Middle School Counseling Services

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Career Exploration

Middle school is a time of exploration. Students are in a period of physical, personal, and social change. As adults, we can use this naturally occurring "cycle of change" to provide them with opportunities to explore various disciplines before having to focus on high school graduation requirements. Elective choices in middle school give students the opportunity to experience other subjects which may be of interest to them. An elective choice of today may become a career of tomorrow.

In addition, middle school students need our help in understanding that they do have choices and that each choice is a branch that may lead toward or away from their goal. Below is decision-making guide which can help parents guide their child/ren in their middle school career exploration. It is based on the FCPS Career Connections website.

STUDENT DECISION-MAKING PROCESS ( AND RESOURCES )

What Do You Plan To Do With Your Life?
Choosing a post-high school pathway is a decision-making process. The effectiveness of your decision making relies heavily on the information available to you. Planning for life requires understanding self , exploring occupations , making decisions, and acquiring work skills. In addition to using the steps listed below, use the career decision-making resources.

STEP ONE: Identify your Goal

Think about what you want to achieve and state that as your goal. Some decisions you might be facing could include:
    - What do I need to do in middle school to prepare for the next phase of my life?
    - Where do I want to be next year/in high school/after high school and what is the best way to get there?

STEP TWO: Know Yourself ( Self Assessment )

What makes you YOU? Self-knowledge is a life long journey. To get started, use the resources available through

www.bridges.com

to explore your skills, interests, values, personality, and dreams. The log-in information for LBSS students: log on to FCPS 24/7 and go to the LBSS Student Resource Center under the Community Tab.

STEP THREE: Gather Information and Data

STEP FOUR: Identify Options-Do I Want To...

STEP FIVE: Evaluate Your Options and Make a Decision

Identify the pros and cons of each alternative by asking yourself:

STEP SIX: Design a Course of Action to Implement Your Decision

Having chosen one of the options, you can now begin developing and implementing a plan of action.

Decision making is a life long process. The more you contribute to the process the more likely it is you will meet with success.

Additional information for parents seeking to find information on career planning can be found at

Family Connections

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