Module Overview

Objectives

Through successful completion of this module, students will:

Gain knowledge of source material for assignment through the campus library's databases, card catalog, ebooks, and Internet sites.
Master the use of databases, card catalog, ebooks, and Internet sites to gather information for the choosen field of study.
Define the field of Career Interest.
Identify typical jobs in the field of choice.
Choose a specific job in the field of choice.
Learn what degree is needed to gain this job.
Learn what kinds of grades must be maintained to receive a job in this field.
Identify salaries with and without experience in the field of choice.
Identify major companies that hire within the field in the state of Texas and beyond.
Interview someone in the job chose.
Identify intershship opportunities in the field of choice.
Identify professional organizations to join withing the field of choice.
Explain problems with the assignment in a conference setting.
Explain in a unified, coherent, and well-developed essay or presentation what this assignment has taught the student about herself and her field of study.

Background

As long as there have been colleges and universities, students have been choosing majors. However, many times these choices have been rushed and chosen half - heartedly merely to please a Mom or Dad or worse just to have the ability to say what there major is. This module’s completion will solve the problem of what career to choose, because, through completing it, students have to think critically and question themselves on a number of occasions. Some students will come to the realization that they are in the right place while others may change career paths. At the end of the module's completion, a choice of career path is made or questioned. This act alone is a lifesaver to college and university students.

Resources

The sources used in this module are a general textbook that discusses finding research in the library and on the web as well as evaluating that information. Moreover, a computer with Internet access is needed as well as adequate time to research in the campus or local library. A projector and computer are needed if the resources tour is being done in class. You may also find the following websites helpful:

http://www.livecareer.com/ (career test for career exploration)

http://www.nycareerzone.org/ (career test for career exploration and career information—very valuable)

http://career.berkeley.edu/Infolab/ CareerFields.stm (career choices and valuable information to complete assignment)

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/occupations/a/career_briefs.htm (career choices and valuable information to complete assignment)

http://www.umanitoba.ca/counselling/careers.html (career choices and valuable information to complete assignment)

http://www.careerexplorer.net/descriptions.asp#jobs (Career Choices and Information – Very Valuable)

Relevance to Academia and Industry

This module is proactive; it calls for students to think, discover, and question themselves as a person and their choice of a career. The project allows them to connect with others in the field and get a start on becoming a member of that field. Those students choosing to stay in the field of discovery after completing the module have made lifelong connections to future employers, references, and organizations in the field. These contacts are what all students need to be successful in their field of study but seldom think about during their junior or senior year of college. This module makes students think about it; their future is now.