Click the above link to view Word documents for all the handouts and the Instructor Manual for this chapter.
Administer a Career Interest Inventory
The material on interests in the textbook is a good introduction to the Strong Interest Inventory and will help students to understand and interpret their results. If possible, administer the Strong Interest Inventory to your students. This validated inventory provides students with useful information on career interests and matching careers. It can be used in conjunction with the Do What You Are personality type inventory to provide students with options for career decision making.
Here are some other options:
· Choices Planner
· The Self-Directed Search
· Other online assessments are listed on the Internet Links for this chapter.
Twenty Things You Like to Do
The exercise Twenty Things You Like to Do, is included in the print edition and can be used as a supplemental exercise for the online edition. The exercise is a good introductory exercise for this chapter. Explain the exercise and use a timer to challenge the students to list twenty things they like to do in 5-7 minutes. As students are thinking, read the questions included with the exercise as a cue to stimulate thinking. For example ask, “What do you like to do in the summer?” Pause while the students are thinking and writing and then ask another question. Most students are able to come up with the 20 answers and have fun with the exercise. Then have the students analyze the exercise using the symbols located on the back of the exercise. Ask students to share their top interest with the class. As a summary, have the students answer the questions at the bottom of the exercise.
After the students have completed the exercise, use the Lifestyle Triangle exercise as a way to think about a balanced lifestyle and to summarize this activity.
Party with Holland
Prepare six signs and post them around the room: Social, Artistic, Investigative, Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising. Tell the class that they are going to a party and will choose the group that they find most interesting. Go to each sign and describe each occupational interest area using the description in the text. Then ask students to go to the sign which represents the group that they would find most interesting and to talk with this group about their future career plans. After 5-7 minutes, announce that everyone in their group has to leave and select their second most interesting group. After 5-7 minutes, tell students that everyone in their group has to leave and to select the third most interesting group. The groups chosen will give students an understanding of Holland’s occupational interests and give them a rough estimate of their occupational interest preferences based on the groups that they found most interesting.
My Personal Coat of Arms
Drawing a coat of arms is a good way for students to think about their values and explain them to others. Begin with a brief history of the coat of arms:
When a knight participated in a tournament, he would be heralded by trumpets and asked to present his coat of arms and explain its meaning to the crowds. This was called the “blazoning of the arms.” The symbols on the coat of arms represented the knight’s important values and gave information about his heritage. For example, a bear was a symbol of strength, cunning and ferocity in protecting one’s kindred. A deer was a symbol of peace and harmony and one who would not fight unless provoked. For more information on the history and symbolism in the coat of arms, visit: http://www.fleurdelis.com/coatofarms.htm
Use the outline of the Coat of Arms for this exercise. Duplicate this exercise on card stock. Some creative sample Coat of Arms exercises completed by students are included in the PowerPoint for this chapter. Have them “blazon the arms” by presenting their coat of arms to their group or to the class.
Work Values Auction
This exercise helps student to think about what are the most important values in their ideal career. Tell students that you are giving each one of them $1,000 in imaginary dollars. You are going to hold an auction and students can use this money to purchase the values that are most important to them. Give each student the Work Values Auction worksheet with 20 values. Have students decide how much they are willing to bid on each item and fill in the first column of the worksheet which is “Amount you Plan to Spend.”
Then hold an auction. The first value is “earnings of a million dollars a year.” Ask students, “How much am I bid for this value?” If a student bids $500, for example, say, “I have a bid for $500. Do I have a higher bid?” When there are no higher bids or you get a bid of $1000, say, “Sold to ______for $1000 dollars.” Then go on to the other items on the list. Instruct students to record how much they bid in the “Amount bid” column and to place a checkmark in the column for “Items Won” if they have the winning bid. Auction off all 20 items.
After completing the exercise, have students fill in the “Important Work Value” column and list the values that are most important in their ideal career. For example, the work value for “earning a million dollars a year” is “wealth” or “money.”
Values Line
This is a kinesthetic exercise that gets students up and moving and helps students to understand their personal values and how the values of others can be different. Choose several opposite values such as:
Teamwork vs. Work independently
Security vs. Creativity
Acquiring wealth vs. Helping others
Safety vs. Adventure
Peace of mind vs. Challenge
Write these values on the board or make signs with each value. For example, write “teamwork” on one side of the board and “work independently” on the other side of the board. Ask students to stand up for what they believe and walk to the side of the room that corresponds with their most important value. They would choose to stand under “teamwork” or “work independently.” Some students may want to stand in the middle if they think both values are important. Ask each group to discuss why they chose to stand on one side of the room or in the middle. Each group then reports their discussion to the class. Stress that there are no right or wrong values. People make choices based on what they think is most important. It is important to be aware of personal values because if students make decisions based on their values, they are more likely to make good decisions.
Group Activity: Values in Action
The Values in Action exercise is included in the print edition and available as a supplemental exercise for the online edition. It is designed to help students understand the concept of using values to guide decisions and actions. Use the first scenario (What is my major?) as a warm up with the entire class to begin the discussion. You can also use this scenario to point out the necessity of doing career research to find out about job security and career outlook. Stress the fact that there is no best answer.
Then divide the students into groups and have them discuss the second scenario (Should I continue my education?). Again stress the fact that there is no right answer. Ask students to give their opinions about what is the right answer based on the values stated in the scenario. Ask each group to appoint a reporter for the group. When the small group discussions are finished, ask each reporter to summarize their group’s discussion. What decision should be made based on the values stated? Of course the students’ values influence their opinions. The second scenario is likely to raise questions about women’s issues or cultural diversity as well. Ultimately the person with the problem or dilemma has to make the decision that works best for them.
Give the students in the small groups enough time to read the scenario and discuss it, but not enough time to get bored and distracted. Giving a 7-10 minute time limit for discussion in small groups works well.
Using Music to Demonstrate Values
As an extra credit assignment, ask students to bring in songs that demonstrate one of their important values. Provide written lyrics for the class and play the song. This exercise also helps students get to know one another and to appreciate differences.
(Contributed by Raad Jerjis, Cuyamaca College)
Summing up Interests
This Summing up Interests exercise sums up the interest exercises within the chapter and suggests using the Occupations Finder to find matching careers. The Occupations Finder is available in most college Career Centers.
Summing up Values
The Summing up Values exercise summarizes the Values Checklist which is integrated in both the printed and online editions.
A card sort can be a hands-on variation of this exercise. Write each value on a 3X5 card. Have students sort the cards into two categories: important and not important. Then take the stack of important cards and find the ten most important values. List these values on the Summing up Values exercise. Continue with the exercise to identify the top five values and explain why each is important.
For Online Classes:
Online Discussion Question
This week's discussion is based on the exercise, Values in Action. This exercise challenges you to think about values and how they are the basis of good decisions. Choose one of the scenarios in this exercise and post your thoughts.
Scenario I challenges you to think about how values are related to choice of a major. Of course, Shawn should choose his own major, but if you were Shawn, what would you choose?
Scenario II challenges you to think about how values influence important life decisions. Again, Maria should make her own decisions, but if you were Maria, what choice would you make based on her values?
Online Assignment
Complete a vocational interest assessment. Here are some options:
· The Strong Interest Inventory
· Choices Planner
· The Self-Directed Search
· Other online assessments listed in the Internet Links for this chapter.