Resources for Counselors
Career Development
According to the American School Counselor Association’s National Standards, school counselors have a mandate to develop and nurture their students’ future careers. By the time students finish high school, they should be able to investigate careers and make informed decisions; achieve future career goals with success; and understand how their education, personal qualities, and skills relate to the professional world.. Below you will find links to articles, career exploration web sites, curricula, recent research, and self assessments related to career development.
Articles
America’s Career Resource Network
ACRNA is a nonprofit organization of professionals dedicated to ensuring that all individuals have the knowledge and skills necessary to make fully informed career decisions.
The ACRNA web site has articles and fact sheets relevant for school counselors, and is working on the Career Development Guidelines, a framework for developing comprehensive career programs for youth and adults.
National Career Development Association
Career Convergence Magazine – This site has articles about career development for children in grades K-12.
Career Exploration
Career Plans
The Indiana Department of Education’s web site allows students to explore careers through the 16 career clusters.
Career Zone
This site allows you to explore careers based on Holland’s career theory.
Exploring Career Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
This site offers all the information found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, but presents the information in a child friendly format.
Occupational Employment Statistics
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics through the Occupational Employment Statistics program generates employment and wage estimates for over 800 occupations. This web site provides estimates of people employed in certain careers and of potential wages that can be earned. This information can be viewed for the nation as a whole, for individual States, and for metropolitan and non metropolitan areas.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes this handbook every two years with updated information on hundreds of jobs in the United States. You can find information on particular careers like job duties and environments, what education is required, whether future job prospects are available, the average salary, and related jobs.
O*Net
The U.S. Department of Labor’s web site offers in depth occupational information such as specific skills, education, and abilities needed for particular careers as well as typical job descriptions, median wages, and much more.
Paws in Jobland
On this web site kids can explore careers with the help of a cute animated dog named Paws.
Curricula
Florida Department of Education
This site offers several counseling and guidance lesson plans for career development aimed at different grade levels.
Missouri Center for Career Education
Over 300 guidance lesson plans are offered from the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Program.
Vocational Information Center
Kathryn Hake created this web site as a personal project. She has compiled an extensive list of career development links in addition to worksheets, assessments, workbooks, and handouts that can be used in the classroom.
Recent Research
CSCORE does not endorse any of the following research studies. Instead our goal is to present you with the latest research being conducted. It is up to you to decide if the study is reliable and valid.
Evidence-Based Secondary Transition Predictors for Improving Postschool Outcomes for Students With Disabilities
By: David W. Test, Valerie L. Mazzotti, April L. Mustian, Catherine H. Fowler, Larry Kortering, and Paula Kohler
Career Development for Exceptional Individuals 2009
http://cde.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/0885728809346960v1.pdf (fee required)
Factors Influencing High School Students' Career Aspirations
By: Mei Tang, Wei Pan, and Mark D. Newmeyer
Professional School Counseling, 2008
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/11-5-285%20Tang.pdf
The Academic Self-Efficacy of Urban Youth: A Mixed-Methods Study of a School-to-Work Program
By: Justin C. Perry, David B. DeWine, Ryan D. Duffy, and Kristen S. Vance
Journal of Career Development 2007
http://jcd.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/34/2/103
Helping Rural Adolescents Make Successful Postsecondary Transitions: A Longitudinal Study
By: Richard T. Lapan, Mark Aoyagi, and Marc Kayson
Professional School Counseling, 2007
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/10-3-266%20Lapan.pdf
The Relationship Among Support, Ethnic Identity, Career Decision Self-Efficacy, and Outcome Expectations in African American High School Students Applying Social Cognitive Career Theory
By: George V. Gushue and Melissa L. Whitson
Journal of Career Development, 2006
http://jcd.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/33/2/112 (fee required)
The Career Fair as a Vehicle for Enhancing Occupational Self-Efficacy
By: Pit Kolodinsky, Vincent Schroder, George Montopoli, Scott McLean, Peter A.Mangan, and William Pederson
Professional School Counseling 2006
http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/10-2-161%20Mangan.pdf
Self Assessments
Career OneStop
Sponsored by the US Department of Labor – The student pages of this site offer self assessments, information on careers and education, and tips on finding a job.
University of Waterloo
Career Development eManual
This web site walks you through several steps to help you find a career that is satisfying. Included are self assessments to help you recognize your personality, skills, and interests. There is also information on how to research potential careers, tips for writing a resume, how to be successful at work, etc. (free)
Virginia Career View
This site offers information, assessments, games, and ways to explore careers and education opportunities for students through adults.