Unit 1: Welcome . . . . . ……………

4

Key Messages

5

Timeline

6

Activity 1.1: Notebook/Portfolio

9

Activity 1.2 Brainstorm A-Z Job Titles

11

Activity 1.3: What Do You Want To Do?

12

Unit 2: Career Interest Assessments …………………………………………………………..

13

Activity 2.1: Explore MassCIS

15

Activity 2.2: Career Directions: An Informal Checklist for Exploring Your Career Interests

16

Unit 3: Looking at Labor Market Data …………………

21

Where is Data Available?

21

Industry and Occupation Data

22

Massachusetts Employment, By Industry

22

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Massachusetts

23

30 Most Common Occupations

23

Employment Projections

25

Fastest Growing Occupations

25

Occupations with the Largest Growth

25

Activity 3.1: Graphing – Wages

26

Activity 3.2: Graphing – Employment

27

Activity 3.3: Discussion

27

Activity 3.4: Brainstorm Goals

Activity 3.5: Research with MassCIS

Activity 3.6: Talk with Friends and Family

28

Unit 4: Informational Interviewing & Career Outlook Interviews ……………………

37

Career Profile: Owner/Manager, Deli and Catering Business

Activity 4.1: Career Outlook Interview

44

Activity 4.2: Browse Interviews

Activity 4.3: How Important are These Skills?

Unit 5: The New Economy . . . . . .

55

Career Profile: Electronics Engineering Technician

55

Excerpt: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas 2003 Annual Report "A Better Way: Productivity and Reorganization in the American Economy " by W. Michael Cox and Richard Alm

57

Activity 5.1: Local Economic History

58

Activity 5.2:  Economic Research Resources

58

Activity 5.3: A Mosaic Economy

Unit 6: Education and Career Options …………………………………………………………

30

“Education Pays” from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

30

25 Fastest Growing Occupations

31

Activity 6.1: Graphing Education and Earnings

33

Activity 6.2: Education And Earnings

33

Activity 6.3: Career Profiles

35

Activity 6.4: Read About Apprenticeships

34

Activity 6.5: Learning about Military Careers

36

Unit 7: Spotlight on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math …………………….

59

Career Profile: Senior Scientist, Contract Research Organization

60

Career Profile: Senior Programming Analyst

61

Activity 7.1: Career Summary

62

Activity 7.3: College Programs

62

Activity 7.3: Manufacturing Chartbook

62

Unit 8: Spotlight on the Arts …………………………………………………………………..

63

Career Profile: Art Investment and Appraisal

63

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Massachusetts, for Arts, Design and Media Occupations

64

Career Profile: Creative and Technical Director / Marketing Firm

65

Activity 8.1: Career Summary

66

Activity 8.2: College Programs

66

Activity 8.3:  Arts and the Local Economy

66

Unit 9: Spotlight on the Building Trades …………………………………………………….

67

Career Profile: HVAC Contractor

67

Career Profile: Electrician

68

Construction Employment in Massachusetts

69

Construction Employment in Massachusetts

69

Activity 9.1: Career Summary

71

Activity 9.2: Construction and the Local Economy

71

Activity 9.3: Employment and Earnings Graph

71

Activity 9.4: Body Awareness

72

Activity 9.5: Focus on Non-Traditional Employment

73

Unit 10: Spotlight on the Hospitality Industry ………………………………………………..

74

First Jobs in the Hospitality Sector

74

Career Profile: Concierge

75

Activity 10.1: Career Summary

76

Activity 10.2: College Programs

76

Unit 11: Spotlight on Health Care ………………………………

77

Career Profile: Director of Pastoral Care and Patient Advocacy

79

Career Profile: Home Health Nurse

80

Activity 11.1: Career Summary

81

Activity 11.2: College Programs

81

Activity 11.3: Healthcare Chartbook

81

Activity 11.4: Case Studies

82

Unit 12: Entrepreneurship . . . . . .

83

Employment and Self-Employment in Selected Occupations

84

Activity 12.1: Self Employment Opportunities

85

Activity 12.2: Creativity Exercises

86

Unit 13: Workplace Skills . . . . . ……….

41

What Skills are Important?

Foundation Skills

43

Skills for a 21^st Century Economy

Activity 13.1: Do’s and Don’ts List

45

Activity 13.2: Role-Play Exercises/Case Study Exercises:

45

Activity 13.3: Workplace Safety.

45

Activity 13.4: Career Skills Research

46

Unit 14:  Lifelong Career Strategies ……………………………………………………………

87

Activity 14.1: Problem Solving

88

Activity 14.2: Five Steps of Problem Solving

89

Activity 14.3: Budgeting and Salaries

90

Unit 15:  Writing a Resume . . . . .

91

Activity 17.1: Resume Templates

95

Activity 17.2: Organizing Information

95

Activity 17.3: List of Action Words

96

Activity 17.4: List of Resume Skills

96

Unit 16:  Interviewing and Job Search . . . . .

Activity 18.1: Interviewing with Confidence – Interview Questions

98

Activity 18.2: Interviewing with Confidence – Evaluating the Interview

99

Activity 18.3: Job Search

100

Unit 17: Next Steps, College Majors and First Jobs ………………………………………...

97

Activity 17.1: Decision Making Styles

101

Activity 17.2: Web Resources

102

Appendix 1: Analyzing and Presenting Data with Graphs and Charts ………………….

103

Data Set #1: Educational Attainment of the U.S. Population Age 25 and Over, 1940 – 2007

105

Data Set #2: Educational Attainment the U.S. Population by Age Group, 1940 to 2000

107

Data Set #3: Value Added, by Sector, Selected Countries

108

Data Set #4: Per Capita Gross Domestic Product

109

Data Set #5: Life Expectancy at Birth for Selected Countries

110

Data Set #6: Educational Attainment of Workers Age 25-44 by Occupation

111

Exercises

112

Sample Graphs

121

Appendix 2: Career Exploration Checklists  ………………………

129

Appendix 3: Skills Portfolios  ………………………

129

Appendix 4: Interests, Skills and Work Values Reflection …………………………………

134

List of Work Values

134

Interests, Skills and Work Values Reflection

135