Project: Career Planning - Human Body Systems

Step Description Expected Student Results
1 Letter of Introduction:
Student shares their interests and goals within a career field related to health care, educational plans and hobbies outside of school.
Mentor Introduction:
Mentor will introduce himself or herself to student. Share their career and educational background/path as well as some personal interests and hobbies. Mentor shares with student the best times/days for reading and responding to student messages. 		Students will maintain a journal documenting their exploration of careers that are explored over the school year. Within that digital journal, student will highlight conversations, questions and plans with mentor regarding post-secondary and career planning.
Student will complete a letter of introduction to the mentor explaining his/her interests, activities in and out of school and the careers they are most interested in pursuing.
2 Student will complete an initial self assessment (very limited research) regarding where they are in their post- secondary education and career readiness plans by answering the following questions:

1. What is the connection between an interest that you want to pursue and career opportunities in the economy where you live or want to live?
2. What does that industry area require you to do to be competitive in that area?
3. What post-secondary educational programs are available in your state to allow you to compete successfully? If there are none in your state, where can you find those programs?
4. What is your top post-secondary choice where you would like to go to school?
5. What does it take to be competitive in this post- secondary program?
6. Describe any authentic work or opportunities that you pursued to date in the field or area of interest.
7. Do you have a formal career and education plan that you have personally developed? Who is supporting you and holding you accountable to refine and execute the plan?

Student shares their self-assessment with mentor. Student will reflect on what areas need the most research and how they need to develop a plan to be prepared for college and a career.

Mentor:
Please reply to student's responses and highlight areas of strength and weakness. Mentor can explain what employers are looking for in quality in new hires and employees. 		Student completes a self-assessment to see what they currently know and understand about the career they are interested in pursuing and documents information in a Google Folder "Career Exploration". Answer the questions and share them with your parent and teacher by sharing google folder and upload a PDF copy for mentor on this site. Note you can not share the Google Folder with the mentor since all communication must be provided through the Mentored Pathways site.
3 This step is extended due to Winter Break

Research answers to the first three questions in your post-secondary education and career readiness plan. Responses can be bullet points but please include URL as documentation:

1. What is the connection between an interest that you want to pursue and career opportunities in the economy where you live or want to live?
2. What does that industry area require you to do to be competitive in that area?
3. What post-secondary educational programs are available in your state to allow you to compete successfully? If there are none in your state, where can you find those programs?

Mentor:
Please review student's responses and provide insight to being competitive in the job market. 		Gather data and information to share with you mentor in this area. Discuss with your mentor your questions and advice they may have for you as you embark on this journey. Document your research in your google folder.
4 Student and a partner with similar interests will follow the guidelines and rubric established by HOSA - Future Health Professionals to develop a visual and verbal presentation on a career cluster or profession.
Student will perform additional research regarding the career they are interested in pursuing.
Subtopics should include:
Educational and Career Training requirements
Daily Tasks and Responsibilities
Professional Development
Professional Organizations
Salary
Job Outlook (Is it a growing field?Will there be a job for you in 10 to 20 years?)
Newest Innovations in this field (how is it changing to the 21st century)
It is recommended that student interview a professional in the career for additional insight.

Student will update mentor with their findings specific to the career and post a picture of their display for mentor's review. Student should include a script or description of their oral presentation.

Mentor:
Please provide ongoing feedback as students share research or have questions. Please provide a critique of the student's display and presentation. Offer suggestions to improve the display or presentation so that it would meet high quality standards. 		Student will develop a professional looking display and verbal presentation that highlights a career or cluster and share with mentor by uploading a picture of display and email with details for presentation.
Top performers might represent our program at the HOSA State Leadership Conference or at a school career fair.
Share with mentor questions related to developing a polished presentation and professional display.
5 Post Secondary Education and Career Readiness: Research and answer the next series of questions. Responses can be bullet points but please include URL as documentation:

4) Research the academic programs at your top choices for post secondary schools.
What is the top post-secondary choice where you would like to go to school?
5) What does it take to be competitive in this post-secondary program? What can you do during high school to make your application into the program stand out?

Share your findings with your mentor and teacher.
Ask your mentor about their experiences while working towards their degree(s). What do they know now that they wish they had known while in high school and college?
Answer any questions from mentor or ask questions of your mentor for support. Add that information into your journal.

Mentor:
Please review student's responses and provide feedback or reflective questions for student to consider. 		Student documents responses to the prompts around post- secondary education in Google Docs and shares with teacher. Student sends email response through this site to mentor.

6 Post secondary and Career Readiness

For your top choice of school talk with an admissions counselor or a professor within the degree program(s) you are exploring. Find out what type of research the faculty is working on. Is this within your interest areas? Ask what courses students struggle to complete in the degree program and what you can do to prepare for these "weed out" classes.

Develop a plan that will help you be successful. Include classes you should take now, volunteer opportunities to explore, and other ways to be prepared.
Reflect on suggestions from your mentor and return to your plan and make changes that would be helpful.

Mentor:
Review student's findings and their plan. Share your own successes and some of the areas that were a struggle for you or your peers. Suggest some additional ideas for developing skills that are valuable within industry and education. 		Document your conversations with an adviser or professor at the school you are researching in your Google Career Exploration folder and share with mentor through email on this site.
7 Post secondary Readiness
Research or document activities for next series of questions. Responses can be bullet points.
6. Describe any authentic work (school/volunteer/employment) that you have done to date in the field or area of interest that you are pursuing. If you do not have any what are some possible ways to get these experiences? What organizations can you contact? When will you work on making these connections?
7. Do you have a formal career and education plan that you have personally developed? Who is supporting you and holding you accountable to refine and execute the plan?

Share with your mentor, school counselor, teacher and parents your answers and research. Ask how you can find authentic work experiences in the industry you wish to pursue both during high school (if relevant) or as a college student. Ask what haven't you considered or thought about yet?

Mentor:
Please offer your expertise to helping student see gaps that are present.		 Document your research and plans in google docs Career Exploration Folder. Share with mentor in email.
8 Review both your initial self assessment and all of your responses to the questions over the course of this project.
Write a minimum of a three page reflection on what you learned through the process. This reflection will include:
1) Your formal career and education plan that you have developed in paragraph form. Each of the original questions in the self assessment should be addressed.
2) Responses to these questions should also be addressed:
Explain how having a mentor assisted you with the career planning exploration?
How can you apply this process in the future?
What new questions do you have?
Who can you ask for help?
Be sure and thank your mentor for all of their support and insight as well.

Complete the Mentored Pathways survey.

Mentor:
Thank you for your support. Please share any final thoughts or encouragements you have for the student. Please complete the survey from Mentored Pathways. 		Student will share the three page reflection including their formal career and education plan with mentor by uploading a PDF copy on this site. Additionally share the reflection with your school counselor, teacher and parent/guardian. Document your plan within Naviance as well.
Include a sincere thank you to your mentor for all of their assistance over the past few months.
Student completes Mentored Pathways survey.