Your first job will most likely not be your last. After learning about your personality, it is time to plan a career path. You may change your mind –in fact, maybe more than once. But having an idea in mind will help you keep focused on a path. Several tests can suggest careers for you, but of course you should reflect on how well you think those suggestions fit your personality. Career exploration is not something you finish in a few steps; and the more you explore, the more you learn about the possibilities!

READ

There is a career out there for you

• Click on the areas in the outer circle of the interactive World of Work Map and explore the different careers in each group by reading the descriptions
• Spend some time exploring careers in the Big Future by the College Board

DISCOVER

Don’t be afraid to pursue your passion!

•  Eight secrets of success
•  Why you will fail to have a great career
•  Keep your goals to yourself
•  A kinder, gentler philosophy of success

CREATE

Tools

• Internet access and a PowerPoint or any drawing software
• A What’s Next Illinois account

Tutorials and Handouts

• How to create roadmaps in PowerPoint

Step-by-step

1. Login to whatsnextillinois.org to complete the following inventories found in the CAREER PLANNING tab:
   1. Interest Profiler
   2. The Career Key
2. Reflect upon your career of choice and write a response for the following questions:
   1. How did the 3 careers above compare with the 3 you listed before completing the Interest Profiler?
   2. What did you learn about yourself that you had not realized before?
   3. Do you think completing the Interest Profiler was helpful?  If so, why?
3. Using what you have learned, determine what activities are most likely to be of interest for you for the duration of your internship.
4. Create a roadmap of the activities you want to do while working for the agency. You can be as specific as every day or as general as every week.

Need an advanced approach?

Use the following resources to compare careers in the whatsNextIllinois.org website.

• Browse careers using the Video List at the bottom of the page under the EXPLORE CAREERS tab
• Use other career exploration tools under the EXPLORE CAREERS tab such as Compare Careers, Career Plan Builder, and the Work History

ACHIEVE

Don't forget to talk to your librarian about all the reading, discovering and creating you're doing this summer to earn your Achieve Badge!

Rahm’s Readers is made possible by The James & Madeleine McMullan Foundation, Cubs Care, Comcast, Dr. Scholl Foundation, CPL Foundation Junior Board, Helen M. Harrison Foundation, Macys, Peoples Gas, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, ComEd, R.R. Donnelley, The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, Verizon and RPM Advertising through the Chicago Public Library Foundation.