Any good exploring careers curriculum's out there for 8th graders?

[Biz-e-mom]

Also, are there any that are free online too?

[Lori D.]

Here are some resources:

- Career Aisle: Middle School Career Exploration Videos (short interviews with people in different fields)

- KY: Career Choices Curriculum (free, gr. 6, 7, 8)

- Glencoe: Career Plan Project Workbook (free downloadable/printable; gr. 10-12)

- Sonlight College and Career Planning Kit ($65; gr. 11-12)

- What Color is Your Parachute for Teens ($15; gr. 9-12)
Part 1 = 4 different types of tests that help you know about yourself for matching up with jobs
Part 2 = what kind of education/training you'll need for specific jobs
Part 3 = the job search process (resumes, interviews, etc.)

 

 

DIY option:

Do bear in mind that students change *dramatically* from 8th grade through 12th grade, so I would keep it light and not make it a high-pressure "must choose your future career at age 12 so we can plan all of high school NOW" kind of thing. ;)

 

A little at a time, starting as young as 8th grade if you wish, and then throughout the high school years, I'd suggest every so often take an afternoon off from your regular schedule and spend it in some career exploration activities:

 

1. Browse books and resources.

Try the resources listed at the top of this post, and other resources you find, and follow bunny trails of interest.

 

2. Arrange for/go on field trips to various career field areas.

Maybe ask in advance that whoever is your guide at that venue to talk about specific careers and opportunities, skills used in the various jobs, educational/training requirements, what they enjoy about their specific jobs, etc. (examples: various departments at the local university; City Planning office; radio/TV station; a medical research facility; a hospital; an engineering firm; visit the State Capital and watch government in action; visit the local Courts and sit in on a trial; etc.)

 

3. Invite guest career speakers to talk.

Meet with a small group of local homeschoolers and iInvite 1-2 people from the community to each speak for an hour about their job: why they enjoy what they do; what they do; what education/training it takes; what skills/interests the job involves; any hands-on or power point to show aspects, etc. (examples: physical therapist; emergency services worker; social worker or counselor; architect; graphic designer; etc.)

 

4. Shadow a job for a day.

Once your student seems to gravitate towards a general career field, so more specific job research online and with books (such as the one you linked, and others), and other resources

 

5. Attend a high school college fair, or even a college job fair.

 

6. Take some career assessments and use the results to explore careers.

 

- Aptitude Assessment (Work Skills) = determines specific abilities/skills -- used mostly by employers

(i.e., can you type, do you have specific certifications, etc.)
California Career Zone: free online skills profiler
Career One Stop: free online skills profiler

- Personality Inventory= helps you see how you fit in with others in a work place
(examples: Meyers-Briggs Indicator; Keirsey Temperament Sorter)
Fun Education: free online test
Team Technology: free online test
Personality Lab: free online test

- Work Values Survey = helps you see what brings meaning/is important to you in working
Saint Anselm College, free test

Work Values Inventory, free printable test

- Interest Inventory = helps you see ways you like to work
(examples: Campbell Interest & Skill Survey; Strong Interest Inventory)
California Career Zone: free online test

 

Of the 4 tests, the best to start with is an interest inventory test that helps you understand the ways you like to work, which then helps you narrow down what kinds of jobs match up with the ways you like to work. Most of these tests are a variation of the Holland Code, which is organized with six interest areas (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional) and then the career fields and specific jobs that use those interests. (This Wikipedia article explains it well and lists lots of job ideas under each of the six interest areas).

 

- California Career Zone (website with free career interest test, loads of occupation info, videos, etc.)
- New York Career Zone (website that matches your top 3 general career interest areas with lists of specific occupations; lots of info on each occupation)

- US Bureau of Labor Occupational Outlook  (info on hundreds of occupations, plus a search engine for narrowing by salary, amount of education required, projected growth of that job, etc.)

 

 

Career Clusters

Another way to approach career exploration is with Career Clusters. (Here is the printable Career Clusters survey test). It is a national educational organizing tool that divides career areas into 16 "clusters", and then into 70 more specific "pathways" of the essential knowledge/skill required for the "cluster". The pathways then branch into over 1800 "crosswalks", which are the specific jobs, which can be researched in the Bureau of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) -- linked above -- or by "crosswalk" at the Dept. of Labor's O-Net website -- linked below.

 

 

O-Net

Allows you to read info on the various "crosswalks", search by career cluster, industry, STEM jobs, and more. The best starting point at this website is the "My Next Move" section, which has two different search engines (by industry or by key words), and an interest profiler. The OOH is similar in organization to the career clusters, in that it loosely organizes the hundreds of jobs under 25 "occupational groups" (see the list going down on the lefthand side of the OOH home page). 
 

 

"Transcripts, Credits, GPA/Grading, Accreditation, College Prep/Applications, Career Exploration, past threads linked here!"

Finally, post #5 (bottom of the post) of this pinned thread at the top of the high school board has loads of linked past threads with lots of info on all of those topics.

 

 

Happy career exploring! Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

[Biz-e-mom]

Wow! Thank you so much Lori D..😊

[lexi]

I secretly wish that Lori D could plan out my homeschool for me. She is full of amazing resources!

[Biz-e-mom]

I agree Lexi, she does give out amazing helpful homeschool resources.😊

[Pod's mum]

I secretly wish that Lori D could plan out my homeschool for me. She is full of amazing resources!

 

She sort of does for us. I paste some useful responses in word docs on many topics and file for later. I include www address for review.

Lori D occurs regularly.   :)

Many thanks.

 

[Lori D.]

:blush:  Awww… you all are so sweet to say so! Just my way of repaying all the amazing help *I* receive from others on this Board! :)