Exploring Careers

Conversation Starters: 

• How does the military fit into your goals? 

• How will the military help you advance your education or career? 

• How do you think joining the military will impact your lifestyle? Do you feel prepared for that change?

• What can you be doing now to explore a career in the military?

• Do you know what branch of the military you may be interested in? What are the pros and cons of the different branches? 

• Have you talked to people who have or currently serve in the military to learn more about the experience? Ask your MI@KP staff contact to see if there is someone in the MI@KP community to connect you with and explore our Informational Interview Resources. 

Helpful Links:

Home — Today's Military: Use this link to discover what it takes to join the Military and learn how a career of service can lead to a fulfilling life.

Steps to Join the Military: Use this link to learn about the benefits of serving your country, military career paths, and more.

Are You Eligible To Join The Military?: Use this link to learn the eligibility requirements to join the military.

ASVAB, What is ASVAB Test: Use this link to learn more about the ASVAB Test.

My Future: Use this link to receive information about colleges, careers and military service opportunities from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education and Labor.

Our Forces: Use this link to learn about the 7 branches in the military. 

General Air Force Link/s: Use these links to explore information about the Air Force.

About The Air Force

About The Air Force Reserve

General Army Link/s: Use these links to explore information about the Army.

About The Army

Recruit the Recruiter

General Army National Guard Link/s: Use this link to explore information about the Army National Guard.

About The Army National Guard

General Navy Link/s: Use these links to explore information about the Navy.

United States Navy Recruiting 

About the US Navy Reserve Mission

General Coast Guard Link/s: Use this link to explore information about the Coast Guard.

About The Coast Guard

General Marine Link/s: Use this link to explore information about the Marines.

Marines: United States Marine Corps | Marine Recruiting

General Space Force Link/s: Use this link to explore information about the Space Force.

About The Space Force

When you are thinking about careers and your life goals, all roads may not lead to a traditional four year college or university. Some career paths will lead you to vocational or technical college. At these schools, you will receive hands-on training and be set to go straight into the workforce with the skills you’ve learned. 

You don’t have to wait until you graduate from high school. Many high schools, including DCPS and select charter schools, have career and technical education programs. 

If you are considering being a…

• Hairdresser 

• Make-up artist 

• Medical Assistant 

• Dental Assistant 

• IT Professional 

• Bookkeeper 

• Mechanic 

• Builder 

• Plumber 

• Electrician 

• and more

Then technical school might be for you. Check out this site to learn the basics of technical school and explore what jobs you can have. Talk to your mentor about your options and try writing out a list with pros and cons of all your options! This is also a great opportunity to reach out for informational interviews with professionals who received career or technical education. 

Non-Degree Pathways: A DC Insider’s Perspective - Non-Degree Pathways uncovers diverse educational pathways and expand opportunities for students. Check out this resource to learn more about this post-high school pathway.

Head over to our Reaching Career Goals page to learn more about informational interviews and tools for exploring these careers.

What is a Gap Year or Year of Service?

A gap year is typically a year-long break before or after college/university during which students engage in various educational and developmental activities, such as travel or some type of regular work. Similarly, a year of service is an opportunity to develop real-world skills through hands-on service that is usually done during a year-long break before or after college/university.

Conversation Starters:

• What are my goals and how will a gap year help me in reaching these goals?

  • Some options you may want to consider include: volunteering, teaching, language immersion, environmental causes or conservation, adventure travel, outdoor and wilderness activities, the arts, social causes, or a combination of some of these options.

• Do I have the capacity to research and find the right gap year or year of service program for me?

  • Will I also be applying for college at the same time?

    • Some colleges/universities allow students to defer enrollment for a year to take a gap year (you should check with admissions at colleges you are applying to).

• What are the costs of these programs?

• What will I gain from these programs?

Links and Resources:

• General Tips on Taking a Gap Year

• Gap Year Pros and Cons

• Gap Year Survey and Results

Gap Year Databases:

*Make sure you research which programs have funding options or housing stipends available*

• AmeriCorps - Some of the KP Staff members are AmeriCorps members and alumni! Reach out to your staff contact if you want to learn more about this program from a KP staff member. 

• FoodCorps - Some of the KP Staff members are FoodCorps members and alumni! Reach out to your staff contact if you want to learn more about this program from a KP staff member.

• PeaceCorps - The Peace Corps is a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.

• Gap Year Association - Founded in 2012, the Gap Year Association is the only national nonprofit working to coordinate the growing Gap Year Movement.

• TeenLife - TeenLife’s mission is to connect students, parents and educators with the best experiential learning opportunities for middle- and high-school students.

• Art History Abroad - To be leading experiential educators, inspiring a lifelong love of learning about subjects from art and architecture to history, literature and music such that students grow in confidence and maturity

• Kroka - Kroka Expeditions is a non-profit wilderness expedition school based on a year-round, organic farm in Marlow, New Hampshire. We believe that consciousness and altruistic will can be brought forward through a living relationship with the natural world, and by taking our places within the circle of community.

• Seamester - Study abroad while crossing oceans and experiencing cultures and continents with strangers turned friends. Earn college credit in marine sciences and seamanship as you earn sailing and scuba diving certifications.

• Go Overseas - Discover meaningful programs abroad (or online!) through this database.

Before jumping head first into career exploration, it is important to take a step back to identify any questions you may have about finding a career that works for you! Everyone has different skills and personal strengths. Because these are different for everyone, it is important to enter the process of career exploration with an open mindset. After you take an inventory of your strengths and interests it is time to begin looking at careers that may be suitable for you! For protégés and mentors alike, it is important to take a look at where you are at and where you want to be in your process of exploring and evaluating careers. 

Conversation Starters: 

These conversation starters aim to encourage self-reflection, exploration, and to open the door for further conversations about career exploration. Feel free to adapt these prompts to suit the protégé-mentor dynamic and to encourage a comfortable and engaging conversation.

How often do you think about what you want to do in the future?

What are your top three career goals?

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?

What do you think you can be doing now to set yourself up for success then?

What are your top three skills and/or strengths?

What are some careers that you would like to explore that use these skills?

Video: 

The Career Decision Making Process - 2:42

Exploring Careers - 3:18

Tools and Resources: 

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Outlook Handbook: A one-stop-shop for all of your career exploration needs, this resource offers information about every popular occupation. By giving information about median salary data, required education, what day-to-day life looks like, and job market outlooks, the Handbook provides valuable insight into any career you could imagine!

Career Girls - Career Quiz: This is a quick quiz you can use to help you discover some career opportunities you may be suited for. This site also has career clusters which highlight different career areas you may be interested in learning more about!

Roadtrip Nation Video Series: The linked video series is about how people from all walks of life have found careers that interest them. Watch a video or two to get inspired to find a career that ignites your passions!

Activity Ideas: 

These activities aim to promote an inquisitive nature surrounding career exploration. Completing one or all of these activities can be a fun way to break the ice surrounding learning about and discussing careers. Hopefully, these activities give better insight into what a successful career could look like for you! 

Career Exploration Worksheet - Public: Fill this worksheet out with help from the Occupational Handbook to learn more about a career of your choice! This activity is unique because it takes a deep-dive into the details of the career. 

Career Scavenger Hunt - Public: Go on a walk or ride around D.C. and use this worksheet to complete a scavenger hunt based on the careers you see. Make sure to discuss careers that are unique or you have questions about after the scavenger hunt!

Self-Survey I - Public and Self-Survey II - Public: Use these surveys to get a better idea of the type of career you may be suited toward. When exploring careers, it is important to keep in mind your interests and personal strengths! 

What Have You Learned - Public: Use this sheet to reflect on your thoughts and feelings about the career you researched using the Career Exploration Worksheet. 

Career Bingo: Work as a match to get bingo on career-themed cards! Each card will have different careers listed in each square, as the mentor calls out careers, the protégé marks off the ones they find interesting. After getting bingo, switch and have the protégé calling out a different set of careers. After the activity, take time to discuss careers that there are still questions about, or consult the Occupational Handbook.

Career Comparison Game: Create a game where you and your  protégé compare and contrast two different careers. Write down characteristics, requirements, or skills needed for each career on separate cards. Shuffle them and take turns drawing cards to compare the two careers. This can prompt discussions on what makes each career unique and appealing.

Career Pictionary: Work as a match to each draw different careers or workplace scenes. Take turns guessing the career or scene that each other is drawing. If you are not as artistic, play charades! 

Vision Board Creation: Encourage your  protégé to create a visual representation of their future, including their chosen career or a field they find fascinating. Provide magazines, newspapers, or online resources for them to search for images, words, or phrases that represent aspects of the career they researched. Google Jamboard or Google Slides can be a great online tool for this. Discuss the elements they selected and why those aspects appeal to them.

Understanding the career landscape is important for everyone, especially those about to enter the workforce. Everyone has different career strengths and interests, so having an idea of what to expect when entering your career is important. By working as a match to identify careers that will experience rapid growth, reviewing median wages for jobs, and taking a look at educational requirements for different jobs, you are setting yourself up for success in planning for your ideal future.

Conversation Starters: 

These conversation starters aim to encourage self-reflection, exploration, and a deeper understanding of the careers of tomorrow. Feel free to adapt these prompts to suit the protégé-mentor dynamic and to encourage a comfortable and engaging conversation.

What are some jobs that you think will exist in the future  that do not exist today?

What skills do you think people would need for that job?

Do you think you will be in the same workforce as robots in the future?

Why or why not?

If you could invent a job for yourself what would you be?

What tasks would it involve?

Videos: 

Your Career - 1:30

S.M.A.R.T. Career Plan - 1:50 

Tools and Resources: 

Career Conversations: Check out the Career Conversations page on the Mentoring Road Map for more information about finding careers that suit your interests! 

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Outlook Handbook: A one-stop-shop for all of your career exploration needs, this resource offers information about every popular occupation. By giving information about median salary data, required education, what day-to-day life looks like, and job market outlooks, the Handbook provides valuable insight into any career you could imagine! 

Activity Ideas: 

Occupations with the Fastest Growth - Public: Use this chart to explore some of the occupations with the fastest growth in the job market! Included on the chart are details about each of the jobs that break down things like salary, educational requirements, and the number of positions. 

Dig Deeper into the Occupational Outlook Handbook: During your next video call, pull up the Occupational Outlook Handbook OR schedule your next outing at the library to spend more time exploring various careers. Ask your match which Occupation Groups sound most interesting to them and see if together you can identify 2 or 3 additional careers in those groups they may be interested in. Use this as a chance to share life experiences and advice surrounding careers. 

Pursuing Growing Careers: Discuss the benefits of choosing a career in a rapidly growing field. Ask your match to share their thoughts on the advantages of pursuing a profession with high growth prospects. Hold a conversation about how their interests and strengths would impact their decision. Share with your match how you chose your career and how growth and your interests influenced your decision.