Since a student’s earliest interests are key to his or her ideal livelihood, it is important that you hone this curiosity and commit to help guide career counseling early in the student’s school progression. Although making a career decision is a life-long process about exploring and experiencing the world, as a teacher you can help kick start this process by helping your students understand their abilities, explore their interests and develop skills.

According to Dr. John Holland, the late American psychologist and famous creator of the career development model occupational codes, early career awareness fosters a broader sphere of observation and skill in identifying people, places and things that are related to careers and the professional world. Many times children choose careers based on what they see on television or what their parents do for a living, and according to Holland’s theory, if you expose young students to a broad range of career options early, they will have more information and become more aware of the correlation between education and success.

Learn more about Dr. Holland’s career development model and his contributions to vocational and personality type research.

It is also worth noting that students who acquire career awareness at an early age are better prepared to engage in rigorous and challenging courses as they progress through school because they have a clearer idea of what their goals are.

With your early career guidance and academic counseling students can acquire the necessary tools to set career goals and gain an understanding of the education and skills they need to meet their goals.

Do you know about our Career Planning Tool?

If you need help guiding your students through career awareness be sure to check out our Career Planning Tool. BISD and UTB/TSC counselors and advisors have developed this tool for students and educators. It has a lot of information that will help you point your students in the right direction and kick start their career awareness process.

Early career awareness tips.

No one is better equipped to determine the time and manner in which your students will benefit the most from career counseling than you. As their teacher, you get to witness first-hand your students’ drive, motivations, natural talents and learning personality. However, we do encourage you to start early. The following are a few easy tips to get you started.

• Encourage your students to set realistic and attainable career goals
• Remind students about opportunities to explore a wide range of career options
• Educate students on academic courses
• Assist students in identifying a career cluster that interests them and one which fits their skills and abilities
• Help students find job shadowing opportunities
• Provide students study guides and career literature
• Provide websites to college, loan, and scholarship applications

A smart timeline.

We’ve developed a useful timeline to help with your career awareness efforts. Please note that every student group is different and that as a teacher, you are the best judge to decide the right time and manner in which career awareness is introduced to your students.