Exploring Careers Through Work-Based Learning

Imagine you are interested in becoming a veterinarian. Describe a plan using work-based learning (WBL) to help you decide if this career is right for you.

• Read a book about animals at home.

• Volunteer at a local animal clinic to gain hands-on experience and talk to veterinarians about their daily work.

• Watch a movie about pets.

• Ask your friend what they think about animals.

You want to develop skills for a future job in technology. What is a strategic way to use WBL to achieve this goal?

• Play video games at home.

• Participate in a coding internship where you work on real projects and receive feedback from professionals.

• Watch cartoons about computers.

• Collect computer magazines.

Suppose you are unsure about your interests. How could you use career exploration to make an informed decision about your future?

• Choose a career randomly.

• Research different professions, interview people in those fields, and reflect on which activities excite you the most.

• Ask your parents to pick a job for you.

• Ignore the decision until you are older.

You want to prepare for the future by developing new skills. What is a strategic plan you could follow using WBL?

• Wait until you graduate to think about skills.

• Join a school program that offers internships or job shadowing in areas you are interested in, and set goals for what you want to learn.

• Only focus on your favorite hobby.

• Avoid trying anything new.

How can hands-on experience through WBL help you discover your interests and make better career choices?

• By reading about jobs in a textbook.

• By actively participating in real work environments, you can learn what you enjoy and what you are good at.

• By guessing which job you might like.

• By asking your friends to choose for you.

If you want to improve your communication skills for a future career, which WBL activity would be most effective and why?

• Practicing speeches alone in your room.

• Participating in a group project at a local business where you must present ideas and collaborate with others.

• Watching videos about communication.

• Reading a book about talking.

You are planning your high school courses. How can you use the concept of career exploration to strategically select your classes?

• Pick classes randomly.

• Research careers you are interested in and choose classes that help you develop relevant skills and knowledge.

• Only take classes your friends are taking.

• Avoid challenging subjects.

A friend is unsure about what job they want in the future. How could you help them use WBL to clarify their interests?

• Tell them to pick any job.

• Suggest they try internships or job shadowing in different fields to see what they enjoy most.

• Advise them to ignore the decision.

• Tell them to do nothing.

How can you use evidence from your WBL experiences to make a reasoned decision about your future career path?

• Ignore your experiences.

• Reflect on what you learned, what you enjoyed, and what skills you developed during your WBL activities to guide your career choice.

• Only consider what your friends think.

• Choose the job with the highest salary without considering your experiences.

You want to become a chef. What strategic steps could you take through WBL to prepare for this career?

• Watch cooking shows at home.

• Work part-time in a restaurant kitchen to gain hands-on experience and learn from professional chefs.

• Read recipes online.

• Eat at different restaurants.