IACAC’s 3rd Counselor Camp-Career Pathways

I am excited to have the opportunity to attend the IACAC Counselor Camp on March 1, and looking forward to sharing one of my favorite activities to do with incoming freshman. Check it out!

Resources

1. Career Cluster Interest Survey
2. Career Clusters QuickList
3. 16 Career Clusters and their Career Pathways w/ access to Sample Plan of Study
4. Career Conversation Starters
5. ASCA U Career Development Specialist (This is an awesome PD Resource)

How I use it the Career Cluster Interest Survey

• Audience: Incoming Freshman (8th graders) 
• Method: This could vary depending on how you access your 8th graders. The goal is to have them take the assessment, self score it and record their top 3 Career Clusters of Interest for you to use as you help them devise a freshman year schedule. This early attention to tying courses to career clusters of interest does not lock them into a career, so it is a little less overwhelming. It simply opens up opportunities for career conversations.
• Idea #1: Correspond with 8th grade English Teachers, ask them to assign the survey for homework and return the results to you to compile. 
• Idea #2: Correspond with 8th grade English Teachers, ask them to assign the survey for homework. Visit the classroom to review the results with students and do a short lesson on career clusters/education planning and how this all aligns with community service opportunities, extra-curriculars and P/S career goals-- and of course how they can use their top cluster to help them select courses for freshman year. Draft a 4-year plan. 
• Idea #3: Distribute the survey to 8th graders with their forecasting materials and ask that they indicate their Career Cluster on their Course Forecasting Sheet. Provide a resource with ideas on which freshman courses align with each career cluster. Assist them in selecting courses that align with their Career Cluster of interest

Alignment with Illinois PaCE: Postsecondary and Career Expectations

This process is a beginning step to helping your students think long term and eventually prepare to build an individualized learning plan (4-year plan).

By the end of 8th grade

• Students should be supported to:
• Complete a career cluster survey
• Attend a career exploration day
• Complete a unit on education planning
• Be exposed to a finance literacy unit in a course or workshop

• A student should know:
• The concept of Career Clusters for further exploration
• Possible career clusters of interest
• Relationship between community service/extracurricular activities and post-secondary (PS) career goals

Check out the PACE Checklist here.