Go Get It! Careers

Help your students see what’s possible in their lifetime of work before they head off to their post-secondary school of choice. Next time 10 of the 30 seniors in your class are talking about going to school to become a Forensic Scientist, Doctor or Lawyer, pull this activity out (or introduce it in middle school or early in their high school careers – thinking big early on never hurts!).

On your word, have students move through your classroom and choose any random object (magazine, pen, desk, hoodie, ipod, door, software package, etc.). Then, either as an entire class, or splitting the class into small groups of 3 or 4, have students focus on one object at a time and talk through every career that was involved in its design, development, production, marketing, delivery and sale. As discussion progresses, help students understand that the listed careers are options for their futures. If you want to explore the subject more, have students list out all the careers involved in their object coming into being and research the required training and salary potential each involves.
Career Development Tip for June 5, 2008