CAREER

A lifestyle concept that involves a sequence of work in which one engages throughout a lifetime. Careers are unique to each person and are dynamic, unfolding throughout life. They include not only occupations, but pre-vocational and post vocational concerns as well as how persons integrate their work life roles. The sequence of occupations, jobs, and positions engaged in or occupied throughout the lifetime of a person makes up his or her whole career. One can have a sporting career or a musical career, but most frequently "career" in the 21st century references a working existence: the series of jobs or positions by which one earns one's bread.

Career branding.
Helps define who you are, how you are great, and why you should be sought out. Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from other job-seekers, and describing the added value you bring to an employer.

Career Carnival.
A software program which uses riddles and puzzles to teach students about occupations. Designed for students in grades 3-7.

Career change.
Changing your occupation by devising a strategy to find new career choices. Most experts now predict that the average person will change careers three to five times over the course of his or her work life. Change may occur because you don't enjoy the work as much as you used to. Or maybe you can't progress further in your career.

Career cluster.
An organizing tool for providing a context for learning which links post-secondary and/or workplace entry to the school curriculum. Career clusters offer students core academics as well as activities that match their skills and interests. Examples of career clusters include; Health & Human Services; Business Services & Commerce; Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology; Natural Resources; and Arts, Humanities, and Communications. Career Clusters are used to structure career exploration and educational programs. There are a variety of career cluster frameworks, including one generated by the U.S. Department of Education that incorporates 16 clusters.

Career coach.
Also called career consultant, career adviser, work-life coach, personal career trainer, and life management facilitator. These professionals have been likened to personal trainers for your life/career, serving the role as your champion, cheerleader, advocate, mentor, partner, and sounding board on all issues related to your job or career search.

Career counseling.
A process to ensure that students are provided adequate information on local labor markets and postsecondary learning options other than study at a four-year college, using the following career counseling activities: (1) systematic career awareness activities that begin in primary school and provide career exploration and job-shadowing opportunities in middle and high school; (2) individual education and career plans for students that build on practical knowledge of careers gained through career-awareness activities and on their interests and accomplishments; (3) community-based career centers for reliable, easy-to-use information about employers, occupations, wages, job openings, skill qualifications, and education and training options; and (4) ongoing counseling services to students to help them reevaluate and adjust their career plans

Career exploration.
A person's involvement in trying out a variety of activities, roles, and situations in order to learn more about aptitude for or interest in an occupation or other career opportunities

Career development.
A variety of program models for career education have been developed. Instructional models for career education programs are often designed to follow a career development continuum of awareness, exploration and experience. At the first level, awareness, individuals participate in learning experiences that increase their awareness of career education principles, occupational and career path alternatives and personal traits, skills and preferences that influence career decisions. Career awareness activities include job shadows, field trips, spend-a-days, occupational inventories, etc. During exploration, individuals expand awareness to begin to explore options that are available to them and that match life career decisions and goals. They begin to make decisions based on career information that they have gathered and knowledge they have about themselves. Exploration activities include, job shadows, spend-a-days, career fairs, career monographs, analyzing labour market information, self-reflection activities, personal and career inventories, etc. At the experiential level, students have made career decisions based on choices available, self-knowledge and information gathered during awareness and exploration levels. The experiential level is more specialized than the others and may imply occupational skilling or training that provides practice and refinement of skills related to a particular job or occupation. Developmental readiness and maturity are closely linked to the depth of experiential learning in which the individual will be involved. Career development is a lifelong process of developing beliefs and values, skills and aptitudes, interests, personality characteristics, and knowledge of the world of work. Career development spans one's entire life and concerns the whole person: the person's past, present, and future work roles. Career development is linked to a person's self-concept, family life, and all aspects of one's environment.

Career fair.
There are many types of job and career fairs, from those scheduled during Spring Break for college students to industry-specific fairs for professionals, but they all have a common theme: a chance for a company to meet and screen a large volume of potential job candidates while simultaneously an opportunity for job-seekers to meet and screen a large number of employers.

Career guidance.
A systematic program of coordinated information and experiences designed to facilitate individual career development and, more specifically, career management

Career-Interest Inventory.
A standardized assessment that has been developed to evaluate a student’s level of interest as they relate to various aspects of career development. These assessments may also be used to allow a student to better understand their preference in types of work settings.

Career mentoring.
Career mentoring involves pairing students with adults in the community to support learning about work or other issues related to career development. Most often this activity takes place beyond the regular school day and is a partnership established with a goal of sustainability beyond the course or class in which it was established. Mentoring requires the committed involvement of community adults willing to work with students on an ongoing basis during working hours and beyond.

Career objective.
An optional part of your resume, but something you should contemplate whether you place it on your resume or not. It can sharpen the focus of your resume and should be as specific as possible -- and written in a way that shows how you can benefit the employer.

Career paths.
Clusters of occupations/careers that are combined together because the people in them share similar interests and strengths. All paths include a variety of occupations requiring different levels of education and training.

Career planning.
Determining a suitable career path using knowledge of personal interests, skills and preferred futures (dreams); researching the educational and skill requirements of a variety of potential work and life roles. Career planning is the continuous process of evaluating your current lifestyle, likes/dislikes, passions, skills, personality, dream job, and current job and career path and making corrections and improvements to better prepare for future steps in your career, as needed, or to make a career change.

Career program certificate.
A document issued by a training provider to a program completer that serves to provide proof of the training done and the skills achieved. The duration of the program might be less than two years, more than a two-year associate degree but less than a baccalaureate degree, or that required for a post-baccalaureate certificate.

Career resources.
A variety of human and material sources provide information and services supporting career planning and career development. Collectively these individuals, service facilities, websites, books, periodicals and other media sources may be termed as career resources, and may be as diverse as a job application form and an interest inventory, a job shadow and a career inventory.

Career Trek.
A US software program designed to teach students about the world of work. Designed for elementary students.

CIDS. Career Information Delivery System in the USA.
CIDS link occupations to knowledge and skills, link knowledge and skills to programs of study, link programs of study to specific institutions, link specific institutions to costs, and link costs to sources of financial assistance. The ACSCI Standards provide criteria for public and private organizations that are concerned with delivering high quality tools for career development. Their career information and services range from highly specific components, aimed at a single career development function, to comprehensive systems. CIDS are used by young people and adults in public and private elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, public and private agencies, rehabilitation firms, libraries, community-based organizations, juvenile and adult correctional facilities, and private businesses.

CIP. Classification of Instruction Programs.
The US CIP is a taxonomic coding scheme that contains titles and descriptions of postsecondary instructional programs. It was developed to facilitate the National Center for Education Statistics’ collection and reporting of postsecondary degree completions by major field of study. CIP uses standard classifications that capture the majority of reportable program activity. Originally published in 1980, the CIP has been revised, with the most recent version published in 2000.

CIP Code.
The US Classification of Instructional Programs code, a federal six-digit numeric code used to classify career education and training programs by the content of the program. When you select a program CIP code, you are determining which occupations it will be associated with for the display of relevant labor-market information and for the occupational search functions that potential students use to locate training.

CIS. Career Information System.
The US National Career Information System, now known as intoCareers.

Competencies (proficiencies).
Competencies or proficiencies are defining standards that they clearly set entry qualifications for the next career education step. Attainment of competencies can be a condition of exit (e.g., from high school) or entry (e.g., into a post-secondary program of study).

Competency-based education.
An organizational structure for learning/teaching that requires description in advance of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that a student must possess upon exit from a program or course. Competency-based curricula clearly identify objectives, organize instruction based upon performance standards, and evaluate student performance based upon mastery of competencies.

Community Education.
The use of a school or other public facility as a community center operated in conjunction with other public, private, and governmental organizations for the purpose of providing educational, recreational, social, cultural, health, and community services for persons in the community in accordance with the needs, interests, and concerns of that community, including lifelong learning.

Continuing Workforce Education.
Instruction that does not result in a vocational certificate, diploma, associate in applied science degree, or associate in science degree. Continuing workforce education is for: (a) Individuals who are required to have training for licensure renewal or certification renewal by a regulatory agency or credentialing body; (b) New or expanding businesses; (c) Business, industry, and government agencies whose products or services are changing so that retraining of employees is necessary or whose employees need training in specific skills to increase efficiency and productivity; or (d) Individuals who are enhancing occupational skills necessary to maintain current employment, to cross train, or to upgrade employment.

Co-operative career education.
A work-based learning experience which includes a set of defined competencies, to be completed at a work site, that are based upon the occupational program of study. Students and participating businesses develop written training and evaluation plans that guide instruction and students receive course credit for both their classroom and work experiences. Credit hours and intensity of placements often vary with the course of study.

Cover letter.
The letter that accompanies a CV or resume. It may be a motivation letter or just a brief note to attach the resume. It should always accompany your resume when you contact a potential employer. A good cover letter opens a window to your personality (and describes specific strengths and skills you offer the employer). It should entice the employer to read your resume.

Curriculum-Integrated program.
A program of study in which students master required academic standards across grades and disciplines through work on complex real-world problems in the classroom, workplace, and community. The learning environment will provide relevance for students beyond a school environment; greater depth of learning and understanding; and greater connection to the whole community. The "program of study" can be within a course, or across two or more courses on the same (or even different) grade level(s). This type of programs is particularly adequate when addressing career education.

CV. Curriculum Vitae.
A special type of resume traditionally used within the academic community. Earned degrees, teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, and related activities are featured. Unlike a resume, a CV tends to be longer and more informational than promotional in tone.