Career Research Project

considering plans after graduation from high school, and what sort of employment track you want to take. Are you interested in working for a nonprofit sector helping people, or does a skyline office in Manhattan working as a Wall Street executive sound more attractive? Now is the time to choose a career that you feel matches your interests and advertise it to others.

Assignment: You will be researching a career of your choice and presenting it to the class. Your project will also be distributed to guidance counselors and career counselors to help others explore different career options. Choose one of the following formats to present your career in:

• • Poster/Flyer

  • PowerPoint Presentation

  • Brochure

  • Written Response

The first assignment is due at the end of the period on Friday. We will also be working to peer evaluate each student's project.

The finalized versions of your projects will be sent to labor services, career counselors, and guidance counselors to help future applicants learn more about each career. Use the skills profiler and interests assessment from the beginning of the year to help guide your career search. The following sources can help:

• • Choices Software (on the desktop): Click on “Occupations with Post-Secondary School”

  • Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco/

  • Career Planner: http://www.careerplanner.com/JobDescSearchTool.cfm

  • Career Interviews: http://pursuethepassion.jobing.com/interviews/pursue-the-passion-the-interviews-listing-by-industry/

  • A Day in the Life: http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/vcm/listing/Career-Advice-Articles/Day-in-the-Life?category_id=20

  • Career One Stop: http://www.careerinfonet.org/Occupations/select_occupation.aspx?next=occ_rep&level=&optstatus=111111111&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=&stfips=&jobfam=

If you have any questions feel free to ask. There are separate rubric sheets for each project.

General Rubric (Applies to All Projects)

• • Job Title/Cover Page (8)

    • • The cover page or job title should be attractive and presentable, able to catch the eye and interest of potential employees. It should include some sort of photograph or clip art related to the job.

  • Job Description (12)

    • • Provide a description for the job, including such information as duties, responsibilities, related jobs, daily roles and duties, etc. What does a typical day look like? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this job?

  • Working Conditions (10)

    • • What are the work conditions for the job? What hours do you work? Do you work outside, inside, weekends, etc.? Is this considered a dangerous job by any means?

  • Skills/Education/Experience Required (12)

    • • Include a section describing what sort of skills, education, and experience is required in order to be considered for the job. Do you need a college education? What degree? Are there any special licenses or certifications? If this is a management or upper-level job, provide information on how to gain entry level experience.

  • Wage/Salary (8)

    • • Include salary information of the career, such as wages, bonuses, and whether benefits are typically included such as health insurance, retirement plans, etc. What is the starting salary and average salary?

  • Career Outlook (10)

    • • Provide information on the future outlook of the career (such as rate of growth, expected job prospects, etc.). Is this occupation expected to grow in specific areas of the country faster than others?

  • Attractiveness/Organization (10)

    • • The project should be attractive in presentation, and organized to present a clear view of the necessary information.

  • Grammar & Language (10)

    • • The language should be appropriate for adults as potential job applicants, and the brochure should be grammatically correct as it will be used by career counselors.

  • Self-Evaluation (10)

    • • How much effort did you put into completing the brochure? Did you complete the project in a timely manner?

  • Resources (10)

    • • List the resources you used for your project, in addition to additional web sites, phone numbers, and other information for somebody interested in the chosen career. Include a brief description about each resource.

  • Presentation (10)

    • • Were you able to present the all of the information clearly and effectively (eye contact, clear language, provides information outside of project, paraphrases appropriately, and summarizes key points without reading directly from the project)?

  • Peer Evaluation (5 points)

    • • How did a peer in class evaluate your work? What sort of comments did they provide?

Brochure Requirements (35 points)

• • To set up the brochure in Microsoft Word, go to “Page Layout,” Click on “Columns,” Click on “More Columns,” Create Three Columns with a Space of 1.0”

    • • Set your page margins to narrow, 0.5 inches per margin (Click on Page Layout, Click on Margins, and Click on Narrow)

      • Use the brochure layout to help you understand what part of the brochure goes where

  • Brochure:

    • • uses all 6 pages effectively (little white space)

      • has headings for each section with titles in WordArt (Insert – WordArt)

      • uses color effectively

      • has a single font throughout the brochure

      • has at least five images sized appropriately with text wrapped around it (insert – picture/clip art – right click on the inserted image – format picture – layout – tight)

      • includes the creator's name, class, and teacher's name

      • provides all of the necessary information listed in the rubric

      • is in landscape orientation (Page Layout – Orientation – Landscape)

      • is neatly folded into three parts

      • demonstrates knowledge of the career

      • has a separate title/cover page with the career title and a graphic/picture

      • bodies of text are left aligned, but titles are centered

Essay Requirements (35 points)

• • Essay:

    • • answers all of the questions above effectively

      • provides a header with name, date, and class information

      • is titled with the career chosen

      • uses proper language; no “I...” statements until the last paragraph

      • provides facts with sources

      • demonstrates knowledge of the career

      • is a single body of work; does not split up the questions into separate mini-essays

      • has a thesis statement that gives the impression why the career would be a good choice/poor choice for somebody

      • Conclusion: After the research, are you still interested in the career you chose? Why or why not?

Poster/Flyer Requirements (35 points)

• • Poster:

    • • must be oak tag size (at least 22”x28”)

      • must be oriented towards a potential interested employee

      • must have all of the above information included

      • Word art headings for each section (easily readable from three feet away)

      • demonstrates knowledge of the career

      • does not include long, wordy paragraphs

      • is easy to read

      • includes at least five pictures/graphics large enough to see from three feet away

      • uses plenty of color

      • is attractive and organized (title centered, neat, etc.)

      • uses no more than two fonts

PowerPoint Requirements (35 points)

• • PowerPoint Presentation:

    • • has at least ten slides

      • has no piece of information or single bullet is longer than six words

      • has no slide has more than six bullets or ideas

      • does not use a picture for the background

      • uses a single font throughout the presentation

      • has at least five images/graphics

      • includes headings on each slide

      • is organized by idea

      • is attractive and colorful

      • is easy to read

      • uses transitions between slides

      • uses font and graphic entrance/exit effects

      • is on an “on click” system and is not on a timer

• • • demonstrates knowledge of the career

    • has each slide as a separate idea (does not combine multiple questions on one slide)