Job exploration counseling

Job Exploration Counseling

Job Exploration Counseling, or Career counseling can include a wide variety of professional activities which help individuals with career-related issues. Career counselors work with youth seeking to explore career options, experienced professionals contemplating a career change, parents who want to return to the world of work after taking time to raise their child, or people seeking employment. Career counseling is also offered in various settings, including in groups and individually, in person or virtually¹.

Discussion or counseling of job exploring options are intended to foster motivation, consideration of opportunities and informed decision-making. Specific to youth, real-world activities ensure that students recognize the relevance of a high school and post-school education to their futures, both in college and/or the workplace. Job exploration counseling activities can be done in conjunction with private, for-profit, public or nonprofit businesses in your community and/or through web-based resources².

Job Exploration Counseling may include discussion or information on:

• The student's vocational interest inventory results
• The labor market
• In-demand industries and occupations,
• Non-traditional employment options,
• Administration of vocational interest inventories, and
• Identification of career pathways of interest to the students.

Students may be participating in a number of pre-employment transition services or transition services through VR or Education. Discussion or counseling on the results of some of these activities can help to identify viable career options or solidify careers that a student will want to explore further.

Other Job Exploration Activities, may include:

• Career Awareness
• Career Speakers
• Career Student Organization

• Career Awareness

  In the Career Awareness phase of career development planning, is to understand how personal work related values applies to opportunities through the world of work. Developing your career awareness means gaining knowledge of career paths and job opportunities and the skills and qualifications necessary to be successful in these positions. 

• Career Speakers provide an overview of a specific job or career area. The speaker typically presents to a class, large group or small group of students for a short period of time. Artifacts and or photos are used to enhance the presentation. These sessions are typically informative, motivational and provide recommendations for additional career exploration activities.

• Career Student Organization

  Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs)³ are vocational organizations primarily based in high schools and career technology centers. Often, on the state level, they are integrated into Departments of Education or incorporated as nonprofit organizations⁴.

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¹Kidd, J.M., Career Counseling(06/26/2007).

²Author, unknown. (12/06/2010). UC Davis Career Compass Core Competencies Model.

³U.S. Department of Education (2013-04-04). Career and Technical Student Organizations.

⁴Bastiaens, T. (2006). Competence-based learning in virtual environments. In T. Reeves & S. Yamashita (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education 2006 (pp. 1046-1053). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

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