Department/Grade:   Business Education                Course: Career Planning/Graduation Project         

Revision Date:  April, 2008                                       Required/Elective:     Required

Course Length: One Year                                         Prerequisite: None

Course Description:

Each graduating senior must complete a project demonstrating the student’s ability to produce a letter of application (cover letter), a resume, a reference list and a thank you follow-up letter.  Each student is also responsible for acquiring a letter of recommendation from an approved reference.  Students are given the opportunity for career awareness/exploration through guest speakers and internet research.

Students must also complete the following as part of the graduation project class:  ten hours of community service, a portfolio exhibiting student’s major accomplishments and achievements throughout his/her high school career and a project that is based on the student’s future career or interests and demonstrates the student’s ability to effectively plan and organize.

During the consumer economics section of this course, students are given an overview of a variety of personal finance topics including: checkbook management and other household personal finances.

COURSE OBJECTIVES	CONTENT/TIMELINE OUTLINE
List adjustments that can be made to a workstation to make it more comfortable.	Identify strain and overexertion hazards
List adjustments that can be made to eliminate glare on a computer screen.	Identify ways to reduce eyestrain while using a computer monitor
List suggestions for relieving the stress of sitting too long at a computer.	Identify ways to reduce the stress of sitting
List safety hazards and preventive measures for each.	Identify fall hazards, equipment hazards, material storage hazards, electrical hazards, and fire hazards
List examples of reasonable accommodations made to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.	Identify accommodations made in the workplace and public facilities
Plan for Success	Career expectations Job-occupation-career Your P*A*T*H to success Why plan now Planning for career success
Influences on Career Choices	Influence People who influence career decisions Environmental influences on career decisions Influences of values on career decisions
Self-Awareness	Learning about yourself Formal assessments Informal assessment experiences
Career Trends	Futurecasting Changes in career fields Trends in career fields Futurecasting revisited
Career Awareness	Millennials Workforce diversity Nontraditional employment Entrepreneurship Global career opportunities
Your Internal Career Design	The decision making process Understand you need to decide now Identify the benefits of a good decision Consider all possible decisions Make a decision Create a plan Monitor the success of  your decision
Goal Setting	Self-motivation Reaching your goals Your action plans Roadblocks Budgeting Managing your time
Career Preparation Options	Finding the right path Education and training options Planning your path
Plan for the Next Step	Your career preparation path Your education/training path Begin implementing your career plan Apply for admission
Career Success and Growth	Adjusting to your workplace What employers want Key characteristics and skills Barriers to career growth
Teams	The team concept Building a team How teams function Managing conflict
Understand Your Workplace	Employment laws Employment forms Withholdings Types of employment Employer expectations
Your Job Search	Your job search goals Managing your job search Researching industries and employers The next step
Apply for a Job	Personal fact sheet Effective resumes Building your resume References Cover letters Job applications Pre-employment tests
Successful Job Interviews	The interview process Preparing for interviews Before the interview The interview After the interview
RESOURCE MATERIALS	ASSESSMENT
Discovering Your Career Thomson-Southwestern Publishing Co. Copyright 2003	Chapter Exercises Worksheets Internet Research Projects Quizzes/Tests