CENTRAL DAUPHIN SCHOOL DISTRICT
COOPERATIVE EDUCATION
CAREER RESEARCH PROJECT
Due Date:
· December 2, 2015 (or sooner)
· Included as part of 2nd Marking Period Grade
Grading:
· Worth 50 points
· Late projects will lose 5 points per day (up to 25 points)
I. INSTRUCTIONS FOR GETTING STARTED
ü Go to www.pacareerzone.org
ü Create an account using your school credentials
(if you do not create an account your work will not be saved from one session to
the next)
II. CLICK ON THE “EXPLORE” TAB TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES
ü Complete the Interest Profiler. When done:
· Click on “view results”
· Print the summary page
· Click on “view occupations” and review the list
· (optional: click on an occupation to learn more)
ü Complete the Skills Profiler. When done:
· Click on “view results”
· Print the summary page
· Click on “view occupations” and review the list
· (optional: click on an occupation to learn more)
ü Complete the Work Importance Profiler. When done:
· Click on “view results”
· Print the summary page
· Click on “view occupations” and review the list
· (optional: click on an occupation to learn more)
III. FROM THE HOME PAGE, CLICK ON THE “GROW” TAB
ü Go to “Personal Reports” and then “Portfolio Summary Report”
· Print the first two pages of this report
· Review and compare at least 2 careers that have check marks in 2 or more of your profiler reports
IV. FOCUS ON YOUR FOREMOST CAREER INTEREST TO WRITE A RESEARCH PAPER
ü Using the information that you gathered from the activities you completed in I –III above, write a paper. Follow the outline provided below.
ü Your paper must be 3-5 pages in length, double spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 pt. Arial font.
ü You may use www.bls.gov, www.educationplanner.org, or www.myfuture.com as additional resources if needed.
OUTLINE FOR CAREER RESEARCH PAPER
INTRODUCTION
What is the student’s name? What is the career interest?
BODY
ü Duties and responsibilities:
What is the nature of the work? What specific tasks do workers in this career perform? Are the work days repetitive or full of new experiences? Is the pace easy, or is the career a high pressure one? Is the work primarily physical or mental?
ü Working environment:
What are the working conditions for this occupation? Is the work done mainly indoors or outdoors? Is the work performed while sitting, standing, or on the move? Are the indoor facilities air conditioned and heated? Is the work environment dangerous in any way? Is the workplace clean, dirty, or dusty? Is the work performed alone or with others?
ü Working hours:
What are the normal working hours? Does the job require working weekends, nights, shifts, holidays, or overtime?
ü Aptitudes and abilities:
What aptitudes and abilities are needed for this career? What personal and physical qualities are needed for this career?
ü Education and training:
What are the educational and training requirements needed to enter and progress in this career? What are the qualifications for this occupation?
ü Data--people--things relationship:
Careers involve working with data, people, and things. Many careers entail working with all three categories. For any given career, though, one area tends to predominate. Will this career involve working with mostly data, people, or things? Please explain.
ü Salary and fringe benefits:
What is the beginning salary, average salary, and top salary for this career? Do workers in this career usually receive fringe benefits? If so, what are they?
ü Advancement:
What are the advancement opportunities for this career? Is the job you are looking at a “dead end” one? Can you be promoted to a better paying position with more responsibility?
ü Career outlook:
What is the future employment outlook for this career? Are there a lot of jobs available in the career area? What are the job trends? Will the industry get bigger or smaller?
CONCLUSION
What are your interests? How do your interests match the duties and responsibilities of the career? Will you enjoy these duties and responsibilities? Do your natural talents match the aptitudes and abilities for this career? Will you enjoy working in this career’s environment? Will this career provide you enough money to live the lifestyle you desire? Where do you plan to acquire the required education and training? How much time will be needed to complete the education/training program?