Preparatory Experiences — Youth
and Family Section
Introduction
Who are you?
Before we can figure out what we want to be, we have to know who we are.
That means that we have to have an understanding of what our interests are,
what our abilities are, what types of people we like to be around, what types
of environments we prefer, how we like to learn, what appeals to us, what is
important to us, and what we value.
There are many ways we learn about ourselves. Many of them are informal. We
learn about ourselves by trying new things, paying attention to what we like
to do and don't like to do, to what we do well or have difficulty doing, to
how we learn best. We learn about ourselves by noticing the types of people
we like to hang out with or shy away from, or through feedback about us provided
by someone whose opinion we value. We can also learn about ourselves in a more
formal manner, by taking tests that actually assess interests, abilities, or
personality.
Learning about yourself is important; but how you use the information is even
more important. It can help you decide about a future career and the education
and training you will pursue, what you value, where you will live and what lifestyle
you hope for, the types of environments you prefer, even the recreational activities
you select.
The information that follows will identify some informal and formal ways that
you can gain insight about yourself and how you can use that information to
think about your future employment. Once you have an idea about what you’d
like to do, you need to know how to get started and what employers look for
in an employee. The information you will find here will help you learn about
that too.
Since parents can play an important role in helping you to learn about yourself
and helping you to achieve your goals, we have also included some information
that will help them to help you.
Questions
1. How can I learn about
my interests?
There are lots of ways to determine what your interests are. Each and every
day there are countless opportunities for you to learn about them. When your
teacher goes over math, do you groan or get excited? When it's time to work
on an art project, do you smile or count the minutes until it’s time for
science? Do you spend most of your free time outdoors, exploring nature or playing
sports or predicting the weather, or do you spend it indoors reading, doing
crossword puzzles, cooking, tinkering with tools or writing stories? When you
do homework in a particular a subject, do you get excited about it? Do you love
putting outfits together or rearranging your room? Do your friends or family
members ever comment about how you show unusual interest in an activity or excel
at something? These are just some examples of how you may be able to learn about
what your interests are. They are "informal" ways of learning about
your interests.
There are also "formal" ways to learn about your interests.
Your school guidance counselor is one person who can help you assess your interests
in a formal manner. Formal interest tests can help you identify specific activities
that appeal to you, and can even match them to possible careers. Your counselor
can provide you with interest tests that are appropriate for you, assist you
with any accommodations needed for you to take them, and help you understand
the results of the tests and how they can relate to possible career options.
There may be other people in your school who can help too: transition coordinators,
career and technical education teachers, special education teachers, and librarians.
We know you are probably curious about your interests and how they could relate
to your future employment, so we have selected some interest tests that are
available online that you can do right now! You may want to print the results
and share them with your parents, your counselor, or your transition teacher
and see if they think the results match the person they know – you! In
addition to getting some objective feedback, sharing the results will start
a conversation about your interests and may lead to additional insights and
new options to consider. Remember that your interests can be related to many,
many jobs and not just the titles listed on your results. Consider them a starting
point – not an ending point!
Knowing about what interests you is important information to keep in mind as
you start thinking about your future career. It is also important to identify
and understand your strengths and abilities – what do you do well? Your
interests and abilities, together, will greatly impact what you choose to pursue.
2. How can I learn about
my strengths and abilities?
There are many ways you can learn about your strengths and abilities. Just
like learning about your interests, the ways you can learn about them are both
informal and formal.
You probably already have an idea about what you are good at. Did you know
that it’s not unusual that what you are good at doing may also show up
as an area of interest for you as well? People tend to have an interest in and
enjoy things which they do well.
Think about your abilities as they relate to school – What subjects come
easily to you? Are you good with math? Are you a great writer? Do you manage
a club or the school newspaper? Play in the band? Are you a good communicator?
By chance, do these abilities match any interest areas?
Think about your abilities as they relate to your life outside of school. Do
you excel at a sport? Are you handy around the house? Do you know how to cook
a meal or fix a car? Are you good at gardening or good with pets? Can you use
a computer? Are you organized and can you do many things at once?
By just paying attention to what you are able to do, you can identify some
of your abilities. You may have many more abilities than those you are currently
aware of that may just require an opportunity to be demonstrated. Taking advantage
of opportunities to try new things will allow you to identify additional strengths
and abilities.
Although it’s important to know what you do well (with or without accommodations),
it’s also important to know what you are not so good at too. As you think
about what you do well, think about things that are difficult for you. Most
people pursue careers where they have both interest and ability.
If you are interested in discovering what additional abilities you may have,
create some opportunities for self-discovery. You can sign up for a class in
a subject that is new to you, join a club after school that involves an activity
you have never tried, help your parents or a neighbor or a friend do something
you’ve never done before, or become a volunteer in your community. When
you volunteer, you learn something new and help others too!
As you get older, new and different opportunities will become available to
you at school and in life. As these opportunities emerge, try and take advantage
of them. If you need some type of accommodation in order to try them, think
about what will help you and ask your teacher, counselor, parent or employer
for assistance with putting the accommodation into place.
If you are interested in formally assessing your abilities, your guidance counselor
can assist you. There are many tests that measure your overall ability, including
intelligence, achievement, and aptitude. Your counselor will help you understand
the results of these tests and help you relate them to your interests and possible
career choices.
3. What is an informational
interview and how can it help me to learn about a career I am thinking about?
Informational interviews are a great way to learn about a career you think
you might be interested in. It is not a job interview. In fact, you are not
the “interviewee” but instead are the “interviewer!”
Informational interviews allow you to ask someone who is actually working in
your field of interest questions that you want the answers to. They can be questions
about the education or training required for an entry level position, what the
work involves, how much it pays, or even if the person you're interviewing would
recommend it as a career and why or why not. Although there are many books that
provide excellent descriptions about a variety of careers and the education
they require and what the future holds for those working in the field, informational
interviews provide answers to your specific questions from someone performing
the work in your community. They also allow you to meet the person in the environment
where the work is performed, so you can also check out the environment and see
how it feels to you. It’s a great opportunity to get a comprehensive picture
of a particular career of interest.
Informational interviews are pretty easy to arrange. Most people enjoy talking
about their work and will willingly talk to a young person about what they do.
4. What types of skills do
I need to find and keep a job?
There are many skills involved in finding and keeping a job. They are called
“job-seeking skills” and “job-keeping skills” and behaviors.
You most likely have many of these skills already. You can learn and develop
the rest.
Job-seeking Skills
One of the first things you need to learn if you want to get a job is
HOW to find one. Asking people you know – networking – is a great
way to find a job. In fact, it is the number one way people find employment!
One-Stop Centers may be an excellent resource
for you as you start your job search. There are many resources available at
your local One-Stop Center that can support your job seeking activities. Staff
may be able to assist you with the development of a resume, to identify job
openings in your local community, to complete an application, or, depending
on the size and range of services offered, may offer interest assessments or
workshops such as job seeking skills, interviewing, and resume development.
You may want to consider including job seeking skills and employment or learning
how to access and use your community One-Stop as part of your individualized
transition plan on your Individualized Education Program (IEP).
To find a One-Stop Center near you, you can ask your guidance counselor, special
education coordinator, or transition coordinator at school, or contact:
Another way to find a job is to look in the job ads
in the classified section of your newspaper. Jobs are usually listed
either under “Full Time” or “Part Time.” Start by deciding
how many hours you want to work. Full time is usually 30 hours or more per week.
Many full time jobs offer benefits, such as paid vacation, sick leave, life
insurance, and health insurance. Part time jobs are less than 30 hours per week,
and many do not offer benefits. If you are in school, you will most likely be
interested in part time work. If you are out of school and not living with your
parents or covered by their insurance, you may be most interested in a full
time job with benefits.
The next step is to think about the type of job you are looking for. Jobs
are listed alphabetically by title and usually have a brief description of the
job duties, education and experience required, and directions about how to apply.
Typically, you are directed to either apply in person, forward an application
by mail or on line, or to email or mail a resume. Follow the directions for
applying for the job.
Read here for information on:
Once you have applied, you may be asked to schedule an interview. An interview
provides the employer with an opportunity to learn about you and how you can
contribute to the workplace. It also provides you with an opportunity to learn
about the employer, the company, the job, and the work environment, and helps
you to decide if it is a place you would like to work.
It is important to be prepared for your interview. Click
here to read about how to prepare for your interview:
http://cornell.placementmanual.com/interviewing/interviewing-01.html
Congratulations! You got the job! Now, you have to keep the job.
Job-keeping skills
Here are some things to remember that will help you. They are called
"job-keeping" skills and behaviors.
You were hired because you fulfilled an employment need. That means you are
important to your employer and your workplace. Because you fill an important
role, it is important that you go to work and do the best you can. Some things
your employer will expect include:
- Showing up for work on time
- Returning from lunch/breaks on time
- Calling in when you will be late or are sick and cannot come in
- Treating those with whom you interact with respect and courtesy
- Honesty
- Being able to solve small problems on your own
- Speaking up for yourself and asking for help if you don’t understand
how to do something
- Asking for work if you have finished your task instead of just sitting around
- Showing that you are willing to learn new things
- Having the ability to get along with others
- Working as part of team
- Dressing appropriately
- Asking for a reasonable accommodation if it will help you do your job better.
You have been working on developing many of these skills and behaviors throughout
your life at school, at home, in the community. They are skills that will serve
you well at work, in school, and in all other aspects of your life.
Whether it's paid employment or a volunteer position, early work experiences
can have a positive impact on future employment. They can teach you a great
deal about yourself, the world of work, and life.
If you are in school and have an IEP, you should be an active participant in
the development of your transition plan. Your transition plan outlines your
goals and the steps you will take to move from where you are now to where you
want to be. As part of your transition plan, you can include activities that
help you learn about your interests and abilities, and help you to learn job
seeking and job keeping skills. Those activities may include work experiences,
learning how to use the resources at your local One-Stop center, volunteer positions,
or any other activities you think will provide you with opportunities to learn
what you need to learn about yourself and the world around you. These activities
will be instrumental in helping you develop the skills you need to succeed at
work, and ultimately, in life.
Check out Dare
to Dream - a guide that will help you think about your future and help you
plan for life after school:
http://www.thetransitioncenter.org/dtd.htm
You have made thousands of decisions over the course of your lifetime. You
make decisions every day - about what you will wear, what you will do, what
you eat, if you will study for a test, what television show you will watch,
how you will spend your money. Some decisions are small, some are big, some
have little impact on your future, and some can have a major impact on your
future. Knowing who you are, what you value, and what you want and need are
important considerations when making a decision. It is also important to have
good information upon which to base your decision. Having good information lets
you look at the pros and cons of an action, and what the short and long term
consequences of your decision will be. They can be positive or they can be negative.
When you know as much as you can about what is involved in making the decision,
you can make the decision that is best for you.
Take some time to get to know yourself. Pay attention to the clues as you go
about your daily activities. Think about what you do and don't enjoy, your strengths
and things you aren't so good at, skills you have and the skills you need, and
what you hope to achieve in your life. How do you picture yourself in one year?
Three years? Five? Ten? Think about how you will achieve it. If your disability
will impact you along the way, are there accommodations that can help you in
the workplace, in school, in the community?
5. What role do parents play
in helping youth prepare for their future?
You have spent years watching your sons and daughters grow and develop. You
know firsthand what they like, don't like, do well, have difficulty with, if
they are introverted or extroverted, are natural born leaders or strategic thinkers
or if they are creative or organized …you know lots about them!
What you have observed over the years can provide very valuable and useful
information to your children as they start to think about their future. If you
have noted consistent abilities in certain areas, let them know. What have you
observed as strengths? What types of activities, subjects, or people do they
tend to gravitate toward? What do they consistently avoid or have difficulty
with? Do they prefer to work alone or with others? Your perceptions may match
theirs, or may provide something new to think about. Sharing your observations
will promote self-knowledge and increase self-awareness. Relating your observations
and discussing how they may match up with different careers can get your sons
and daughters to start evaluating for themselves how their interests and abilities
may translate into careers of interest. Once they see the connection for themselves,
they will "try on" different careers through their own personal lens
as they think about work and what they may like to pursue.
Having knowledge about one's interests and abilities is important when planning
for the future. So is the development of skills needed to succeed in achieving
goals. Some skills are taught in formal settings, like school; others are learned
over the years through opportunities and experiences that allow us to learn
and practice them.
As parents, there are many things you can do to assist your sons and daughters
to prepare for their future.
You can encourage them to become active participants in planning for their future,
including participating in the development of their IEP and transition plan,
and to meet with the school guidance or career counselor to see what types of
assessments are available, identify careers of interest, and learn how to set
and achieve goals.
You can also encourage them to try new things, and expose them to new, age-appropriate
opportunities and experiences so they become increasingly more independent,
gain self-awareness, and continually strengthen existing skills and develop
new ones, including problem solving and effective decision-making skills. The
ability to solve problems and make good decisions is key to their ability to
set and achieve life goals that are right for them and an important part of
adolescent development.
A helpful resource is the Positive
Parenting of Teens, Adolescents and Decision Making guide developed by the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
You have encouraged your children to exercise good judgment, to value and demonstrate
honesty, integrity and responsible behaviors, learn how to assess information
and make good decisions, self-advocate, communicate effectively with others,
develop good social and interpersonal skills, and to become increasingly independent.
If disability has been a factor, you have hopefully also encouraged your sons
and daughters to identify any accommodations to enable their success in any
of these activities. This set of skills that you have fostered throughout their
lives now becomes an important part of their transition to the world of work,
postsecondary education or training, and to independence.
Early work experiences can also foster the development of these skills and
is an important part of their transition to the world of work, postsecondary
education or training, and to independence. Whether it's an in-school job, a
volunteer job in the community, or paid employment - work provides a wealth
of opportunities to develop personal insight and knowledge, the development
of job-keeping skills, promote independence and responsibility for self, and
promote the development of decision-making and problem-solving skills. Work
is an excellent arena for the development of life skills. Encourage early work
experience! It enhances the skills you have been teaching them their entire
lives.
Your sons' and daughters' transition plans can be a good place to ensure formal
assessment of interests and abilities, and opportunities for the development
of the behaviors and skills needed to find and keep a job. Explore with them
how the school and the local One-Stop may be able to work together to achieve
these goals.
As your sons and daughters mature, opportunities and the types of decisions
they will make may change, but learning about themselves and developing new
skills is a lifelong process. Your actions set the foundation for their ability
to own their future.
Resources
Career Development E-Manual
http://www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/Step1_3.asp
Step 1.3 in the Career Development E-Manual from Waterloo University provides
information that will help identify the preferred work environment through understanding
personal values.
Ten
Steps to Mapping Your Future: Middle and High School Students
http://www.mapping-your-future.org/MHSS/
Mapping Your Future is a free service that provides information on topics relevant
for higher education and career planning. The Middle School and High School
page lists ten steps for the road to college.
The
Career Key
http://www.careerkey.org/english/
The Career Key offers skills, abilities, values, interest and personality assessment,
which can help you choose a career, a college major, or plan a career. Also
helps you identify jobs and learn about salary, job outlook, and job training
required.
Employer
Expectations
http://www.csun.edu/~sp20558/dis/about.html
Describes what you can expect from your employer, and discusses what your employer
expects from you. Also provides information about building work relationships,
and discusses first career experience, getting along with supervisors, conflict
resolution, and how to start off on the right foot.
Youth
Path
http://youth.gc.ca/yohome.jsp?lang=en&flash=0
A Canadian site provides information for youth, employers, and service providers.
The youth page offers job placement assistance, information on choosing and
financing college, and basics such as holding a credit card that youth should
learn.
O*NET Online
http://online.onetcenter.org
The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work
activities, and interests associated with over 950 occupations.
JobBankUSA
offers online information about careers
http://www.jobbankusa.com/indassoc/mainindex.html
This site includes links to industry associations and the Occupational Outlook
Handbook where you can find information about careers of interest.
To
Tell or Not to Tell: Disclosure...That is the Question
http://www.udel.edu/CSC/disclosure.html
This site from the University of Delaware gives information to help an employee
decide to disclose a disability, though answering common questions one may have
about disclosing a disability.
Disclosing
a Disability in a Job Interview
http://www.pacer.org/tatra/pod_fall96.htm#podjob
This PACER Center article explores the different times it is acceptable to disclose
a disability to an employer, or potential employer. The article goes through
the ways to disclose a disability, and gives tips for a job interview.
Americans
with Disabilities Act- A Guide for People with Disabilities Seeking Employment
http://www.ssa.gov/work/workta.html
F rom the Office of Support Programs, this page gives a detailed summary of
the Americans with Disabilities Act and its applications for people with disabilities,
seeking employment.
Job
Seeking and Job Keeping Resources
http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dvr/resources_job_seeking.htm#GENERAL%20RESOURCES
Provides some general resources for finding jobs as well as resources to help
you develop a resume, write a cover letter, interview, network, find job openings,
and research companies.
Transition
planning
http://www.nichcy.org/transitn.asp#ts10
NICHCY's Transition Summary provides ideas and information on how students,
families, school personnel, service providers, and others can work together
to help students make a smooth transition. This document focuses on creative
transition planning and services that use all the resources that exist in communities.
Transition
Resources
http://www.pacer.org/publications/transition.htm
Provides a list of a variety of materials that cover information on transition,
youth employment and other topics relevant to youth with disabilities.
Prepare
for Work
http://www.pacer.org/pride/intervie.htm
Provides information about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and describes
how parents can assist their sons and daughters learn about rights, self advocacy,
disclosure and other employment related topics.
Decision
Making/problem solving with Teens
http://ohioline.osu.edu/flm98/pdf/fs05.pdf
A fact sheet listing and explaining nine ways in which parents can help their
teenagers make important decisions.
TransitionLink
http://www.transitionlink.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=10&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
Provides tips for parents on starting the transition planning process as early
as elementary school and how to continue the transition planning through high
school.
Age
of Majority: Preparing Your Child for Making Good Choices (Parent Brief, May
2002)
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=318
This Parent Brief from the National Center for Secondary Education and Transition
(NCSET) provides information for parents to help their child prepare for the
age of majority. The Brief emphasizes teaching children decision-making skills,
transfer or rights, guardianship.
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