Career Exploration Activities

Career exploration can be brought to your school! NWTC utilizes technology and career materials to help students learn about career opportunities and how each job matches his/her personalities and interests. These tools also provide information on job responsibilities, education requirements, college information, salary information, and much more!

Either through the use of a computer lab and the Internet or by use of laptops from NWTC, software can be used to bring career information to students. Typical programs that NWTC can share with students include Career Visions, Wisconsin Careers, and Career Carnival.

NWTC can also engage students in in-depth interest inventories to help them discover useful information regarding themselves and the world of work. As a part of the career exploration software listed previously, students can complete an interest inventory. Students are asked to rank different statements from "like a lot" to "dislike a lot". Over 700 jobs within the software are then narrowed down into categories based on student responses, giving the student a list of potential job opportunities.

This activity is recommended for grades 6-8, although pieces of the program can be streamlined depending on the age group.

Another fun and colorful interest inventory that can be used for students in grades 4-8 including special education students is the Explorer Workbook . Students are asked to choose things they enjoy doing or might like to do. These items are color coded, so when the students finish the list they can add up each category and find the career cluster that best fits them. A list of jobs for each cluster is provided. As a wrap-up for this exercise, students discuss the dynamics of these characteristics in the classroom.

The Career Game is a longer version of the Explorer Workbook , and is typically used for upper middle school and high school students. This colorful interest inventory also asks student about different activities to help them determine a career cluster that matches their interests. A list of careers is not included in the booklet, however one has been developed for each cluster.

Both the Explorer Edition and The Career Game are in booklets that the students can keep. This can be a great edition to their career portfolio or to share with parent(s).

Questions? Contact: Erica Gilson , Events/Middle School Specialist at 498-6817 or 1-800-422-6982 ext. 6817