Career planning is an ongoing process that allows students to rethink and reevaluate their career options while growing and developing spiritually, emotionally, socially, and mentally. At Divine Savior Academy, this process begins in the middle school and continues throughout high school.
To aid in planning, the college counselors have developed an extensive list of resources, tools, and helpful links to career planning websites
- Middle School Career Planning
- High School Career Planning
- Interest Inventories and Assessments
- Job Search Skills
- Helpful Links
MIDDLE SCHOOL CAREER PLANNING
At the middle school level, the career planning process begins with self-exploration. Students are encouraged to evaluate their skills, abilities, interests, personal priorities, education, and life experiences. Personal goals are explored within the scope of present behavior, and what changes may be in order.
During the 8th grade year, students begin to build a personal portfolio for use in the career and college planning process throughout high school. Students utilize MyCareerShines, a comprehensive education and career planning system that helps students succeed in the increasingly competitive global economy. 8th graders learn about themselves, discover the many options and opportunities for the future, and gain access to information and tools helpful in achieving goals.
HIGH SCHOOL CAREER PLANNING
At the high school level, the career planning process continues with self-evaluation. Students are encouraged to evaluate their strengths and abilities. The following activities aid students throughout the process:
- Attend a variety of classes to learn strengths and interests
- Develop new skills by participating in clubs, activities, and sports
- Explore career options by talking to parents, advisors, teachers, and college counselors
- Research careers of interest
- Look for part-time jobs or volunteer opportunities in areas of career interest
- Job shadow a parent or family friend to learn more about a career
Freshmen
Students in gr. 9 English class complete the College Planning Project which offers an experiential approach to personalized college planning through interaction with information, resources, and activities. Students’ interests, skills, and personality characteristics are assessed and analyzed as they relate to career options and college planning resources. The high school college planning experience produces a career plan students may wish to pursue throughout high school and beyond.
Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Through a series of classroom presentations from DSA’s college counselors, students receive detailed guidance with career and college planning tasks appropriate for each grade level. These activities include test preparation, grade-level checklists, NCAA eligibility, campus visits, recommendation letters, application processing, scholarships, and so forth.
INTEREST INVENTORIES and ASSESSMENTS
- Career Aptitude Test: What Career is Right for Me? Discover which careers are best suited for you.
- How do you learn best? Visual? Auditory? Reading and Writing? Kinesthetic? Know your learning preference.
- Self-Directed Search: The SDS, or Self-Directed Search, is a career interest test that helps determine possible fields of study and occupations for students.
- O*Net Interest Profiler: This online quiz helps students discover their interests and match them up to potential career choices.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook is an online resource for career information. This handbook is available in both English and Spanish.
JOB SEARCH SKILLS
- Resumes: Sample resumes, resume templates, and formatting tips.
- Cover Letters: Cover letter samples, formats, layouts, and writing help.
- Job Interviewing: Tips, advice, and practice questions for job interviewing.
HELPFUL LINKS
- EducationPlanner.org: This education planner aids parents and students from middle school through high school in the career and college process. It addresses all stages of planning, from self-assessment to financial aid, and is an excellent source of advice, information, interactive exercises, and activities.
- Big Future by the College Board: This site is sponsored by the not-for-profit College Board whose mission is to “connect students to college success and opportunity.” Find colleges, learn more about how to pay for college, and make a college plan with online tools and resources.
- Mapping Your Future: This website is sponsored by a group of guaranty agencies who participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and are committed to providing information about higher education and career opportunities. It is a resource for career, college, financial aid and money management information.
- Florida Apprenticeship Programs: Apprenticeship is a tradition that combines on-the-job training with classroom instruction. The purpose of the program is to provide the apprentice with a comprehensive knowledge of the trade. This site includes all the necessary startup information from the Florida Department of Education.
