Connecting Real World Learning to Real World CAREER DEVELOPMENT.

Career development is the lifelong process of managing your living, learning and earning in order to move to where you want to be.

Decisions you make each day - how you spend your time and what you identify as priorities - affect your career development. Ultimately, your career development is much more than the jobs you pursue - it is about how you want to live your life.

Real World Learning provides a way for students to test the waters before committing to a career pathway.

OTHER PROS FOR REAL WORLD LEARNING

Experience a professional environment and expand your network
Include activities in your resume and help you stand out in the job market
Apply what you have learned in the classroom to real-world situations
Reflecting on your experiences will help clarify your career focus
Gain a sense of self-confidence in your abilities

MAKE THIS THE WEEK YOU TALK ABOUT ‘REAL WORLD’ CAREER NEXT STEPS

PARENTS, GUARDIANS, AND FAMILIES

You’ll do anything to get your child’s attention. But what will you say when you get it?

Talking to children and youth about post-secondary and career planning isn’t easy, but breaking it down into small conversations can help.

During Atlantic Canada Career Week, we encourage you to help your child TO LOOK INSIDE (build self-awareness) and OUTSIDE (expanding horizons of the kind of learning and/or work that could be possible) and to plan for the future THEY want.

To start the conversation about looking inside and outside, try exploring these questions:

1) Who Am I?
Helping your child or youth know themselves is an important step in planning their future and deciding their next steps. Understanding their skills, values, likes and dislikes, interests, and learning styles will help them along their journey. You can provide valuable support by casually starting the conversation when an opportunity arises!
Questions for your child to consider:
- What am I good at?
- What do I care about?
- What do I like to do?
- What inspires me?
2) What Are My Opportunities?
Encouraging your child to use their time in school and in the community to explore options, make connections, and participate in Real World Learning activities and courses can help them to explore areas of interest.
Questions for your child to consider:
- What school courses, programs, volunteer, and extracurricular activities allow me to explore my interests in school and in the community?
- How can my choices in school create new opportunities for me?
- What kinds of post-secondary programs, jobs, or occupations interest me?
3) What Are My Next Steps and Why?
Choosing courses and experiences that align with your child’s interests will help them to set goals to create the future they want. Encourage your child to ensure their choices and actions are guided by what’s really important to them.
Questions for your child to consider:
- What is available in my pathway after I finish school?
- Have I selected the courses that interest me?
- What courses and learning experiences will help me reach my goals?
- What are my expectations and priorities about my learning, wellness, occupation, and finances?
4) What Is My Action Plan?
Identifying resources, building skills, and creating networks will help your child to achieve their goals as they take their next step in their journey though and beyond high school and/or post-secondary education. Encourage your child to get in motion, access their allies, and always have a backup plan!
Questions for your child to consider:
- What can I do now to plan for my future?
- What resources will I use to achieve my goals?
- What are some challenges I might face and how will I deal with them?
- How will I save money for my next steps after school?

EDUCATORS – GUIDING QUESTIONS

Educators may support students before, during, and after their Real World Learning experiences by prompting them to reflect on their learnings. For example, students could ask themselves reflective guiding questions such as :

What do I expect to learn going into this Real World Learning experience?
What did I learn?
What surprised me the most about the experience?
What did I like most about what I did?
Is there anything I would change for next time?
What did I learn about potential opportunities in this field in the future?
How did the work environments align/not align with my ideal work environment?
What tasks did I enjoy most, and why?
What did this experience teach me about myself?
How could I use the information I learned?

Atlantic Canada Career Week is proud to be held in conjunction with Canada Career Month

Atlantic Canada Career Week 2016 Website

Atlantic Canada Career Week 2017 Website