Junior+Seminar

= Career Research Project =

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Using your Interest Inventory and your Career Clusters Quiz, choose three Career Clusters on which to focus your research.=====

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For each career choice, explain what attracts you to this as a possible career choice. Use your Career Clusters quiz to highlight skills and interests that make these careers interesting to you.=====

Research your possible careers using [|Occupational Outlook Handbook.]
For each career, write a paragraph about each of the following subjects.
 * 1) What is a job in this field like? What kind of working hours can you expect? What are the duties and roles of a person in this position? Are there different specialties within this profession? Explain.
 * 2) What type of training and education is needed for this career?
 * 3) What is the employment status of this career? Does the government project job growth, or will entering this field be difficult? What employment opportunities are there? What are the average salaries and earnings associated with this job?
 * 4) Now that you have researched this career, reflect on what you have learned. Is this still a career that interests you? Do any of the similar career choices interest you? Explain.

**Step 3:** For each profession, come up with a plan on how to enter the field.
 * 1) Think backwards. How long will it take you to enter this field?
 * 2) What must you do now? Next year? In college? After college? Create a step-by-step plan on how you can enter this field.
 * 3) At each step, what requirements must be met? For example, a doctor must go to college and take biology classes, but what grades must you have? Are there specific classes or types of schools that you must go to? Explain.

**Step 4:** Compile your information for each career onto a separate sheet. Type the information as a formal report. Use Times New Roman font size 12. This will be graded and included in your portfolio.

**Grading:** 10 points: completed Career Clusters Quiz sheet 15 points: participation and focus in class 75 points: final, typed summaries of research. Final copies will be graded based on accuracy of comprehensive summary, attention to detail, and writing conventions. = =

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College Search Project ** = =  ** Step 1. Create a list of possible colleges. ( ** 10 points) = = Read the attached list of the different aspects of choosing the best college for you. = = Begin compiling a list of colleges that interest you and offer your academic interest or major. = =

= = Use the Peterson’s College Search engine at []. Once on the website, you can choose to search by state, major or other specific aspects of college life.

You may also use the college search engine at [|http://collegeboard.org]to help you. = = = = Use the search engine to find ten schools that interest you. List them below.

** Step 2 ** : **Narrow your choices.** (10 points) = = Identify a reach, match and safety school. Choose one of each to research for your project.

As you research colleges, remember to look for a "reach," a "match," and a "safety" school. A reach school should be a school that has challenging admissions and may be difficult to afford. A match school should be a school in which you have a reasonable chance of being accepted and can reasonably afford. A safety school should be a school to which you know you can get in and can afford. = =

= = ** Step 3. ** **Research your three colleges.** (60 points) = = Complete the attached worksheet for your reach, match and safety school. This will give you a good idea of how to compare them. Some of the information may be difficult to find. Use the websites of each school to help you find specific information about the school. You may also want to use the following websites: = = = =
 * []
 * []
 * [|http://www.collegeboard.com]

= = ** Step 4. Reflect on your research. ** (60 points) = = After finishing your research, reflect on each of the schools. Type a paragraph sharing what you found about each school. = = After your research, are you still interested in the school? If yes, what do you like about the school? What does it offer academically? How would you describe the college experience at the school? = = Or, did you research make you realize that this is not the school for you? If yes, why? What about the school do you think is not a good match? How can you use what you learned to help you search for more schools?

** DUE MONDAY, OCTOBER 31 ** = =

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= = = = = = = = = Career Research Project =

Research your possible careers using [|Occupational Outlook Handbook.]
For each career, write a paragraph about each of the following subjects.
 * 1) What is a job in this field like? What kind of working hours can you expect? What are the duties and roles of a person in this position? Are there different specialties within this profession? Explain.
 * 2) What type of training and education is needed for this career?
 * 3) What is the employment status of this career? Does the government project job growth, or will entering this field be difficult? What employment opportunities are there? What are the average salaries and earnings associated with this job?
 * 4) Now that you have researched this career, reflect on what you have learned. Is this still a career that interests you? Do any of the similar career choices interest you? Explain.

**Step 3:** For each profession, come up with a plan on how to enter the field.
 * 1) Think backwards. How long will it take you to enter this field?
 * 2) What must you do now? Next year? In college? After college? Create a step-by-step plan on how you can enter this field.
 * 3) At each step, what requirements must be met? For example, a doctor must go to college and take biology classes, but what grades must you have? Are there specific classes or types of schools that you must go to? Explain.

**Step 4:** Compile your information for each career onto a separate sheet. Type the information as a formal report. Use Times New Roman font size 12. This will be graded and included in your portfolio.

**Grading:** 10 points: completed Career Clusters Quiz sheet 15 points: participation and focus in class 75 points: final, typed summaries of research. Final copies will be graded based on accuracy of comprehensive summary, attention to detail, and writing conventions.