Lesson 5
Career Exploration
Introduction: Connecting Your Learning
Have you thought about the difference between a job and a career? Each yields different results and can take you to different places.
In this lesson you will discover:
- The differences between a job and a career
- The resources available for job searching
- The resources available for career planning
| Readings, Resources, and Assignments | |
|---|---|
| Required Readings | |
| Multimedia Resources (optional) | None |
| Required Assignments | KWL Table: Career Exploration Accessing Phoenix and Maricopa Workforce Connection Services See "Assessing Your Learning" for details on each assignment. |
Check Prior Knowledge
Check this out! Which one do you want?
| A Career | A Job |
|---|---|
| – is suited to your personality. | – is unrelated to your likes and dislikes. |
| – provides personal satisfaction in addition to a paycheck. | – provides no satisfaction beyond a paycheck. |
| – has opportunity for advancement that interests you, and you want to pursue. | – has opportunity for advancement that you do not want to pursue. |
| – is a field of work you intend to still be in in five years. | – is a field where you will most likely not be working in five years. |
| – is something you enjoy. | – is something you have to do. |
Focusing Your Learning
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- Differentiate between a job and a career.
- Examine issues related to career choice and career planning.
- Determine resources needed for career planning and assess availability of those resources.
- Evaluate suitability of job/career choice.
Approaching the Objectives
To help you prepare for the information contained in Lesson 5 and to help you complete the assessments found in the Assessing Your Learning Section, visit the Key Terms link and play the interactive games using the terms from this lesson.
Presentation and Practice
Career Exploration
Click on the KWL worksheet link and fill out the first two columns (What I Know and What I Want to Know about Career Exploration). You will fill out the rest of the worksheet as you progress through Lesson 5.
The same occupation may be a job to one person and a career to another. The difference is how the work is perceived.
Click on this Web site to discover the differences between a job and a career.
Many excellent resources are available to help you find a job, if that is what you need, or develop a clear plan to begin a career. You will explore two of them in this lesson:
- Phoenix Workforce Connection
- Maricopa Workforce Connection
Click on the worksheet below and follow the instructions given, clicking on the links in the worksheet. Explore the Web sites as instructed and answer the questions on the worksheet. If you find additional information on the Web sites that interests you, feel free to explore it.
Accessing Phoenix Workforce Connection and Maricopa Workforce Connection
Professionalism, Integrity, and Reliability
Although a great resume is necessary, people seldom get jobs because of this piece of paper alone. In today's job market, hundreds or thousands of people often apply for the same job. The resume introduces you and also confirms who you are after you have met face-to-face with the potential employer.
The way people get (good) jobs in the real world is by getting to know new people, making a good impression, and getting recommended and introduced. This is why it is important to always present yourself well, because you never know when a connection you have made with someone will be helpful (or harmful).
Good Rule of Thumb
- At least 60% of your job search time should be through face-to-face interactions with others.
View the Web site below to explore the critical topics of professionalism, integrity, and reliability, and discover why they are essential to a successful career.
Dependability
Click on the video link below to learn the meaning of the word dependability. Keep in mind that the qualities discussed apply to every aspect of an individual's life; dependability is a character trait that is highly sought after by employers, but is also indispensable in one's personal life.
Dependability - Marine Corps Leadership Traits
Sustainability
Any system that cannot sustain itself will end. The concept of sustainability applies to individuals, and to the world at large. Sustainability is about making things work in the present, while taking care of the future.
Sustainability must be considered in an individual's decisions: decisions about work, going to school, or choosing a career.
Domains of Sustainability
Sustainability has three domains (economic, environmental, and sociocultural) that must be considered when planning sustainable development. The economic costs of sustainable products and activities, the environmental impacts of these activities, and the standards and stability of social systems must all be considered and balanced to achieve sustainable development. In addition to these three traditional considerations, technological and public policy factors for sustainable development are included in some cases. View the Three Pillars of Sustainability Web site, and the video titled, Sustainability, to learn more.
Adaptability
Adaptability is an individual's ability to adjust to changes in the environment. It is an increasingly important character trait to employers when seeking employees.
View the Web site below to discover exactly what is meant by adaptability, and why it is such a marketable attribute.
Workplace Coach: Change is coming
Summarize and Review
KWL Worksheet
Fill in the third column on your Career Exploration KWL worksheet (What I Learned). If necessary, look back at the articles you have read in this lesson to find the most important points that you want to remember.
Assessing Your Learning
Important information: Review Submitting Assignments if you need help copying and pasting your assignment.
if you need help copying and pasting your assignment.Answer in detail the questions in the Assessing Your Learning section that follows. Type your answer in the fillable Word documents and upload in the submit section below each assessment.
- Accessing your local Workforce Connections Services:
Submit Workforce Connection Services - KWL Worksheet: On the last section of the KWL worksheet, complete the one action step you will take to explore job or career options. (Successful Student Tip: Just pick one item. When you have completed that step, pick another, then another.)
Then submit your completed KWL worksheet. (Be sure you have filled out: What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned, and One Action Step.) Then click on the submit link found below to submit your assignment.
Submit KWL Worksheet: Career Exploration
RESOURCES:
Introduction to Career Planning and Implementation
The Difference Between a Job and a Career
Mind Tools Article: Professionalism
Sustainability
Adaptability
Important! We value your feedback
After you have completed your course, please take a few minutes to fill out this survey.
Course Evaluation