Career paths - going on a quest

[SpringTulip]

I was wondering if anyone could suggest a good resource for teenagers to investigate various career paths.  Is it better to read a general book like:

 

The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

This book has has a high rating on Amazon (642 people commented on it so far)

 

Or, is it better to refer to some website rather than read a book?

Or, is it better to buy more specific books directly related to a field that the teenager MIGHT be interested in? (for instance, a book about a career in writing)

 

Also, what is the best website to refer to for understanding job placement success? I looked at one university's website recently, and they did not convey any information to a parent about the ability of graduates to land jobs.  I'm concerned that, many times, universities might teach and offer lines of study for which there is no demand in the real world.

 

Is it pretty difficult to find jobs in most career categories these days?  I even saw on one website that it is hard for teachers to find jobs.  That surprised me.

 

How do you find out about or even begin to think about potentially great jobs that are lesser known, like a job in a waste treatment plant, for instance?

 

Marsha

[Lori D.]

I was wondering if anyone could suggest a good resource for teenagers to investigate various career paths.  Is it better to read a general book like:

 

The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

This book has has a high rating on Amazon (642 people commented on it so far)

 

Or, is it better to refer to some website rather than read a book?

Or, is it better to buy more specific books directly related to a field that the teenager MIGHT be interested in? (for instance, a book about a career in writing)

 

There are two methods of going about career exploration:

 

- "inside-outward", or self exploration

This method focuses on reflecting on and exploring your own interests, values, previous experiences, dreams, and career goals. If starting with self-exploration, then you're looking at doing some career testing: interest inventories, personality tests, work values assessments, etc., so that you figure out what your strengths and interests and values are and from there, what occupations match up with, or use, or overlap with, your personality and strengths, your work values, and your work interest areas.

 

- "outside-inward", or environmental exploration

This method focuses on collecting information on types of jobs, organizations, occupations, and industries. If starting with environmental exploration, then you start by exploring general occupational fields or "career clusters" and the educational paths required for different "groupings" of occupations, and then look more specifically at types of jobs. Ultimately you end with thinking about if those jobs sound like a fit for you and if you are able to accomplish the education required for those jobs.

 

Usually, you do both types of exploration, but you do so with a focus on or starting point from one type of exploration or the other. You know your student best for deciding which method would best fit your student.

 

 

Not familiar with The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do but in quickly skimming the table of contents and the "see inside pages", no, I wouldn't think this would be the first book I'd use with a teen for investigating career paths. This book appears to be more of a general overview/motivational book for adults who are in process of questioning their current working situation and how to take back up and achieve any dreams they may have set aside in order to get a job that pays the bills, but may no longer be very satisfying.

 

 

If wanting an introduction to career exploration book, you might look at these as a starting point for a teen:

- What color is Your Parachute for Teens

- DK: Careers

- Glencoe Exploring Careers: Student Textbook, Student Activity Workbook, Teacher Edition

(based on Career Clusters model)

 

 

There are some good free websites out there for career exploration as well:

- Career Clusters = explore by occupations through 16 clusters; here's a free printable version of the interest survey

- U.S. Bureau of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook = explore occupations, typical salaries, projected outlook for future job availability, training/education required, etc.

- Career One Stop = US Dept. of Labor website, with an interest inventory/profiler; work values assessment; research occupations; research industries; etc.

- CA Career Zone = take a free interest inventory test, and then use your top 3 interest areas to narrow down occupations that match; also has lots of information about occupations by giant list, or by job "families"

- NY Career Zone = once you have your top 3 interest areas from the above website, this also allows you to use the search engine to either narrow down occupations through your top 3 interest areas, or allows you to explore occupations

 

 

Also, what is the best website to refer to for understanding job placement success? I looked at one university's website recently, and they did not convey any information to a parent about the ability of graduates to land jobs.  I'm concerned that, many times, universities might teach and offer lines of study for which there is no demand in the real world.

 

Can't help you there. Most universities do not have an actual job placement service. And while most universities do have some sort of statistics about employment rates of recent graduates, that's really a hard thing to accurately track, as so much of it relies on self-reporting by graduates, which is not going to be a complete picture.

 

You might have more luck in tracking statistics from the US Bureau of Labor on hiring rates of different industries, or projected growth rates for different types of jobs for an idea of possible degrees to consider (that there will be a demand for), and then do some asking around and researching for which universities have the best quality degree program that your student is interested in (i.e., get a degree from a respected school so that student earns a quality degree that is employable, but also is in a degree program with good potential for networking and making contacts with potential future employers).

 

 

How do you find out about or even begin to think about potentially great jobs that are lesser known, like a job in a waste treatment plant, for instance?

 

What makes something a "potentially great job" is going to vary so widely from student to student that it will be tough to find a resource like that. You'll need to define what you mean by "great job" -- job security/stability? high paycheck? a safe job? rapidly expanding field? room for growth and personal improvement? Look at a "work values assessment" to help you define what you mean by "a great job".

 

Another way to come up with some ideas is to use the search engine on the Occupational Outlook Handbook website and look at jobs that are the fastest growing jobs, and are projected to have the most new jobs created in the next 10 years.

 

Also, think about fundamental jobs that people in a 1st world country always need and want: food, water, medical, utilities, plumbing, electricity, mechanical repairs, service industry, etc. Other areas that are expanding are "green" industry and environmental jobs, and computer: tech, programming, cyber security, networking, etc.

 

 

BEST of luck as you and your student enjoy career exploration in the coming years! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Lori D.

[G5052]

Can't help you there. Most universities do not have an actual job placement service. And while most universities do have some sort of statistics about employment rates of recent graduates, that's really a hard thing to accurately track, as so much of it relies on self-reporting by graduates, which is not going to be a complete picture.

 

You might have more luck in tracking statistics from the US Bureau of Labor on hiring rates of different industries, or projected growth rates for different types of jobs for an idea of possible degrees to consider (that there will be a demand for), and then do some asking around and researching for which universities have the best quality degree program that your student is interested in (i.e., get a degree from a respected school so that student earns a quality degree that is employable, but also is in a degree program with good potential for networking and making contacts with potential future employers).

 

What makes something a "potentially great job" is going to vary so widely from student to student that it will be tough to find a resource like that. You'll need to define what you mean by "great job" -- job security/stability? high paycheck? a safe job? rapidly expanding field? room for growth and personal improvement? Look at a "work values assessment" to help you define what you mean by "a great job".

 

Some universities do have placement offices, but primarily in "tool" degrees.

 

My undergraduate school (a STEM school) had a very active placement office. If you registered for an interview through them, they sent you a form in the campus mail about the results and your impressions. Even after graduation they sent out surveys to see what you were doing and such.

 

DS will be attending a top-20 business school in the fall as a junior, and within the business school, they have their own placement office. They offer seminars on interviewing and such and also provide sign-ups for interviews. It's the largest college in my state though, so I'm sure that's a factor.

[SpringTulip]

Thank you for taking the time and attention to type this out!  I appreciate it.  :)

I will look into these resources.