Introduction

There is a point in time when you must choose a path for yourself....a direction....a goal.....a career.  It is an exciting time but can also be a confusing time for some of you.  This WebQuest is designed to help you with your career decisions.  Your quest will be to find your PERFECT JOB.  You will do this by first assessing your interests and skills to determine your personality type.  You will then use this information to research careers that would be suited to your personality type.

The Task

As you begin your career search there are some common questions that come to mind.  What am I good at?  What do I enjoy doing?  Where do I want to live?  How much money do I want to make?  What do I want to do with my life?  You will find the answers to these questions and more through the use of some great information located on the Web.  You will also be blessed with a greater understanding of yourself and your potential as a contributing member of society.  You will use the information you have gathered to write a research paper 6-8 pages in length.
 

The Process

It is time to begin your search.   You will need to take several steps in order to reach your goal, THE PERFECT JOB.

    1. Your first step is to take one of the great interest inventories that are now so easily available on the  Web.       These tests will provide information on your personality and a list of careers people with your interests may find satisfying.

• One of these is the  Keirsey Temperament Survey   which is a test used in career development centers major universities designed to help you discover your  own patterns and preferences.
• Another good site with a Personality Profiler is My Road   which also has a college search with information on various majors, and a career search.
• The Princeton Review also offers an interest assessment along with information on careers, internships, resumes, interviews and more.

    2.    After you discover your personality type it is time to begin researching various careers relevant to your interests. You need to research a minimum of five careers.  For each career you will need to gather a variety of information.  You will need to rank order the following items for each of the five careers you research.  Describe  which area is the most important to you for each  particular career and why.  Then rank and describe each of the following in descending order of importance.

• A job description - type of work, duties, and responsibilities
• Interests and aptitudes
• Education, training, or experience needed
• Salary
• Growth
• Advancement

•  The Occupational Outlook Handbook  a great source from the U.S. Department of Labor.
• The Princeton Review provides career information along with specific education and training information.
• The Ontario Career Gateway offers career information for both the U.S. and Canada.
• Hot Jobs provides all kinds of information on careers and colleges.
• Jobweb also provides a variety of valuable career information.

Evaluation

    You will be evaluated on the quality of your paper.  All papers are to be 6 to 8 pages long, double spaced with standard 12 point font.  You will also be evaluated on the following criteria:
 

Conclusion

    Hopefully, this WebQuest has helped you uncover some useful information about your career choice.  By now you should be more confident about choosing a career path and how to get there.  You also should have a better idea of who you are, what your interests are, and what you are good at.  You may even have discovered your PERFECT JOB.  If not, don't be discouraged,  many college freshman do not know what they want to go into and most people will have a variety of jobs throughout their working years.
 
 
 
 

Written by Linda Howell, Carpentersville, IL, District 300
Based on a template designed by Dr. Bernie Dodge, San Diego State University, from The WebQuest Page as taught in "Engaged Learning with WebQuests" by Rich Levine for Aurora University and The Kane Country (IL) Regional Office of Education 7/30//01 - 8/01/01.