Developed by: Kathy Russell
Revised: Spring 2002

Level:6-8

Will I LIKE My Job?

 


Standards

Learning
Expectations

This activity will help students acquire competencies which relate to the following standards:

4. Career awareness and employment readiness skills
5. Career information and career goals

The student will: 

4.1 Demonstrate awareness of personal abilities, work habits, skills, and interests
5.2 Use technology and other resources to research and obtain career information

 

General
Approach

The general approach to this lesson is that the counselor will discuss the concept that people have interests and abilities that influence what kind of job in which they will be happy and productive.  Then the counselor will explain that each student will interact with two questionnaires on two separate web sites that will help them find what kinds of jobs they may be best suited for.  Then the students will explore three jobs suggested on the second web site that may be suited for them.  The students will fill out a counselor-produced worksheet about these web sites, answering questions about interests, skills, abilities, education (with explanation of the various levels) and similar jobs in the field.

 

Activity
Steps

Lead students in a discussion as follows:

There are many reasons why people choose the jobs they do. One man, John Holland, has developed a theory that many career guidance people agree with.  The basic assumptions of his theory are that:

1) In our culture, most persons can be put into one of six types:
realistic, investigative, artistic, social enterprising, or conventional.
2) There are also six types of environments that are categorized by the same names.
3) People search for environments that will let them exercise their skills and abilities, express their attitudes and values, and take on agreeable problems and roles.
4) A person's behavior is determined by interaction between his personality and the characteristics of his environment.

In other words, people choose jobs in environments that fit their personalities.  Today you are going to fill out 2 questionnaires that will help you think about what categories you might fit into.  Then you will have a chance to look at three jobs that match your
personal type with the same kind of environment.

At this point the counselor would hand out the worksheet containing web site addresses and questions to be completed at each web site.  When the students had completed the worksheet, the counselor would discuss the following with them:

What do you think the differences are between interests, skills ,and abilities?  Yes, interests are developed because of your basic personality type and because of the surroundings you have been reared in.  Skills are special things you are trained to do either on the job, at home, or during your education. Abilities are capacities that you can improve, but you have some natural inclination towards them before you are trained.

Have the students give examples of each from the research that they have done on their jobs.

Lastly, discuss the education needed for jobs.  Refer to the list that you have provided on the worksheet, delineating the various levels of education.  Have the students tell some of the different levels of education that they have found necessary for various jobs within their personality and environment type.

 

Time Required

This activity will require three 20-30 minute sessions.  The preliminary discussion and the first questionnaire will take place in the first session.  The second session will entail the second questionnaire and filling out the worksheet.  The third session will be used for the students
to discuss the differences in skills, interests, and abilities, as well as the various educational levels.

 


Resources Needed

Web site addresses to prepare for the class

 

Performance
Indicators
  • The student will be able to list the basic kinds of post-secondary schools and what kinds of degrees can be gained from each of them.
  • The student will be able to differentiate between skills, interests, and abilities.
  • The student will be able to list his Holland code and what each of the three letters stand for.
  • The student will be able to list a job in his personal and environment type and what education would be needed to obtain that job.