A Lesson Plan for Career Exploration for Middle School Students

Ask any child what they aspire to be when they grow up and you will elicit varied responses ranging from occupations such as a fireman, policeman, or teacher to the newer and more glamorous sounding job titles of astronaut or petroleum engineer. At any early age, we begin to form opinions and thoughts about what we want to be when we grow up. Starting the process of exploring occupations at an early age helps students to not become overwhelmed or pressured into selecting a career that is unsuitable because they have not done the prerequisite investigation of the world of careers. I have outlined some assignments or activities that can make career exploration fun and enjoyable for the student

Who am I? Have the student write an essay describing what kinds of activities they enjoy in their spare time. Ask the student to write about their hobbies, extracurricular activities, likes and dislikes. The instructor can administer a career interest survey to the student to help identify areas of interest that may have not been considered. The results of the career assessment can be used to help motivate the student to further explore the areas of interest in which he received high scores. Students can be asked to write a job description of their ideal job which would give insight into what may be occupational preferences to explore further.

Career Exploration This phase of career planning can be the most exciting because the student has the opportunity to thoroughly investigate job duties, educational requirements, years of training needed, work environment and projected salary. Introduce the student to reference books such as the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, the Occupational Outlook Handbook that is published by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Guide to Occupational Exploration. These reference books are in most reference sections of the public library and online. There is a wealth of information that can be gained from using these books and at an early age it is beneficial to introduce the student to learning how to use the information contained in these publications. Ask students to review classified want ads to select careers that are of interest and research job responsibilities, educational requirements, salary, type of work environment, etc. they would encounter. The student could then present the information in an oral report.

Arrange for a Career Day Students can invite representatives of selected careers to speak to the class. Most professionals enjoy sharing information about their career and the advantages and disadvantages of the occupation. Ask the students to prepare in advance questions that they can ask the guest and compile a "career information sheet" that can be kept for future reference. The class could design a booklet that would include the information about various careers. If videotaping is permissible, the event could be videotaped and kept in the classroom library.

Onsite Visit Arrange for students to go to a facility and observe employees working in various occupations. The students could be divided into groups to observe and interact with personnel performing their daily responsibilities. If possible, determine if the students can "job shadow" the employees to more fully understand the job responsibilities of that employee. Students could be required to write notes about what they observed and share with the class.

College Open House Students should be encouraged to attend a local college open house to become familiar with courses and major areas of concentration that are offered. Taking a college tour and asking questions of the department heads is a practical way to explore career possibilities. Open houses are usually held a few weeks prior to the beginning of the semester.

Visiting a relative's workplace Some students may be permitted to visit a relative's workplace to observe the various departments and the work that is done. Each participating student would be requested to write a short report to share with the other students. The reports could be compiled into a booklet and shared with all of the students.

After these activities have been completed, have the class write thank you notes to the individuals and facilities who shared their time and knowledge.

These activities can make occupational exploration a fun and meaningful assignment and help students to begin career planning in their middle school years. A systematic approach to career exploration and planning will allow the student to consider the many career options that are available to help him select a realistic vocational choice in his later high school and college years.