Finding A Career!

Introduction

What do you like to do? What do you want to be when you grow up?  Decisions…Decisions… Decisions!!! Your future begins with YOU and the decisions that you make today...tomorrow and the day after. Now is the time to time to start thinking about your future. There are many different careers and fields that you can go into. How do you figure out which careers you might like to try? 

This WebQuest is designed to prepare students to start their careers by obtaining an entry-level job. Ensuring they are starting in the right field that interests them will set them up for long-term career success. Helping them to know how to represent themselves to potential employers will ensure they are positioning themselves well in the competitive job market.

Task

Upon completion of this WebQuest, students will be able to:

  • Ascertain whether their chosen career path is in line with their interests
  • Understand how to fill out a job application form
  • Know how to prepare and conduct themselves during an interview
  • Know the types of questions they may be asked during a job interview
  • Successfully present themselves to potential employers in a positive light
  • Follow up with potential employers after an interview

Students will work on this project individually over a two week period.  They will start by taking interests and career surveys online to uncover some career options that match their interests.  After viewing the survey’s results, they will determine what career they would like to learn more about.

Process

Use the folloiwng resources to help you research your career:

To Research Occupations

Visit the websites below and take a minimum of three personality, skill, and career quizzes or games.

Career Games:  Use the game on this site to plan your future career path.

Personality Quiz:  Go here to see what type of personality you have and what types of careers match your personality.

Education Planner:  Check this one out!

Interest Quiz:  See where your interests lie.

Resources:

Using the information you received from your quizzes or games, choose a career that may interest you and fit your skills and abilities.  Use the following sites to find out about your selected career.  Be sure you find out enough information.

Resources:

Fill out the Career Research Reflection Sheet.(choose the first link on the page)

Applying for a Job!

When you apply for a job you are typically asked to complete an employment application. You may be asked to complete a job application even if you have already submitted a resume and cover letter. That way, the employer has a record of your personal and employment history, verified and signed by the applicant. The following steps will walk you through that process.

Step 1: Fill out an Application

Print out the sample job application forms below, to practice filling in a job application.

Sample Job Application

Step 2: Create a Resume

Refer to the explanation of the parts of a resume.While you are reading start thinking of characteristics about yourself that you can fill into these parts.

  •  Heading:  this is located at the top of you resume and will include your name, address, telephone (home and cellular), and e-mail address.
  • Objective:  a sentence or phrase that tells the person you want to hire you what type of job are interested in.
  • Work experience:  this states where you have worked in the past.  List the name of your boss, how many months and years you worked there, and a brief statement of the job you did. 
  • Qualifications:  in a sentence or phrase, list the adjectives that describe you and how you can do your job.  For example, a teacher should be good at time management because of the many tasks that you have to perform.  This is where you can include the results of your learning styles tests.
  • Education:  a sentence or phrase that states your highest level of education.  It also lists your GPA (grade point average) and any honors you were awarded when you graduated.
  • Honors/awards:  this lists any awards and/or honors that you have won.
  • References:  this lists the names of people who speak well about your character.  This can be, but is not limited to, past employers and family friends, but should not include relatives.  You should include the first and last name of the person, their work address, work phone number, and what they do. 

Complete this sample resume worksheet.

Here are some websites to access if you would like additional information about resume writing:

http://www.jobweb.com/Resumes_Interviews/default.htm

http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/res-def.cfm

http://www.adventuresineducation.org/HighSchool/hs_resume.cfm

Step 3: Prepare for an Interview

Use the following web sites to answer the question-What do you wear to a job interview?

•http://www.collegegrad.com/interview/whattoweartoajobinterview.shtml

•http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html

•http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewattire/a/interviewdress.htm

Use the following web sites to answer the question--What qualities is an interviewer looking for in an employee?

•http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/top-7-qualities-employers-are-looking-candidates/

•http://www.workcoachcafe.com/2008/05/19/15-things-i-look-for-when-i-interview-people/

•http://www.rady.ucsd.edu/beyster/media/newsletter/2011/fall/qualities-eo.html

Use the following web sites to answer the question-What questions should an interviewer not  ask during the interview? What kind of questions are appropriate?

•http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewsnetworking/a/illegalinterv.htm•http://www.usatoday.com/careers/resources/interviewillegal.htm•http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/questions/illegal-questions.asp

Use the following web sites to answer the question-- What are some of the common mistakes made by interviewees? How can these mistakes be avoided?

•http://searchwarp.com/swa148621.htm•http://www.prlog.org/10337437-five-common-interview-mistakes.html•http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Interview-Mistakes-You-Must-Avoid&id=929098•http://www.ehow.com/how_4819733_overcome-common-interviewing-mistakes.html

Interview QUESTIONS to Expect and Prepare for:

  1. Tell me about yourself?
  2. What is your favorite subject in school?
  3. What was the last book you read?
  4. What do you do after school?
  5. Why should I hire you over others?

Step 4: Have a Mock Interview

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

1) Make an appointment with the assigned faculty member.

2) Review available career opportunities and select one for your mock interview.

3) Prepare your resume and job letter in response to the position that you have selected. Use the links below as resources to guide the process.

INTERVIEW DAY

Attend the interview

Arrive on time

  • Dress professional (See link above)
  • Provide a typed resume and cover letter
  • Project a professional image and manner (eye contact, hand shake, no gum chewing, etc.)

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

  • Complete the post-interview evaluations immediately. (see the links below)
  • Complete a self-evaluation within 48 hours
  • Send a follow-up note to your interviewer within 48 hours

Evaluation

Turn in the Career Research Reflection Form.

Turn in the Sample Job Application.

Use the Self-evaluation form to rate yourselves on the Mock Interview

Mock Interview Self Evaluation Form

Have your interviewer fill out the Mock Interviewer Rubric

Conclusion

This assignment is a tool for the students to start to consider what they want to do after high school. It allows them to evaluate themselves and determine what their interest are and how that can play a role in their career choice. The resources on this WebQuest include best practice information and tools to prepare individuals for a competitive job market. These resources are in no way exhaustive,students are free to seek additional resources outside of this medium.

Credits

Resources/Credits

http://career.missouri.edu/career-interest-game

http://www.educationplanner.org/students/career-planning/find-careers/careers.shtml

http://www.myfuture.com/toolbox/workinterest.html

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/a/career_briefs.htm

http://www.umanitoba.ca/counselling/careers.html

https://careerpivot.com/career-reflection-worksheet/

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobappsamples/

http://www.hasd.org/faculty/CariEggen/Resumeworksheet.pdf

http://www.jobweb.com/Resumes_Interviews/default.htm

http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/res-def.cfm

 http://www.adventuresineducation.org/HighSchool/hs_resume.cfm

http://www.collegegrad.com/interview/whattoweartoajobinterview.shtml

http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewattire/a/interviewdress.htm

http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/top-7-qualities-employers-are-looking-candidates/

http://www.workcoachcafe.com/2008/05/19/15-things-i-look-for-when-i-interview-people/

http://www.rady.ucsd.edu/beyster/media/newsletter/2011/fall/qualities-eo.html

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewsnetworking/a/illegalinterv.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/careers/resources/interviewillegal.htm

http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/questions/illegal-questions.asp

http://searchwarp.com/swa148621.htm

http://www.prlog.org/10337437-five-common-interview-mistakes.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Interview-Mistakes-You-Must-Avoid&id=929098

http://www.ehow.com/how_4819733_overcome-common-interviewing-mistakes.html

Teacher Page

Teaching Guide

Finding a Career-WebQuest

https://www.createwebquest.com/webquest/finding-career

Produced by: Jacquie Haymon

 

Purpose:

This WebQuest is designed to prepare students to start their careers by obtaining an entry-level job. Ensuring they are starting in the right field that interests them will set them up for long-term career success. Helping them to know how to represent themselves to potential employers will ensure they are positioning themselves well in the competitive job market.

Rationale:

While someone may have the skills to perform a job, some people struggle to secure a position in their chosen field due to lack of job search and interview skills. It’s important to be able to sell your skills and expertise to potential employers to set you up for career success.

Learner Description:

This WebQuest is designed for students graduating from high school and looking to find an entry level job. This WebQuest was created to give students a chance to explore different careers and become familiar with a career of their choice. It is never too early for students to start thinking about their prospective career path. Doing this can help them focus future instruction around their interests in a particular job field(s).

Prerequisites:

Students who undertake this WebQuest, will be junior/seniors in highs school, will need to be familiar with Web browsers, and navigating the Internet, what a resume is and a basic idea of how to fill out, and job application.

Instructional Objectives:

Upon completion of this WebQuest, students will be able to:

  • Ascertain whether their chosen career path is in line with their interests
  • Understand how to fill out a job application form
  • Know how to prepare and conduct themselves during an interview
  • Know the types of questions they may be asked during a job interview
  • Successfully present themselves to potential employers in a positive light
  • Follow up with potential employers after an interview

Standards addressed:

ISTE Standards for Students

1.a: Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products or processes.

2.a: Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media

3.a: Plan strategies to guide inquiry

3.b: Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media

3.c: Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

3.d: Process data and report results

4.b: Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project

4.c: Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions  

Social Studies
A. Clear and coherent written communication

  1. Use appropriate oral communication techniques depending on the context or nature of the interaction
  2. Use conventions of standard written English


 Subject matter description:

This WebQuest follows the model developed by Dodge and March. It guides the learners through the following sections:

  • Introduction: Provides an overview of the WebQuest to help learners become familiar with what will be covered.
  • Tasks: The tasks to be completed by the students are covered in this section. Students will take a career test, practice filling out job applications, write a resume, cover letter and follow up letter, and participate in a mock job interview.
  • Process: Each of the tasks build on each other and provide the student with tangible resources they can use to start their job search and application.
  • Evaluation: A rubric is provided to allow students to assess their level of expertise for each of the tasks. Instructors will also use this rubric to perform a final assessment of this WebQuest activity.
  • Conclusion: This section will prompt students to start using the resources they have developed as part of this WebQuest to apply to job opportunities in their chosen career field.

Assessment:

Students will start using the resources developed during this WebQuest to start applying for job opportunities. Teacher will assess Resume, Cover Letter, follow up letter and mock interview using the rubric location in the evaluation section of the WebQuest.