Michigan 4-H Youth Development: Careers


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4-H Youth Development Michigan State University 160 Agriculture Hall East Lansing, MI 48824-1039 USA Phone: 517-432-7575 Fax: 517-355-6748 Email: msue4h@msu.edu Disclaimer & Indicia

Career Exploration Tools

Following are links to Web sites to help guide you through your personal career exploration and tools to help you explore what career fits your personal interests.

(Note: Documents noted as "PDF" format require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Documents noted as "PowerPoint" format require Microsoft PowerPoint software.)

Holland Self-Directed Search
http://www.self-directed-search.com/
If your school doesn’t offer career assessment tools or you want to move ahead and explore on your own, you’ve come to the right place. This self-directed search costs a minimal fee and provides a personalized report that shows career pathways that are a close match with personal interests.

Discover
http://www.act.org/discover/index.html
This career planning program is used with Michigan State University students. The program is aimed at individuals from high school through adulthood, and a middle school version is also offered. It is also used in many schools across the state and nation. Discover has a free 30-day trial period.

Princeton Review
http://princetonreview.com/home.asp
The Princeton Review offers information on career and college exploration and how to find scholarships and financial assistance for post-high school education. The best part is that it’s FREE!

Career Pathways
http://www.mycareerconnections.org/pages/career/career.html
Career Pathways (from Capital Area Michigan Works!) helps simplify the thousands of different occupations into six different categories:

Arts and Communications
Business, Management, Marketing and Technology
Engineering/Manufacturing and Industrial Technology
Health Sciences
Human Services
Natural Resources and Agriscience

Connect to the six Career Pathways and click on the link to each to learn more about what types of careers are offered in each, the types of coursework needed in school and how much education is needed. Use this information for more in-depth career exploration.

Career Library (school, public or college)
Confused about the many career options out there? Don’t forget your local library can be very helpful. School, public or local college libraries often have sections devoted to career exploration. If you don’t know if your library has one or where it’s located, ask the librarian.

Get in the Act! 4-HCCS Curriculum
Get in the Act! Take 1 curriculum is different from many traditional career planning tools that focus on resumes and interviewing. Get in the Act! activities help middle school youth look at personal qualities, teamwork and critical thinking skills as they prepare for the world of work. The curriculum includes a fun, interactive CD that helps youth learn about their “True Colors,”a personality profile that helps identify potential job areas to consider and “On the Job Choices” which illustrates common workplace challenges experienced by youth. To download a "Get in the Act" flyer (Adobe Acrobat PDF format) go to http://www.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/careers/documents/GetInTheActFlier.pdf. To learn more about Get in the Act!, go to the National 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System, Inc. Web site at http://www.n4hccs.org.

Get in the Act! PowerPoint Presentation
http://www.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/careers/documents/GetInTheAct.ppt
Download the Get in the Act! PowerPoint presentation and use it to help give an overview of the curriculum’s goals and highlights. Feel free to modify this PowerPoint to meet your needs.

WOW! Wild Over Work Curriculum
WOW! Wild Over Work curriculum is designed to help volunteers and teachers introduce young people in grades K to 6 to skills and behaviors they will need in the workforce of the future. The curriculum consists of hands-on experiential activities in career exploration and skill development. The Helper’s Guide packet contains background information for the helper as well as developmentally appropriate activities for young people. The guide is organized around four related themes: Work Around Me, Work in My Community, Work Around the World and Work in My Future. (100 pages, volunteer/teacher guide and group activity guide). Currently out of print with 4-HCCS. For a copy, please contact Laura Allen at lacourse@anr.msu.edu or 517-432-7632.

WOW! Wild Over Work PowerPoint Presentation
http://www.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/careers/documents/WildOverWork.ppt
Also available for those who want to introduce WOW! to a group is the WOW! Wild Over Work PowerPoint presentation.

Contact Information

For more information on how to get involved as a youth or volunteer, contact your county MSU Extension office or:

Laura Allen, 4-H Career Education Coordinator
4-H Youth Development
160 Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824

Phone: 517-432-7632
Fax: 517-355-6748
Email: lacourse@anr.msu.edu