In March, many education consultants gathered in person at the MK Education Summit near Atlanta…
Career Planning for Teens Part 2
[author][author_info]This is the first of two articles written by guest blogger Larry Milks related to career planning for teens. This week, Larry shares a Career Investigation Project and Job Shadowing Questions that would benefit any teen embarking on career exploration. Larry serves as East Region Director with SHARE in Budapest, Hungary. He has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Michigan State University and a Master’s degree in Science Education from Western Michigan University. Prior to serving with SHARE, he taught high school science courses and after this stepped into an administrative role where he was involved in developing new career-related courses. Larry and his wife Nancy have three girls, Sarah (23), Jane (21) and Heather (17) and have been living in Budapest, Hungary since 2001.[/author_info] [/author]
Career Investigation Project (making it real)
Pick your best match career and research it by finding the information related to each bullet point below.
- Work duties or functions
- Equipment or tools used
- Work environment or lifestyle associated with career
- Physical Demands
- Stress Factors
- Travel Expected
- Weekends?
- Typical Hours
- List the possible difficult aspects of this career for you
- Projected future demand of this career
- Training, education or work experience required for career
- Three Institutions or colleges where this training, degree or experience can be obtained.
- Cost of attending these institutions
- 3 companies that employ people with this degree or certification
- Expected salary: initial and top
- Interview/Job shadow someone in this or a very similar career
- Volunteer work /Internship
- Develop a 4-7 year plan showing courses needed for degree
Websites to use:
- https://myroad.collegeboard.com/myroad/navigator.jsp (College Board’s site on careers with extensive day in the life profiles free with PSAT code or $20/yr)
- http://online.onetcenter.org/ (shows skills and tools used in career)
- http://www.bls.gov/k12/students.htm (selecting a career area will take you to the wealth of job specific information found in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- http://www.princetonreview.com/careers-after-college.aspx (day in the life career profiles, short career quiz to help narrow down career choices)
- www.wetfeet.com (click on “Guides” in upper right for excellent insider info on certain career areas)
- www.careerplanner.com (click on “Job Descriptions” along the top, allows you to plug in your Holland code and find careers)
- http://www.self-directed-search.com/ (Holland Self-Directed Search, career inventory online for $9.95, click “take the SDS” upper right in orange)
- http://careersoutthere.com/ (video job shadows)
- http://www.jobshadow.com/ (video job shadows)
- http://roadtripnation.com/explore/interests (video job shadows)
Job Shadowing Questions to Ask
1. What is one thing that surprised you about your career/current position?
Ask this question, and watch your host spill the beans on the myths surrounding her job.
2. Describe your normal day from the first coffee in the morning on…
Seems obvious right? You’d be surprise at how many people don’t ask this simple question. The more detail you draw out the better.
3. What are three personality traits of the top performers in this job?
This question is all about culture. If being a wired, assertive, detail person rubs you the wrong way, than maybe you won’t enjoy the culture of being a lawyer.
4. What training/education have you received and how did you learn from those experiences?
This question lays out a game plan for what training you need to be successful in your career. You also can determine then and there if you are willing to make that commitment.
5. What most excites you about your job?
Listen carefully for the answer to this question, then ask yourself if the exciting parts of your host’s career are just as exciting for YOU.
6. What least excites you about your job?
No job is perfect. You need to make sure that good parts outweigh the boring, paper-shuffling parts.
7. What advice would you give someone looking to enter this career?
This question is your chance to get some timely insights about what your next steps should be.
Bonus Question: Is it OK if I follow up with you on my progress in the next few months?
Capitalize on the excitement of the moment and lock in the second meeting. This is called an “upfront contract.” Since you are getting her to agree to the meeting ahead of time, you won’t seem like an annoying pest when you email a few months down the road. That way if she gets busy you can remind her of the commitment by saying, “as per our conversation, you mentioned it was OK to follow up with you about my progress.” Who knows, maybe if you wow your host with your follow up they might offer you a job a recommendation, or become your career mentor.
Questions taken from: http://findsuccessmentors.com/blogs/top-7-questions-to-ask-on-a-job-shadow-interview/
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