Middle School Career Exploration 1: Charting Your Path

Do you like to take things apart to see how they work? Or do you like to explore and learn new ways of doing things? Qualities like curiosity, invention, and problem-solving are key to the types of careers we will learn about in this cluster: Education & Training, STEM (or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and Information Technology. Many of the cool things we use today and the ones we hope to use in the future were discovered by professionals in these fields. Let’s take a look at these career clusters to find out if any of them sound like a good fit for you!

What will you learn in this unit?

• Understand three new career clusters: Education & Training, STEM, and Information Technology, as well as pathways that fall into these clusters
• Find places where people in each of these pathways may work and what tasks are required in their jobs
• Learn about skills that each of these career clusters require
• Consider the training and education required to enter into these career clusters

When it comes to ideas, some people really enjoy exploring. But others find satisfaction in creating something solid. Are you the kind of person that likes to create things? Have you ever put together a Lego set or built yourself a backyard fort? How about picking out custom wheels for your skateboard or adding a pipe to your bike to hold a surfboard? Whether you knew it or not, you were using skills that can be found among professionals that we will consider in this unit: Architecture & Construction, Manufacturing, and Transportation & Logistics. Let’s focus in a little closer and see how jobs in this cluster make use of skills to help us build our world.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Discover three new career clusters: Architecture & Construction, Manufacturing, and Transportation &
• Logistics as well as pathways that fall into these clusters
• Learn about places where people in each of these pathways may work and what tasks are required in their jobs
• Find skills that each of these career clusters require
• Examine the training and education required to enter into these career clusters

Have you ever seen a group of kids out by the road selling lemonade? Were you one of those kids? Putting together the items needed for a lemonade stand, figuring out what to charge, setting things up to attract customers, and gathering some help to sell your wares takes skills. These skills, organization, math, sales, are all valuable to those who work in our next set of career clusters: business, management, administration, finance, marketing, sales and service. Don’t let the long list of careers intimidate you. Let’s learn more about these important careers and see if you might have what it takes to make your way in the business world.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Classify career pathways in these clusters: Business Management & Administration; Finance; and Marketing, Sales, & Service
• Determine places where people in each of these pathways may work and what tasks are required in their jobs
• Examine skills that each of these career clusters require
• Discover the training and education required to enter into these career clusters

Centuries ago, when humans decided that it would be safer to live together and pool their resources, communities began to form. Whether we realize it or not, we benefit from being part of a community. From the professionals who make and enforce laws to keep everyone safe, to community helpers who provide family services, the hard workers who make up these next clusters do their part to make our world a better place to live in. Let’s consider these clusters, Government & Public Administration; Human Services; and Law, Public Safety & Security. After learning a bit more about what they do and why, you might find yourself interested in trying out a career involved with the government. Maybe the thrill of working for an emergency team will sound intriguing to you. Is helping others what you were meant to do? Let’s take a closer look to find out.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Identify career pathways in Government & Public Administration; Human Services; and Law, Public Safety & Security
• Discover places where people in each of these pathways may work and the tasks they accomplish
• Recognize skills that each of these career clusters requires
• Examine the training and education required to enter into these career clusters

Is having fun a “need”? Most people would say “Yes!” Our life would be boring and tedious if it was all work all the time. In order for us to function in a healthy way, we must take time for recreation. The career clusters that we will consider now are the professionals in charge of many aspects of our recreation—Human Arts, AV Technology & Communication cluster and the Hospitality and Tourism cluster. We’ll take a look at some of the careers that are available in these industries and learn a little more about how these careers work. If you love to travel or enjoy being center stage—or somewhere in between—pay special attention.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Discuss career pathways in Arts, AV Technology & Communication and Hospitality & Tourism
• Discover places where people in these pathways may work and the tasks done in these jobs
• Recognize skills that each of these career clusters require
• Inspect the training and education required to enter into these career clusters

From the beginning of time, man has needed the services filled by the clusters we will now consider: Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, Energy, and Health Science. But just because you’ll find some of the oldest professions in these clusters does not mean that they are full of old ideas. In fact, it’s just the opposite. The professionals in these fields are constantly discovering and inventing better and more efficient ways of providing the things we need and use, like our food, energy, and medical care. Let’s learn more about each of these clusters and how qualities like adaptability and progressiveness are changing our world for the better.

What will you learn in this unit?

• Identify career pathways in these clusters: Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources; Energy; and Health Science
• Discover places where people in each of these pathways may work and what tasks are required in their jobs
• Discuss skills that each of these career clusters require
• Consider the training and education required to enter into these career clusters

We may not have examined every single career possibility over the last few weeks, but we certainly have gotten a good look at what’s out there. Did you find a career cluster that spoke to you? Was there a new career opportunity that you had never heard of before? Now that we know the possibilities, it’s time to put that information to good use. Let’s analyze the information we gathered about the different clusters and pathways, as well as our interests, wants, and needs, to see if you can narrow down a pathway for yourself. Then we can explore tips and tricks on how to get started in a chosen career, such as steps in the job search and how and when to join professional organizations. When it comes to mapping out your pathway, the choice is yours! What choice will you make?

What will you learn in this unit?

• Discover how your personal assessment of interests connects with jobs and careers
• Understand the importance of a job search and the steps to complete one successfully
• Identify the importance of personal characteristics and activities and how those lead to success
• Choose a career cluster/pathway that is best for you

Physical

• Video recording device like a camera or a phone

Software

• Word processing software
• Slide presentation software

Optional

• Paper, pencil, posterboard and markers