6.4k
In high school, students may hear “What do you want to be when you grow up?” more than a few times. But whether they have the answer is a different story!
Students’ understanding of potential career paths can seriously affect their decision-making. This is one of the reasons high schools (and more and more!) are the prime time educators provide students with their professional avenues after graduation.
Use these meaningful career exploration activities for high school students to help students discover their interests, skills, and passions. With creative research tips and final projects, teenagers can turn to careers and careers that are realized and successful.
Self-reflection activities and career preparation
Help high school students understand what they like before exploring potential career paths. Self-reflection activities inspire students to reflect on their academic passions, values, personal strengths and weaknesses, and lifestyle goals. They are also an easy way for high school students to start a career exploration unit.
Simple self-reflection activities include:
- Personality Assessment
- Personal interest writing tips
- About me poster or brochure
- Skill Assessment
- Interest Investigation
- Partner Interest Interview
- Resume and cover letter writing
Reflect on the soft skills of future careers
Soft skills are the interpersonal skills that high school students use every day – employers want to see among future employees. Let high school students reflect on their understanding of soft skills through thought-provoking activities.
Career Preparation: Soft Skills Reflection Task Card
By a career preparation teacher
Results: Seventh to 12th
Are your high school students punctual, polite and professional? If not, this soft skill reflection mission card activity is a great place to start with your career exploration department. PowerPoint presentations guide students in 30 soft skills that should be developed in education to become valuable employees in the future.
Assess personality traits and interests
High school students quickly tell you what they like, but it’s hard for them to apply these interests to future career plans. Help them narrow the scope of investigations and assessments designed to analyze personality traits and interests.
Career Scenarios | Personality Characteristics and Interest Assessment
By the transition teacher
Results: 9-12
Wouldn’t it be great if a professional matchmaker can match students with future jobs? In this activity, it is possible! High school students add personality traits and details to their career matchmaker activities to find out which career is best for them.
Career Exploration Worksheets and Career Interest Surveys and Personality Tests
Jenn Liu – Participation Authorization
Level: 8-12
Standards: CCSS RI.9-10.10, CCRA.R.7, R.10
Students combine what they like, what the world needs, what they are good at, and what they can pay for through thorough career exploration activities. Using RIASEC tests and Myers-Briggs’ personality assessment, this resource guides high school students through their ideal career fields based on their personality traits and career goals.
Career Interest Symbol Support Student Survey
Adults make it easy
Results: 6th to 12th
This career choice activity is ideal for special education as well as mainstream curriculums, helping students align with available careers and majors. It comes with a list of multiple choice interests, parent surveys, and large visual effects for students who can learn the most for limited answers.
Create career preparation materials
Career exploration for high school students can focus on preparing materials for future interviews and careers. Looking for everything from building portfolios to writing resumes and cover letters, students have everything they need to take a crucial first step.
Advanced portfolio: Autobiography resume cover letter templates and more!
Learning stems through love
Level: 11-12
As an introduction to an advanced program or career exploration department, this portfolio resource provides students with what they need to transition from high school. It includes templates for recommendation letters, applications for FAFSA as well as applications for individual universities, autobiography, etc.
Resume and cover letter writing as college and career ready
By Tracee Orman
Level: 11-12
Standards: CCSS W.11-12.1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, L.11-12.1, 2, 3, 4; ccra.w.1, 2, 4, 10; CCRA.L.1, 2, 3
Aligned with the average core state standards and designed to prepare students for professional requirements, this resume and cover letter writing assignment is a great addition to your career exploration department. Editable Google Drive templates and columns allow you to meet specific student needs and customize projects.
Explore career clusters and professional fields
Let students know the types of careers that have career cluster resources. Whether it’s a printing event for working independently or a team event game, these ideas for middle school and high school career exploration are great ways to get your project started.
Career Cluster Survey – 5 Career Exploration Activities – Printing and Digital
Consultation essentials through school
Results: 4-12th place
Do your students like painting or painting, or do they like to prepare reports? By reflecting on questions, bells and interview assignments in career cluster resources, you can help your class members guide their interests and favor future careers.
Career Exploration Activity Games – Middle School and High School Careers
By wise decisions
Results: 6th to 12th
Standard: CCSS SL.6.1, 1C, 1D, 2, 3, 4, 6; S1.7.1, 1c, 1d, 2, 2, 3, 4, 6; SL.9-10.1, 1c, 1d, 2, 2, 3, 4, 6; SL.11-12.2, 3, 6.3, 4b, 4c, 5, 6; ccra.w.2, 4, 6, 7, 9 S1.1, 3, 4, 5, 6; L.1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Sometimes the best way to make a choice is to eliminate what you don’t need! Use career elimination tasks to narrow down careers that are actually interested in high school students. With convenience tips, educational guides and reflex tables, this resource combines socio-emotional traits and required career exploration goals.
High School Students’ Career Exploration Seminar Materials
Once students know what they like to do, start exploring a specific career or career in depth. Career Research Programs allow students to investigate potential opportunities and learn more about job responsibilities, required qualifications, salary expectations, positive and negative factors, and growth opportunities.
These online resources can help students find all this information:
Assign a career research project for in-depth investigation
Help high school students learn everything about potential careers and career fields through long-term research projects. Use them as the final advanced program, or let lower-graders of your career start early.
Career Exploration High School College and Career Preparation Activities
By the University Counselor Studio
Results: 9-12
A low-PREP research project inspired high school students to study future career requirements and brainstorm. With presentation slides, student worksheets, research templates and career delicacies, resources will guide students through thorough research and demonstration assignments.
Is this job suitable for me? |Career Research Exploration |Career Skills
Through transitional capabilities
Results: 4-12th place
Elementary, middle and high school students can experience the pleasure of investigating future careers. This NO-PREP Career Research Program allows students to choose, research and plan majors after high school. Although the program is designed for special education students, it is equally helpful for mainstream courses in research career exploration.
Focus on specific career research
For students who already know what they want to do, use a live-specific career exploration program to delve into professional requirements and details. Use these resources in a Vocational College or General Career Exploration Department.
Career Exploration Worksheet for STEM Job Research Projects
Meredith Anderson – Momgineer STEM Events
Results: 6th to 10th
Standard: CCSS CCRA.W.4, 6, 7, 8, 10
Are your middle school students and high school students interested in STEM careers? Let them explore the necessary qualifications, education and training in the STEM field with resources and introductory research skills for digital research projects.
Career Exploration, Creative Career Activities for Career Exploration Projects
Creativity through spark
Level: 8-12
Standard: CCSS RI.9-10.10; W.9-10.4, 7, 9
Some students are looking for more unconventional and creative career ideas. With a resource that focuses on life skills in the 21st century, how to start a startup and work for learners who truly think out of the box, promote their interests and interests.
Business, Management and Administrative Career Cluster Research Digital Activities
Business Education by Denise Leigh
Results: 9-12
Help future industry captains step into the door through the business education career cluster project. Students explore six major career pathways in business, management, and administration to learn more about important career options in today’s business world.
Vocational/Vocational Trade School Exploration
A small but powerful teacher
Results: Fifth to 12th
Ideal for a career exploration department focused on career skills, this resource includes reflection and project sheets that allow students to explore multiple careers earned through a trade school degree. They discovered how to become chefs, electricians, welders, mechanics, hairdressers, etc. through writing assignments in information texts and resources.
Play an engaging career exploration game
High school students can explore different career options and industries in a fun and engaging way through career exploration games. They provide students with hands-on experiences that are sure to arouse curiosity, facilitate discussion and inspire informed career choices.
Career Exploration Game Job Salary Entertainment
Preparation by occupation and employment
Results: 6th to 12th
Understanding the potential salary of a career is an important part of choosing a future career! Six printed PDF pages allow students to familiarize themselves with careers and salaries based on what they already know, as well as other studies that get current numbers from actual salary data.
Career card game for high school career development
By the counselor group
Results: 9-12
Do you want to be an astronomer or a hydrologist? What about animal control workers or video game designers? Students play engaging card games that match 54 different professions to their definitions. Work together to get the highest professional score in the class!
TPT is easy for high school students to explore careers
Career Exploration Activities for High School Students are an excellent summit or advanced program. Students and their own professions and themselves, leave your classroom. Discover more career and technical education activities on TPT and start your career exploration seminar now!
