Personal Portfolio of Career Investigation

Kathie Johnston                                             Kelly Tomas

Professional School Counselor                         MSUM Intern 1998-99

Richfield High School                                        Richfield High School

Richfield, MN                                                   Richfield, MN  

Description of the Lessons

The unit, Personal Portfolio of Career Investigation, is a series of classroom guidance activities developed by the ninth grade social studies teachers at Richfield High School to assist students in evaluating career choices through informed decision-making. Students compile all the work done in this performance package into a personal portfolio. Students are expected to share their portfolio with teachers, counselors, parents and/or potential employers. Tasks one through four involve developing products to include in the portfolio and in Task five, students reflect upon and organize their work and then create the portfolio.

Each task is described as follows:

Task #1:          Students will begin a decision-making process in careers. They will explore personal interests, aptitudes, and abilities as well as set preliminary goals. Students will complete the "Vision of Future Careers" and "Life Experiences" worksheets, complete interest, ability, and aptitude inventories, and write a one-page summary statement describing what has been learned about their interests, aptitudes, and abilities, and what has been decided about future goals.

Task #2:          Students will explore career clusters. They will compare this information with their personal attributes and goals to make a decision about career choices. Students will complete a Career Exploration Log Sheet to organize the information found on at least four different careers in two clusters from a variety of sources including the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Minnesota Career Information System, Minnesota Careers Pamphlet, internet sites, community members, etc. Students then compare personal qualities with job specifications in two career clusters. Finally, students will compose a summary of how their career choice corresponds to their life goals and personal attributes.

Task #3:          Students plan an in-depth investigation of the career cluster selected in Task 2. Students are encouraged to use resources available in the guidance office, career center, computer lab and library, paying particular attention to the availability of careers in the cluster and their projected outlook. Students must also utilize primary sources to obtain information. Job shadowing, interviews, and volunteering are all appropriate methods of gaining information. Students will develop a "Planning Guide" to aide them in their research and a "Card File" to organize the information obtained. Then they will create and give a presentation of their findings.

Task #4:          Students will complete a Career Report on the career chosen from their identified cluster. The report should be written on the form provided, covering the following areas: Nature of the Work, Working Conditions, Education and Training Needed, Personal Qualifications, Earnings, Advancement Opportunities, Employment Opportunities, Advantages and Disadvantages, and Works Cited.

Task #5:          Students will review their entire career investigation process and write a reflection paper. Then they will compile a personal portfolio of career investigation. The portfolio should be well organized and creative.

Connections to Related Standards, Competencies, and Domains

The "Personal Portfolio of Career Investigation" relates directly to Minnesota Graduation Content Standard #8, Decision-Making: Career Investigation. Each task included involves setting goals, learning about oneself, discovering career options, making some decisions regarding career development, researching a career via primary and secondary sources, and finally compiling all the products developed into a personal portfolio.

All the lessons for the "Personal Portfolio of Career Investigation" also can be identified with the Personal Development and Career Development domains of the Minnesota School Counselors’ Model of Developmental Guidance and Counseling. Tasks 1 and 2 involve developing self-awareness with respect to careers. These tasks are reflective of the Personal Development domain of the model. Tasks 3, 4 and 5 are examples of the Career Development domain in that they allow the student to make some decisions regarding career choice and learn firsthand information about their choice and do some planning for their future.

Additionally, the tasks outlined in the "Personal Portfolio of Career Investigation" can be identified in the Career Development Competencies as established by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (NOICC). This unit allows students to obtain self-knowledge through use of interest inventories and other activities. Students will gain insight into their interests, abilities, values and goals as they relate to careers. They are also involved in occupational exploration by researching careers through primary and secondary sources. Finally, they obtain skills in planning by organizing, analyzing, and reflecting upon the information obtained in their portfolio.

References and Resources

Camp, Joyce and Miller, Greg, (Ninth Grade Social Studies Teachers at Richfield High School) Personal Portfolio of Career Investigation (1997). For further information: Richfield High School, 7001 Harriet Ave. S., Richfield, MN 55423. (612) 798-6000.

Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning, Minnesota Profile of Learning — Content Standard: Decision-Making: Career Investigation, Performance Package: Personal Portfolio of Career Investigation.

Minnesota School Counselors’ Model of Developmental Guidance and Counseling, 1993.

National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee: Career Development Competencies by Area and Level.