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Explore Careers

Around You

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Introduction

In this lesson, you will explore the various careers you encounter daily in your community. You’ll start by listing the different professions you observe and then conduct deeper research to find the ones that interest you the most. Finally, you will seek out someone who works in one of these jobs and interview them to learn more about their experience.

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HOW DO THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY MAKE A LIVING?

START WITH YOURSELF

Identify careers around the community to help think about the future.

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THINK ABOUT THE CAREERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

As you go through each day, you interact with many people performing their jobs, often working to help you thrive within the community. For example:

  • Everyone working at your school is there to support your learning and ensure your safety.
  • People in restaurants prepare and serve food to nourish you.
  • The sanitation department collects and disposes of your household garbage each week.
  • Shop owners in your area help you find the goods and services you need.

These individuals contribute to your daily life and the well-being of the community.

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THINK ABOUT THE CAREERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

It's easy to go through life without fully appreciating the incredible people who work to make our lives better. By paying attention to the jobs around you:

  • You might find inspiration for your own future career.
  • You might discover jobs that could be a good fit for you.
  • You might also identify professions you wouldn't want to pursue.

Being aware of the roles people play in your community can help guide your own career decisions.

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THINK ABOUT THE CAREERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Use this graphic organizer to list some jobs that you see in your community. Once you have listed the jobs, rank each job from 1 to 4.

1 - I would never want to do this job.

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2 - I don’t know if I would want to do this job. I need to learn more about it.

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3 - This job seems interesting to me, but I do have a few specific questions I would like to ask about it.

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4 - I think I would enjoy doing this job.

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HOW DO YOU FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THESE CAREERS?

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LOOK BEYOND YOURSELF

Search career websites to learn more about these local jobs.

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    • Visit the website careeronestop.org and find the search bar in the top right hand corner.
    • Type in the careers that got the highest score on your graphic organizer to learn more about those jobs and then hit return on your keyboard.
    • Read the information and watch the videos about the career you're interested in.
    • List 4 things you learned about the career that interests you most in the table below.

THINK ABOUT FINDING INFORMATION ON CAREERS

careeronestop.org

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HOW CAN YOU NETWORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY?

MAKE CONNECTIONS

Talk to the people within the community to see how they feel about their careers.

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CONNECT GATHER INFORMATION THROUGH NETWORKING

Another way to learn about the careers that interest you is by asking the people who do them.

They will likely:

  • Share what they enjoy about the job and what they don’t.
  • Explain how they got the job and what steps you would need to take to pursue a similar career.

They might even be able to help you find a job in the future. This is a valuable form of networking.

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CONNECT GATHER INFORMATION THROUGH NETWORKING

Many people owe their careers to the connections they've made throughout their lives. Having a network of contacts can provide you with the valuable information you need.

For example, if you're interested in becoming a real estate agent, someone you know might have bought or sold a house using an agent they liked and trusted. By reaching out to that person, you can gather useful information to help you achieve your goals. This is an example of how networking can benefit you.

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CONNECT GATHER INFORMATION THROUGH NETWORKING

    • Choose two jobs from your list that you want to learn more about. Identify people you know who work in these roles.
    • Approach them and politely ask if you can ask them some questions about their work. If they decline, thank them for their time and walk away.
    • If they agree, you can ask your own questions or use the ones provided on the next slide as a guide. When you're finished, be sure to thank them for their time and express your appreciation for the work they do.

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CONNECT GATHER INFORMATION THROUGH NETWORKING

Possible Questions To Ask:

1. How did you choose this career?

2. What do you like best about your career?

3. What advice would you give to someone who wants to have the same career that you do?

4. What would make this career better?

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Record your answers in this table.

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WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT EXPLORING THE CAREERS AROUND YOU?

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REFLECT AND UPDATE YOUR THINKING

I can use the information from this lesson to help myself learn more about careers through internet research and networking.

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REFLECT ON EXPLORING CAREERS AROUND YOU