Career Day, Every Day
By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 4/1/1997
What will I do when I graduate? What kind of career is best for me? Do I need to go to college? How can I figure this all out?! Sound familiar? The fact is most teens worry about career choices. They often get frustrated when they can't find the information they want, and many teens won't turn to school counselors for help.
The Internet, however, is chock full of career information and advice, dished up in ways that will appeal to teens. There's even information for younger children, who also think about the future and want to know what it's like to be a real astronaut or veterinarian. The Net has career exploration sites and places where kids can share their aspirations with other kids.
Here, then, are some of the best career sites for children and teens.
Cyber Career-Planning
The Career Center for Teens, developed by the Public Television Outreach Alliance, has excellent career-exploration projects that teachers will find useful, as well as a section on 21st century career opportunities. The Career Planning section of About Work has a "Self-Assessment" page that will help teens understand their interests and match them with jobs. (Take the Birkman quiz yourself and see if you have the right job!) The site's "Career Toolbox" page offers searchable career and company databases.
Teen Guide to Making Money features practical information about how much young people must earn to live on their own. It tells them, for instance, how much their take-home might be after deductions and calculates the lifetime earnings for various jobs. It also offers advice on choosing a good career.
FutureScan (formerly Career Explorers) is the best career e-zine for teens. The "I Want to Be" section provides in-depth profiles of real people on the job, while the "Guidance Gurus" answer specific teen questions. Also check out Career Magazine, which has a moderated forum where teens and adults can discuss job-search and workplace concerns.
Butcher, Baker, or Bobsledder
Teens and younger children who want to learn about specific careers can visit JobSmart's Career Guides, where they'll find out how to become anything from an archaeologist to a travel agent. Yahoo has two sections on specific careers. The first, Education-Career Fields, offers links to Web sites on specific careers, while Business-Profession Specific links to sites that explain how to get the education or training needed for specific jobs.
For those interested in higher education, the College Prep Page links to sites on topics such as choosing a college, taking admissions tests, and finding financial aid. FishNet's The College Guide contains a searchable database of college information. Check out the "Dear Admissions Guru" page, or have teens log in to the interactive college admissions discussion. At the Internet College Exchange, teens can search for scholarships, get a free e-zine called "The Dunce's Cap," or send an e-mail message directly to a college.
When I Grow Up. . .
Two great sites let younger kids share what they want to be when they grow up. Little Fingers' Dreams & Wishes page contains charming submissions, such as this one from Erdem, age eight, who writes: "I want to be a librarian. I wish to be a freedom fighter."
At the Jam!z site, the Knowzone-Careers page is a place where kids can type in their dreams using a Web form or chat with other kids by connecting to a moderated chat forum. Check out the rest of the cool Jam!z discussions while you're there.
Web Addresses
- Career Center for Teens
http://www.pbs.org/jobs/teenindex.html - About Work: Career Planning
http://www.aboutwork.com/careerplanning/index.html - Teen Guide to Making Money
http://www.fileshop.com/personal/gbyron/main.html - FutureScan
http://www.futurescan.com - CareerMagazine
http://www.careermag.com - Job Smart: Career Guides
http://jobsmart.org/tools/career/spec-car.htm - Yahoo:Business-Profession Specific
http://www.yahoo.com/Education/Career_and_Vocational/Profession_Specific - Yahoo:Education-Career Fields
http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Employment/Career_Planning/Career_Fields
