My Work Profile 2

What’s Happening on the Job

By Elana Himmelfarb, June 2017

Applies To: Work and Career, Awareness Development and Executive Function, Self-Awareness, Critical Thinking

Purpose: To explore and evaluate what various jobs entail from a thinking, task, stamina and social standpoint.

Note: It is recommended that students explore a minimum of 3 jobs (not necessarily in one sitting) to anchor the evaluative process of career exploration. Lesson plan can be repeated as many times as student is interested. 

Objectives:

• To explore tasks related to various jobs
• To explore the stamina required for various jobs
• To explore the social interactions and social demands of various jobs
• To use imagery. creativity, brainstorming and critical thinking to imagine various jobs and draw conclusions and predictions
• To encourage self-reflection about whether a job is a good fit

You will need:

• Jobs A-Z videos https://kids.usa.gov/jobs/a-z-list/index.shtml
• Computer screen for video viewing
• “Tracking Job Exploration” sheet
• Whiteboard, computer, or paper & writing implements to track observations
• iPads (for those who prefer or need typing/FC for oral expression)
• Energy and attention—stretch or movement breaks as needed

Activity Steps

1. Getting started: Establish that the goal is to explore what people do in their jobs and what is demanded of them. Identify job to be explored – try to see if student can generate ideas, if not look at A-Z list https://kids.usa.gov/jobs/a-z-list/index.shtml to select a job of interest

2.  (A)  Watch video of student-selected job

     (B)  Think critically about the job - facilitate discussion to identify:

• Task: What does a person do in this job? (list as many activities as can generate)
• Stamina/Focus: How tired would someone be doing this job? What does the person have to pay attention to in order to do the job well?
• Social demands/expectations: how much does the person have to interact with other people vs. work on their own? Who does the person have to interact with to do their job well?

      Capture all ideas in real time on whiteboard, on paper or on computer screen to provide visual input.

3. Critical Thinking and Self Reflection:

(A) Critical Thinking:

What jobs are related to this job that I might also like? (note all ideas)

Am I interested? Should we keep exploring this job or jobs related to it? If yes, what else do I want to know?

If there’s momentum, keep going and explore further online (websites, images, videos). If stamina or focus is waning but interest is there, continue exploration in subsequent sessions.

(B) Self-Reflection

• Which tasks in this job would I like to try?
• Would I have the energy and focus required to do this job well?
• Would I like the social interactions that go with this job?
• What is the best part of this job? Worst part?
• Should we add it to my list of career interests?

 
Table of contents: