This month, YouthWorks interns attended Career Exploration workshops where they learned about the various factors that go into a career decision and identified their interests and priorities. Interns enjoyed quizzes and other resources that enabled them to explore:
- career fields that align with their interests
- educational requirements for different careers
- skills they want to develop and use
- the type of working environments they prefer, and
- other career-related factors including salary, level of responsibility, schedule and working conditions.
Interns particularly appreciated the workshop’s focus on self-discovery and the opportunity to explore many career options.
Myisha Collins said, “This workshop was really helpful. I learned more about the field I would like to study in the future…I enjoyed the quizzes because I got to learn something new about myself. For example, I learned that I am an introvert and do well working in a quiet environment.”
Ednitra Robinson said, “During this workshop I learned that I might be interested in careers that I never thought about before. I was surprised to find that I like more things about the Health field than the Law field. I also learned that I can use my YouthWorks internship experience to help me figure out what I want to be in life.”
David Hoang said, “What I really learned was how to find the career for me…it takes perseverance to find the career that you want, so stop at nothing.”
Robin Bonner, a member of the Youth Leadership Team who helped facilitate the workshop said, “I enjoy running this workshop because it helps me put my own thoughts into perspective about what my possible future might look like twenty years down the road. Also, figuring out what my skills are helps me reflect on the type of work I am currently doing at YouthWorks.”
All in all, the Career Exploration workshop was a big hit. In January we will continue the theme of career exploration as youth visit workplaces throughout the City, interact with working professionals, and learn more about the career of their choice.
Blog written by Employment Coordinator Susannah Nadler.