I Have Worked Before!
Created by Elana Himmelfarb, May 2017
Applies To: Work and Career, Critical Thinking, Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationships
Purpose: To inform career exploration, internship and work placement selections
Objectives:
- To collect information on a member’s past work-related experiences
- To identify future good work and career matches for an individual
- To strengthen member understanding of work related tasks and demands
- To enable members to recall past experiences and connect them to current career exploration and future career development activities
- To increase member confidence in work abilities
- To infuse enthusiasm and optimism into future career exploration activities
Materials needed:
- Worksheets- use digital version for easier navigation of worksheet format, if printing hard copy, format accordingly first
- Pens/Pencils
- iPads (for those who prefer typing/FC)
- Collect ahead of time a list all the known jobs you know the member has had to get things started and help generate more (formal work as well as responsibilities at school/program/home you know they are managing with or without support)
- Computer for visual supports (images & videos)
- Energy and attention—stretch or movement breaks as needed
Activity Steps
1. Set the Climate: “We are going to talk about jobs you have done before or are now doing. Some jobs are formal and we get paid. But there are many informal activities we do that can also be considered jobs. Even if you have never had an official job before, I bet you have done jobs and not even realized it! Let’s explore together all the things you have done before that might show us what a good worker you already are!”
2. Navigate worksheet. Use movement, role play, pantomime and other engaging techniques to encourage and strengthen visualization and verbalization of discussion. May take several sessions to complete. Member might need visual supports to strengthen comprehension and generate ideas.
3. Drawing Conclusions: Draw a picture that includes all the jobs you like to do. You can draw different objects that you use to do the job, places where you do your favorite job, or even yourself in action doing the job!
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