TUESDAY, Feb. 28, 2012 Two sessions: one at 9:00
AM CENTRAL
TIME and one at 10:00 AM CENTRAL TIME
The current economic recovery in the United States is in a steady upswing, not a hiring boom, and students will need to be strategic about how and where they pursue employment in the next seven or eight years.
Occupational experts say that America is climbing out of the recession and that job opportunities are getting better now than they've been for a long time. But what does this mean for students hoping to prepare for a career? What can students do in 2012 to be strong candidates in the future job market?
Jobs are not expected to be plentiful in 2012 or even for several years afterward. America may see a repeat of what happened after the recession of 2001, when 39 months passed before employment rose back to pre-recession levels. This recovery is a “patchwork” recovery, with some industries bouncing back much faster than others. An example happened in March 2010, when manufacturers were adding jobs, the news and information business was still losing jobs.
That's why the idea of “I'll find some kind of job” is not an adequate career plan for students in 2011. Students will need to choose specific goals and develop smart strategies to take advantage of the opportunities that a future economy will have to offer.
Presenter: Paula Harrison, Career
Trainer from Tennessee Career Center
Target Audience: Grades 7-12
COST: $75 for each
videoconference session.
FORMAT: 45 minutes in length.
Format is 25-30 minutes presentation and then 15-20 minutes for question
and answer session.
OBJECTIVES:
Students will:
1) Gain an understanding of the wide range of preparation required for different
career paths
2) See the connection between higher education choices and career goals.
3) Become aware of the fastest growing careers in the future job market
4) Practice a decision-making model.
5) Write a personal Career Plan of Action.
6) Recognize the value of long-range career planning.
PRE-ACTIVITIES:
Teacher will initiate a discussion of the world of careers.
Ask students what kinds of factors affect career decisions. (Elicit the following: skills; interests; geographic factors (e.g. fishing requires access to a body of water; farming requires a rural setting, to work in certain industries, it is necessary to be near the industrial centers.); educational opportunities; salary requirements; working conditions.)
Ask students to indicate if they feel they have a strong career direction.
Students will select some possible careers (2 per student). At least one should be
a career they are interested in pursuing; the other may be the career of someone
they know or have heard about.
Students will go online and complete research about these careers. Following the
class research, students will give class presentations about their chosen careers.
These presentations should include these five listed questions and answers.
Class Presentations Questions:
1) Where can you find a job in this career?
2) Is there an opportunity for advancement?
3) Where can you go for training after high school?
4) What kind of training is required?
Apprenticeship, technical school, 2 or 4 year college; advanced degrees?
5) What courses should students take in high school to prepare for this career?
LESSON:
A focused career strategy for students is to spotlight fast-growing fields, where job opportunities tend to be more plentiful than in other fields. According to information from the Labor Department, these 11 fields are projected to grow fastest through 2018.
1. Management, Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
Hottest jobs in this field: network systems and data communications analysts; industrial engineers; financial analysts; customer service representatives; and public relations specialists.
2. Computer Systems Design and Related Services
Hottest jobs in this field: network systems and data communications analysts; network and computer systems administrators; accountants and auditors; computer software engineers, systems software; and computer support specialists
3. Social Assistance
Hottest jobs in this field: medical and public health social workers; special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten and elementary school; first-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers; occupational therapists; and social and human service assistants
4. Software Publishers
Hottest jobs in this field: network and computer systems administrators; computer systems analysts; computer support specialists; market research analysts; and customer service representatives
5. Scientific Research and Development Services
Hottest jobs in this field: biomedical engineers; network systems and data communications analysts; biochemists and biophysicists; medical scientists, except epidemiologists; and compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety and transportation
6. Health Care
Hottest jobs in this field: nurses; physician assistants; physical therapist aides; speech-language pathologists; physical therapist assistants; and physical therapists
7. Employment Services
Hottest jobs in this field: accountants and auditors; customer service representatives; construction laborers; computer software engineers, systems software; and computer software engineers, applications
8. Construction
Hottest jobs in this field: heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers; septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners; telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers; purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail and farm products; and cost estimators
9. Early Childhood Education and Child Day Care Services
Hottest jobs in this field: preschool and kindergarten teachers; special education teachers for preschool, kindergarten and elementary school teachers; office clerks, general; and first-line supervisors/managers of personal service workers
10. Advocacy, Grant Making and Civic Organizations
Hottest jobs in this field: network systems and data communications analysts; compliance officers, except agriculture, construction, health and safety and transportation; compensation, benefits and job analysis specialists; market research analysts; and customer service representatives
11. Educational Services
Hottest jobs in this field: network systems and data communications analysts; self-enrichment education teachers; customer service representatives; loan counselors; and medical scientists
Students must keep in mind that these 11 fields are not the only fields where job opportunities will be available. They are the fastest-growing, but jobs can still be found in many fields that are not growing as fast. . . . jobs can even be found in fields that are shrinking.
Post Activities:
In this post activity, students will write a personal Career Step Plan of Action outlining the career steps they anticipate taking in order to achieve their ultimate career goal.
The Career Step Plan of Action should include the types of jobs they will have, why each job step is important in achieving their ultimate career goal, and how long they predict they will stay employed at each step.
Teacher will ask “What things are important to you in a job? “What things are you looking for in a job?” List these items on the board or whiteboard. This list might include such as items as status, income, power, geographic location, and opportunity for advancement. Keep in mind that this list could be unlimited because each individual will place value on different criteria.
Once the list is complete, encourage students to think in terms of long-term planning. . . . look at a job in terms of opportunities the job might provide in the future and not just what it provides for today.
