PROMOTING CAREER EXPLORATIONA STRATEGY FOR ENHANCING CAREER READINESS AMONG

INCOMING FRESHMAN

Presentation for the third annual conference, Promoting Student Success: The First Year and Beyond

OUTLINE• CONTEXT• HCC’s Freshman Focus Program• Career Component

• CONTENT• Overview of Counseling Services• Holland Checklist• Career Envelopes• Discussion – So What?

• CONSEQUENCES (evaluation)

CONTEXT• HCC’s Freshman Focus Program• An admissions program held every April and May

for incoming freshman prior to their high school graduation

• Conducted by HCC’s Admissions and Advising Office

• Orientation to the admissions process, placement testing, advising, and registration

• Includes an optional career component conducted by HCC’s Counseling and Career Services office.

CONTENT1. Overview of Counseling and Career Services• Career counseling for students and community

members• Personal counseling for students

2. Overview of the Career Planning Process• Self-assessment, career exploration, decision-making• Why start now? • Academic success linked to having career goals• Gives time to “try out” careers through internships and

volunteering prior to graduation• Gives time to change major if needed

CONTENT3. Self-Assessment Activity• Holland checklist• Explanation of the Holland model and codes

Realistic Investigative

Artistic

SocialEnterprisingConventional

Doers Thinkers

Creators

HelpersPersuaders

Organizers

Realistic InvestigativeA

rtistic

SocialEnterprising

Con

ven

tion

al

Working with hands, tools, machinery. Like to produce tangible results. Focus on things. Sample

careers include vocational trades, law

enforcement, athletics. Structured environment.

Like to learn, observe, analyze, solve problems. Curious, inquisitive and

inventive. Focus on ideas. Sample careers include math, science,

engineering. Unstructured environment.

Creative, imaginative, original, expressive. Focus on ideas. Sample careers

include performing or visual arts, design,

communications, creative writing. Unstructured

environment.

Working with and helping people. Prefer teamwork, and value

welfare of others. Sample careers include teaching, counseling,

religious or social work. Helpful/harmonious

environment.

Leading and influencing people and achieving goals. Value prestige,

status, making money. Assertive. Sample careers include business, politics,

sales. Competitive environment.

Like to organize, categorize, follow procedures. Detail-oriented, precise, efficient.

Focus on data. Sample careers include Accounting, office

management, clerical work. Structured environment.

CONTENT

4. Career Exploration• Each student is given 2 envelopes labeled with a job

title and containing a job description and Holland Code• Giving students the “job envelopes” simulates what

happens in the job search without doing career planning

• Students can attempt to find other students who are willing to trade envelopes, until they find 2 occupations they like.

• Reserve pile for students who cannot find anyone to trade with

• Students open envelopes for detailed information about their jobs.

CONTENT5. Discussion

• How many got/found occupations of interest?• What appealed to you , if anything, about the occupations

you were given or found?• How did not having a choice or a limited choice make you

feel?• What can you do to prevent the same thing from happening

in real life?• What might limit your ability to obtain the career you want?• Ask students if their Holland Code matched the careers they

chose and/or how their chosen careers might fit with their Holland code.

EVALUATIONS

• Students were engaged with the activity and gave positive evaluations after the program