Future Jobs Career Exploration Activity Journal

Middle School Standards (Grades 6–8)

13.1 Career Awareness & Preparation (13.1.8)

• Relate careers to personal interests, abilities, and aptitudes.
• Explain how traditional and nontraditional careers offer or limit opportunities.
• Describe how training programs connect to employment opportunities.
• Analyze economic factors that influence job availability.

13.2 Employability Skills (13.2.8)

• Develop and apply communication, teamwork, and problem‑solving skills.
• Demonstrate workplace behaviors such as punctuality, responsibility, and initiative.
• Understand workplace expectations and employer evaluations.

13.3 Career Retention & Advancement (13.3.8)

• Identify strategies for career retention (e.g., work ethic, lifelong learning).
• Explain how workplace changes impact career paths.
• Describe the importance of professional growth and advancement.

13.4 Personal Interests & Career Planning (13.4.8)

• Identify personal interests and relate them to career choices.
• Develop a preliminary career plan.
• Explore entrepreneurship as a career option.

High School Standards (Grades 9–12)

13.1 Career Awareness & Preparation (13.1.11)

• Analyze the relationship between personal interests/aptitudes and career goals.
• Evaluate how global trends influence career opportunities.
• Research postsecondary education, training, and credentialing pathways.

13.2 Employability Skills (13.2.11)

• Demonstrate advanced communication, leadership, and collaboration skills.
• Apply problem‑solving and critical‑thinking skills to real‑world scenarios.
• Prepare professional documents (résumés, cover letters) and practice interviewing.

13.3 Career Retention & Advancement (13.3.11)

• Evaluate strategies for maintaining employment and advancing in a career.
• Analyze how workplace culture, technology, and economic shifts affect careers.
• Demonstrate understanding of workplace rights and responsibilities.

13.4 Personal Interests & Career Planning (13.4.11)

• Create and refine a long‑term career plan.
• Evaluate entrepreneurship as a viable career path.
• Assess financial, educational, and personal factors that influence career decisions.