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Career Exploration and Information Sites

Details

Main Website:

https://www.cacareerzone.org/

Activity Description

Source: California Career Zone Homepage (License: Protected by Copyright (c) [i.e. screenshot])

For this activity use the site California CareerZone to help students explore, decide and grow their career future.

With the current state of the economy, more and more adult students are facing layoffs and unemployment. As a result, they are enrolling in adult education programs to retrain for new jobs or gain basic skills and technical abilities to keep their current jobs, or are exploring other career possibilities. These students may come to you with vocational and career-related questions, and the following online resources could be of assistance in answering their questions, or you may choose to incorporate job search and career exploration into your curriculum.

The document, Career Exploration, and Information Sites explore several useful sites, many of which have personality and skills inventories to help students find a field that suits their abilities, experiences, and preferences. Many sites also have videos showing people on the job, interviews, and current labor market information including demand, pay, and education or training required. The resource gives great guidance on how to organize your job preparation lesson plans.

Sites include:
California CareerZone, other budget, and salary-related sites, sites for personality and other types of self-assessments, sites to help students investigate a specific career, sites that use online classified advertisements, and other occupational online resources.

Preparation

Go to California CareerZone. Explore the three sections, Discover Possibilities, Explore Industry Sectors, and Your Career Hub.
Decide on the lesson topic.
Print handout: Job Search Basics.

How-To

Conduct a class discussion on career exploration.
Go over the handout on Job Search Basics.
Go to California CareerZone.
Assign students to find the area they are interested in.
Assign students to write a paragraph about what they learned.

Teacher Tips

This is such a huge topic, it will require more than one lesson. It could easily be a quarter course in itself.
Take time to evaluate the Web sites listed in the teacher handout (or on the live Web page.).

Program Areas

ABE: Adult Basic Education
ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation
ASE: High School Diploma

Levels

Intermediate
High

Lesson Plan

Warm-up

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and build motivation for career exploration.

Activity: Career Reflection Think-Pair-Share

Pose the question: “What is your dream job, and why?”
Have students write their answer in 2–3 sentences.
Then, have students turn to a partner and share their thoughts.
Open the floor for volunteers to share with the class..

Introduction

Overview:

Explain that the class will use California CareerZone to explore career options and assess personal interests, skills, and values.
Distribute and review the Job Search Basics handout (Teacher Resource: JobSearchBasics.doc).
Briefly explain the structure of the site:

1. Discover Possibilities (Assessments)
2. Explore Industry Sectors
3. Your Career Hub (Resumes, Job Search Tools)

Presentation

Enhancement Extension

Demonstration:

Project the website on the screen and walk through each section:
- Complete a sample assessment in “Discover Possibilities.”
- Navigate “Explore Industry Sectors” to show job outlook, pay, and education.
- Explore “Your Career Hub” for resume and job tools.

Highlight features like videos, job descriptions, and salary/budget calculators.

Practice

Student Activity:

Students log in to California CareerZone.
Complete one of the following:
- Explore 2–3 jobs from “Explore Industry Sectors”
Take notes using a guided worksheet or career interest organizer (editable handout provided on request).

Evaluation

Engagement Enhancement

Student Work:

Write a paragraph or short reflection (5–7 sentences) responding to:
“Which career(s) interest you most and why? What surprised you about the job requirements, salary, or demand?”
Share responses in small groups or post reflections on a class Padlet board for peer feedback.

Application

Extension

Options:

Explore a second career assessment on the site.
Interview someone in a career of interest and write a summary.
Create a sample budget using the "Make Money Choices" tool on California CareerZone.
Begin building a resume using tools in “Your Career Hub.”

Documents

JobSearchBasics.doc - Job Search Basics
Career Exploration and Information Sites accessible.docx - Article about Career Exploration--great insights

Subjects

Reading
- Employability

Creative Commons License

CC BY: This license allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.

Conditions

Permitted Uses Educational and Personal Use: Individuals are encouraged to utilize the platform for personal career planning and educational purposes. Classroom Integration: Educators may incorporate California CareerZone resources into their curricula to assist students in exploring career options and planning educational pathways. wlac.edu Non-Commercial Sharing: Materials from the site can be shared in non-commercial settings, such as classrooms or workshops, provided they are not altered and proper attribution is maintained.

AI Reference

ChatGPT was used to rewrite this lesson in the WIPPEA format