CAREER QUEST

Introduction | Task | Information Sources | Conclusion
Process | Guidance | Teacher Notes

Introduction

This webquest will guide you through three lessons to help you answer the question of
"What will I be when I grow up? It is designed to take three to five class periods to complete. If you need more time you will have to finish it outside of class. In this WebQuest you will investigate the steps to career search success, complete a questionairre about your aptitudes and interests, research careers that match your interests, develop a career path, select an immediate career goal and describe the conditions and specifications of the career goal.

***To best navigate this webquest, please read all the directions in each section prior to visiting any links. Remember you can use your browser's BACK and FORWARD buttons for navigation also.

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Tasks

Task One

If you work an 8-hour day from the age of 22 to the age of 62, and never work overtime, you will still spend 400,000 hours at your job. That's a long time to be miserable, so it's really important to choose a career that you will enjoy. This first activity will show you sites on the Internet that will help you with your career choice decision.

Activities:

• Read the on-line article "Introduction to Career Planning." Please note that this is a
  Canadian Website. But the information is good.
• Be sure to include the steps for career success in your reading.
• Use your browser's Back button to return to this page
• Click on here Introduction to Career Planning Work Sheet.
• Print your worksheet. Unless your teacher has copies ready.
• Summarize each step for your career success into one sentence.

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Task Two

You will complete an on-line interest/aptitude survey that will indicate what career clusters match your interests. From the suggested top ten ranking careers, you will choose a career category to research.

Activities:

• Go to this Web site: Career Questionnaire
• Read and complete the online Career Questionnaire
• Print your completed Questionnaire
• Submit it (on the computer)!
• Print the results of your questionnaire listing your top ten ranking careers.
• Read the results. From the top ten ranking careers, choose one career category.
• Under the heading of Training/Advancement, go to the section that shows
  Related Majors from the College Board Guide to 150 Popular Majors.
• Select one topic to research further.
• Use your browser's Back button to return to this page
• Research the career. Read the career description, pay close attention to the
  sections listed on the Research The Career Worksheet.
• Print ( Unless your teacher has copies ready) and complete the work sheet to
  document your findings.

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Task Three

You will use critical thinking skills to analyze information from different sources about the career you researched. The importance of this task is to learn that different sources may have different or conflicting information. Be sure to think about the authenticity of the information you find.

Activities:

• Choose an optional online career resource; from one below or of your choice
• Read and compare the data in this new site with your original site.
• Print the Comparision Worksheet. Unless your teacher has copies ready.
• Using the Comparison Worksheet, list three similarities and three differences in
  information about your career choice.

OPTIONAL CAREER RESOURCES:

• http://www.careersonline.com
• http://www.jobstar.org/tools/career/spec-car.htm
• http://www.bls.gov/ocohome.htm

**Extra credit- complete an additional RESEARCH THE CAREER WORKSHEET using the data found on the new site.

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Information Sources

Suggested Information Sources for the Career Quest:

• Career Questionaire, Interest and aptitude survey
• Introduction to Career Planning, Article about career success
• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Careers on Line
• JobStar

Related Resources:

• The Riley Guide
• The Keirsey Temperment Sorter
• America's Career InfoNet
• Dictionary Of Occupational Titles Index
• VALS - Values, Attitudes and Life Styles. Find out to which of the eight lifestyle
  groups you belong. Used widely in marketing. 42 questions.

** Not all sources need to be Internet Sources.

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Conclusion

Having completed this web quest, you should understand what it takes to be a success at your career. You will also learn what career categories are best suited to your individual interests and aptitudes. You will have investigated a career category and learned the specifics about career in that field. And just maybe, you will have learned the answer to the question, What are you going to be?

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Process 

A list, that the student is to follow to complete the Career Quest.

1. Read all directions on the Career Quest Website.
2. Read the on-line article "Introduction to Career Planning."
3. Be sure to include the steps for career success in your reading.
4. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page
5. Click on here Introduction to Career Planning Work Sheet.
6. Print your worksheet.
7. Summarize each step for career success into one sentence.
8. Go to this Web site: Career Questionnaire
9. Read and complete the online Career Questionnaire
10. Print your completed Questionnaire
11. Submit it (on the computer)!
12. Print the results of your questionnaire listing your top ten ranking careers.
13. Read the results. From the top ten ranking careers, choose one career category.
14. Under the heading of Training/Advancement, go to the section that shows
    Related Majors from the College Board Guide to 150 Popular Majors.
15. Select one topic to research further.
16. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page
17. Research the career. Read the career description, pay close attention to the
    sections listed on the Research The Career Worksheet.
18. Print and complete the work sheet to document your findings.
19. Choose an optional online career resource; from one below or of your choice
20. Read and compare the data in this new site with your original site.
21. Print the Comparision Worksheet.
22. Using the Comparison Worksheet, list three similarities and three differences in
    information sources about your career choice.

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Guidance

Two Rubrics are provided here for evaluation of the Career Quest.

Individual Rubric Used for individual assessment. This rubric will be completed by the instructor for individual student work.

Collaboration Rubric Used if working in pairs or groups. This rubric will be completed by each teammate for each of the other team members.

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Teacher Notes

This WebQuest is designed to teach the Level A: Career Development Competencies for Jobs for America's Graduates including:

A.1 Identify occupational interests, aptitudes and abilities.
A.2 Relate interests, aptitudes and abilities to appropriate occupations.
A.3 Identify desired life style and relate to selected occupations.
A.4 Develop a career path for a selected occupation.
A.5 Select an immediate job goal.
A.6 Describe the conditions and specifications of the job goal.

In addition students will gain competency in these additional areas:

• Awareness of the benefits of educational achievement
• Awareness of the relationship between work and learning
• Development of skills to understand and use career information
• Awareness of the career planning process

Three to Four class periods should be adequate time to complete the Career Quest.

Ideally, each student would work alone, however if necesary, they could work in pairs or teams. Evaluation rubrics are included for individual and collaborative work.

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Introduction | Task | Information Source
Process | Guidance | Conclusion | Teacher Notes

This page written by MaryLou Ireland
Last updated October 17, 2000.

This page was adapted from Bernie Dodge 's WebQuest_Template1.html by Tom March