listener and like to get to know people and hear their personal stories. I think people’s lives are fascinating, no matter who they are. I am very caring and non-judgmental. These are good qualities to have if you want to be a counselor. I also never had a very good school counselor to help lead me in any direction in my life when I was in high school. But when I was in elementary school and my parents got divorced, I had a really great counselor that I will never forget. I would love to be that person for another child, or help young people figure out their goals for the future.

• One thing that I might not like is having to report child abuse or hear about child abuse. It would also be hard to listen to students who are really sad or struggling and feel like I could not help them or just instantly make their lives better.

• I would have to get a bachelor’s degree in education or psychology or a similar field, and a master’s degree in school counseling. That would take me about seven years. But neither are math or science heavy, which is good. Those are the two subjects I really struggle with and do not enjoy (except for sciences without math I really like). I am really good at English which you need in order to have good written and speaking skills.

• Eventually, I would like to have children and spend as much time with my family as possible. A school counselor’s schedule would allow me to be at home with my kids a lot and have evenings, weekends, breaks, and summers off with them.

Resources• Naviance – career search, CIP, LS, PT• U.S. Department of Labor website:

http://www.bls.gov/k12/• Friends and family – sometimes our friends

and relatives have better insight about the things we are good at than we do!

• Teachers and counselors – can share real-life information and stories and help you if you get stuck.

• Google – just Google it!