Counselling activity: Career Exploration Day

Career Exploration Day is a counselling technique designed to immerse students in the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary careers – helping them fuse subjects into professions.

Students randomly select two subjects taught in school, research a profession that blends these subjects, and then collaborate to create a project related to the chosen career. The highlight is the evaluation of the projects by professionals in the field, fostering a deeper understanding of the practical applications of academic knowledge.

What does Career Exploration Day involve?

Step 1: Subject lottery

Students randomly select two subjects from the school’s curriculum. We can also mix in extracurricular activities, such as dance, music or sport.

Step 2: Research and identify profession

Based on the chosen subjects, students research and identify a profession that integrates their two curriculum areas. So, for example, students who select art and physics as their subjects might identify architecture as a profession that combines both. Try to encourage exploration beyond traditional career paths.

Step 3: Invite in relevant speakers

Once students have chosen their professions, you can invite professionals from those careers into school to share their insights.

Step 4: Project development

Students collaborate to build a project related to their chosen profession. So they might develop a presentation, write a play or create a model that represents daily life or challenges in the selected career. Last year, some of my students staged a play about the daily life of a judge in court.

Step 5: Career Exploration Day presentation

Students present their projects to peers, faculty and invited professionals. This could involve live performances, demonstrations or interactive displays.

Step 6: Professional evaluation

Professionals in the chosen field evaluate and provide feedback on the projects. This interaction enhances students’ understanding of industry expectations and real-world applications.

Step 7: Reflection and discussion

After the presentations, conduct a reflection session where students discuss what they learned, what surprised them and how this new knowledge affects their understanding of their career possibilities.

Benefits for students

Hands-on learning: Engages students in practical, hands-on projects related to different professions.

Real-world insights: Allows students to receive direct feedback from professionals in their field of interest.

Collaborative skills: Fosters teamwork and collaborative problem-solving among students.

Career exploration: Encourages students to think creatively about how academic subjects can combine for a range of diverse careers.

Real-world application: Connects academic subjects to practical, real-world careers.

Multidisciplinary awareness: Highlights the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary careers.

Ways in which the activity can be personalised

Flexibility in subject selection: Adapt the activity to suit the school’s curriculum, ensuring a broad array of subjects for students to select.

Faculty collaboration: Foster collaboration with faculty members to ensure relevant and knowledgeable speakers for each chosen profession.

Industry connections: Establish partnerships with professionals and industry experts to ensure a diverse range of evaluators for the projects.

Digital platforms: If physical presence is a challenge, consider using virtual platforms for both presentations and professional evaluations.

Regular implementation: Make Career Exploration Day a recurring event, so as to continually expose students to different multidisciplinary professions.