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It's the 11th Hour in Your Teen's HS Career/FAQs
Parental activities to help your adolescent make a successful transition to life after high school.
What does my teen put in the Career Passport?
How can I help my teen use the Career Passport?
What can a high school student put on a resume?
Why is the resume important in today's job market?
Isn't a transcript already done?
What can we do to help make sure the image presented of my teen by the Career Passport is positive?
What can be done to improve the image presented by the Career Passport?
A five-part document to help your teen take the next step after high school
- Passport, n. Anything that enables a person to be accepted, admitted, successful.
What is a career passport?
The Career Passport is a "hands on" summary of high school students' educational experiences and their career goals, that can be used for many years to come. It represents the career thinking your son or daughter has done since kindergarten in your schools.
This Career Passport is designed to help students as they enter the world of work or further education. Employers quickly tell an applicant's qualifications at a glance in one simple document. Higher education personnel use the Career Passport information to admit students, counsel them about majors, or make scholarship decisions.
Both employers and admissions personnel as well as teachers, parents, and students, helped develop the idea of the Career Passport. It has received praise from many people in each of these groups.
What does my teen put in the Career Passport?
- A LETTER OF VERIFICATION, written by a school administrator, confirming that the student was enrolled in the school and the school supports the Career Passport;
- A RESUME;
- A TRANSCRIPT indicating the student's school courses, grades, and attendance record;
- A CAREER NARRATIVE written by the student outlining his or her "next steps" after high school including career goals, and alternative plans.
- Proof of EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS: Two paragraphs written by students describing real situations when they have used skills to be successful in the workplace or higher education (these are also called SCANS skills); and Any additional information that may include:
- A school profile
- Individual accomplishments
- Sport records or special talent records
- records of community or volunteer service
In Ohio, employers and higher education personnel are beginning to ask to see the applicant's Career Passport. your role, as parents or guardians of a high school student is very important. On the following pages are information and activities you can use to help your son or daughter. Do these activities with your teen as time allows. An activity a week would be helpful.
Your teen is working on the Career Passport at school, but your support at home is very important. By the end of grade 11, your teen should have a polished draft with all the parts listed above. In grade 12, students will have a chance to refine the contents. when they graduate they will receive the Career Passport contents they have written a professional folder.
How can I help my teen use the career passport?
For any continuing education or training (including college), encourage your teen to:
- Use the Career Narrative and Employability Skills sections to help answer application questions.
- Take the Career Passport to an admissions interview and show it to the interviewer.
- Share the Career Passport in an interview for a scholarship, or any scholastic organization.
- Take the Career Passport to an advisor or counselor when choosing or changing majors.
- Update the Career Passport, including the resume at least once a year in college so it can continue to be used.
For employment, encourage your teen to:
- Share the Career Passport in the job interview; whether for summer employment, part-time work while going to school, or full-time work.
- Refer to the Career Narrative and Employability Skills sections when answering interview questions.
- Point out attendance records and courses on the transcript.
- Use the Career Passport for promotions, upgrades, or to transfer to other departments within a company.
- Update the Career Passport, including the resume at least once a year in college so it can continue to be used.
General Tips
- If your teen is interested in a career that is related to a specific class (such as science or math), arrange to talk to those teachers about careers in that field.
- Help your teen learn more about a career of interest by arranging a "job shadowing" experience. Contact a worker in the career your teen is interested in, and have your child spend the day with that worker, or, contact your school's Career Coordinator if you need help in arranging this. Early studies tell us that job shadowing is one of the best ways to help students make career decisions.
- Don't assume that your teen can wait until college to decide on a career choice. The number one reason students drop out of college is lack of career focus. And, the more undecided a college student is, the more likely they will need to spend extra money and years in college learning a degree, and that increases the cost of the degree.
- Businesses are very interested in an applicant's school records. They especially want to see the types of classes the candidate has taken, and attendance records from high school. Remind your teen that employers and admissions officers pay attention to the amount of school missed when making hiring or admittance decisions.
What can a high school student put in a resume?
The Career Passport requires a resume: a formal written document that tells an employer or college personnel information about your teen in a quick glance.
The resume should include:
- A summary goal;
- summary of skills;
- summary of education; and
- work or volunteer experience.
Why is the resume important in today's job market.
- An average job opening typically receives 200+ responses.
- An attractive job opening may receive 1,000 responses.
- An average of six people will be interviewed. (That's one to three percent of the people who apply).
- The quality and professionalism of the resume will determine if your teen gets an interview.
- Writing a resume is a skill that is not usually taught in college. Your teen needs to learn now how to write one.
Your teen is learning how to write a resume in school, but you can help. Have some fun one evening... write a resume together. The goal is to write a custom-designed document that proves to the reader that your teen's skills and education match the career goal. Your teen's resume will have to do the talking and sell him or her as the best candidate for the job, in order to even get an interview.
- Find an add in the classified section of your local paper that matches the career goal or potential occupation of your teen.
- Discuss what type of candidate the company is hoping to hire.
- Help your teen write a career goal and objective based on the potential job.
- Have your teen list personal skills and qualities that would prove to the company this is someone that they want to hire.
- Share the skills and qualities YOU see your teen has, and explain why. Your teen may have a different personal view than the observer.
- Discuss how these skills or qualities support the career goal.
- Discuss with your teen the various types of work experience or jobs he or she has had and that can be included in the resume.
- Keep everything focused on the career goal.
Check out the following in your local library or go to the internet for assistance.
Just Resumes, 2nd edition, Copyright 1197 Kim Marino, published by John Wiley & sons, Inc.; Your First Resume: For students--and anyone preparing to enter today's tough job market, 4th Edition, Copyright 1996 Ron Fry, Carter press; The Edge Resume& Job Search Strategy, Copyright 1995 by Beckett-Highland Publishing Co.; 101 Best Resumes, Copyright 1997 by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.
Isn't A Transcript already done?
The next section of your son or daughter's Career Passport includes a school transcript--a record of the students courses, grades, and attendance.
This formal document shows a snapshot picture of your teen. What kind of picture will the future employer or college personnel see about your teen?
What can your son or daughter do to make sure the image of your son or daughter is a positive one?
- Emphasize the importance of good attendance and being on time--always. The transcript is a permanent record.
- Encourage positive study habits and provide space for study.
- Monitor your teen's attendance and grades.
- Ask to review your son or daughter's permanent record card and Individual Career Plan with the guidance counselor.
- Monitor your teen's progress in completing the Career Passport .
- Know that grades and attendance in the 11th and 12th grades are considered the most important in the transcript.
What can you do if the picture of your teen needs improvement?
- Talk with your son or daughter and help them make a plan of action to change the picture. Identify:
a. why there is a problem.
b. what new action is required.
c. what steps need to be taken to have the change occur.
d. what types of things can get in the way of making the needed change.
e. how to get around the obstacles that could slow down the progress.
- Encourage your teen to recognize the problem. Help them understand that improvement of grades and attendance will show growth to an employer or college personnel.
- Motivate your teen to keep improving.
If your teen is enrolled in a vocational job-training program, this section will also include a listing of the specific competencies your son or daughter has learned in this program. Have your child explain these competencies to you.
As parents or guardians, you are the number one influence on your teen's career choice. The most important thing any parent or guardian can do is to be a positive role model.
Your son or daughter is developing a Career Narrative (a one-page them about their Career choice) for the Career Passport and will need to include both a Plan A, describing the next step, and a Plan B if Plan A doesn't work out.
How can you help them understand the need for another plan? One way is to make time to sit down with them and share any unplanned events in your life which altered your own life or work plan.
Below are some questions that will help you get started thinking about events which may have changed things for you. As you think about events that have impacted your own life or work, remember, all kinds of events alter our plans. Some may be positive while others are les than desirable.
Did you ever receive an unexpected promotion that altered your own career path?
Did a serious illness or death in your family ever change your career goal?
Did receiving an unexpected inheritance or sum of money create a change?
How did the arrival of a new boss or work policies affect your work plan?
Was there ever a family crisis, such as a divorce or personal injury, that affected your plan?
Did your plans after high school work out exactly as you expected? Were you planning on going to college but found you couldn't afford it? Did you go to college and have to drop out for some reason? Did you plan on working for a family member who found he or she couldn't afford you after all?
Was there an unexpected move that impacted your career plan?
Think of your own life or work and share some of your experiences that might emphasize the need for planning for the unexpected? Have some fun with this and do some brainstorming with your teen to help emphasize the need for plan B.
Now ask your teen to think of examples from his or her life where unexpected events have occurred that altered an original plan or goal. The more teens are prepared to overcome obstacles , the more likely they are to be focused and successful.
How can I help my teen with employability skills?
Directions: Read the following list of qualities. Choose three to five qualities that best describe your son or daughter and write them on a piece of paper. Without telling the qualities to you've chosen, ask your teen to do the same thing; choosing three to five qualities that he or she feels are most self descriptive. When both of you have made your choices, use the questions on this page as talking points.
Social , Fun, Laid-back, Dependable, Organized , Precise
Active, Serious , hard-working, Shy, Independent, Mature
Friendly, Methodical , Bold, Punctual, Team Player, Sharing
Responsible, Cooperative, Persistent, Helpful, Outgoing, Patient
Motivated, Curious, Studious, Good Listener, Supportive, Creative
Kind, Open-minded, Talkative, Understanding, Flexible, Athletic
Conscientious, Trustworthy, Deliberate, Enthusiastic, Energetic
Add your own: ________________
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Very often the career choices people make reflect their qualities and strengths as they also reflect what they like and what they do well. As you talk with your teen about the choices you both made from the above list, use the suggestions as a guideline to relate to the qualities to the Career Passport contents.
- Both of you tell why each of the qualities were chosen.
- How easy or difficult was it to choose three to five qualities?
- Are these qualities a good match for your teen's career choice in the Career Narrative? If your teen is unsure of a career direction right now, how might these qualities relate to various career options he or she may wish to learn more about?
Most people are not fired because they lack specific job skills, but because they do not possess strength in general employability skills such as getting along well with co-workers.
There are five areas of employability skills listed below that employers and colleges expect from applicants. The qualities your teen has are directly related to employability skills. For example, being patient, outgoing, and curious could relate to having strengths in Interpersonal Skills. Qualities such as being flexible, concise, and open-minded may relate to strengths in the area of Systems.
Below is a table that defines each of the five areas of employability skills. In the second column, have your teen place his or her personal qualities that relate to each skill area. Talk about how those strengths relate now to success in school, and how they could impact future success in the workplace.
| Employability Skills | Related Personal Qualities |
| Resources: Identifies, Organizes, plans, and allocates resources such as time, money, materials and facilities, and human resources. | |
| Interpersonal: Works with others as team member, teacher, leader, and/or negotiator, works well with various types of diversity. | |
| Information: Acquires and evaluates, organizes, and maintains, interprets and communicates information, and can use a computer to process information. | |
| Systems: Understands systems, monitors, and corrects performance, and improves designs systems. | |
| Technology: Selects and applies technology to tasks, maintains and troubleshoots equipment. |
Do you want to find out more information about the career your teen is interested in, but don't have any idea where to start?
There are many free sources you can use.
CHECK THE SCHOOL OR PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES.
Ohio Career Information System (OCIS): OCIS should be the first place you look for career information. This computerized system is available in most high schools in the state and in most public libraries. It provides current information about careers, education choices (including vocational schools, technical schools, two- and four year colleges, and other post-secondary choices); and financial aid opportunities. OCIS can even tell you how many workers in a career will be needed in different areas of Ohio. It can provide you with addresses for professional organizations of the careers your teen is considering. Ask your teen to bring home an OCIS print-out about careers of interest and higher education choices. Or, contact your schools career coordinator, guidance counselor, or librarian for more information.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH): this government publication is available in all public libraries in most high schools. It provides excellent information about careers, including education requirements and employment projections. It is updated every two years, so be certain you and your teen are using the most updated version. Or, check it out on the internet at www.bis.gov/ocohome.htm
Library Career Centers: Most schools and public libraries have career sections. Books, pamphlets videos and other resources on specific careers are available. Ask your teen about this or call your school librarian or guidance counselor.
The nest step your teen is preparing for will likely be a transition. Career plans and dreams, and the work world will continue to change and re-focus in the future, and your teen needs to be ready for this.
Talk with your teenager about the technological changes you have seen over the years. Write the changes above the year or decade it happened. Think about technological changes that happened at home and/or work. How did it change your life style or work style? Forecast with your teen what technological changes he or she might see in the future. Write your answers above the year you both might think it might happen.
On the lines below the years, fill in information about yourself in one color ink, based on the statements below. Work together to fill in the information about your teen in a different colored ink. if some events haven't yet happened, indicate when they might on the timeline and add a "?". Indicate any life-changing events that may have impacted your own career.
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Decade you were born
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Decade you started school
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Decade you finished school
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Decade(s) you changed jobs
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Decade you had your first volunteer experience Decade you earned your first dollar
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Decade you started your first job
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Decade you will retire
*If you have a computer at home use it to design your timelines.
What else can I do throughout the year?
Use this calendar to remind your adolescents of school-related events and outside activities that could add to the depth and quality of their Career Passports. With your help throughout the school year, your teens will keep the Career Passport in focus as means to their dreams.
August/September:
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Emphasize school attendance and involvement. Employers and college admissions personnel seek dependable, well-rounded individuals. (Transcripts, Resume)
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Ask your teen to research scholarship deadlines and information. If you don't know where to find college or career-related information, go to the school guidance counselor. (Career Narrative)
October:
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Is your teen involved in fall sports, clubs, or activities? Use that information on the resume. (Resume)
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Emphasize the importance that grades of high school juniors hold for college applications and admittance. Often if a student applies for colleges early, the junior year grades are the most recent data admissions personnel see.
November:
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Charity or volunteer efforts are highly recognized by employers and higher education personnel. Your teen's personal efforts to donate time are worthwhile to others and broaden skills. Encourage your teen to participate in school or community sponsored events during the holiday season, and continue throughout the year. (Employability Skills, Resume, Community Service -- Recommended document)
December:
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Ask your teen to join you in a year-end reflection of events, accomplishments, and plans for the future. (Career Narrative)
January:
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New Year's Resolution: Remind your teen to use the Career Passport in interviews and employment or college applications. Talk with your child about how he or she may use parts of the Career Passport. (Employability Skills)
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Is your teen involved in any winter sports, clubs, or activities that could be included on an updated resume? (Resume)
February:
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Talk with your teen on how school course selections for the next year support personal career goal(s), or could help explore options. (Career Narrative)
March:
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Ask your teen to "spring into action" and remind him or her to take the Career Passport on college visitations, or summer opportunities or job interviews over Spring Break.
April:
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Many other job shadowing, mentorship, or internship opportunities are available through your school and community. The annual Take your Daughter To Work Day occurs every fourth Thursday in April. Encourage your teen to take advantage of these programs that provide a "real world" look at careers as they pair your son or daughter with a professional within the specified field of interest. (Career Narrative, Employability Skills, Resume)
May:
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Is your teen involved in a spring sport, club or activity that could be included on an updated resume? (Resume)
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Help your teen plan summer experiences that relate to and could enhance personal career interest areas. Some options include: job shadowing, internships, summer camps, related summer work, related summer work, and volunteer efforts. (Career Narratives, Resume, Employability Skills)
June:
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As your teen's friends graduate from high school, ask them to show you their Career Passports
Activities in this packet were written by: Suzanne Andrews, Penta county Career Development Program, Cynthia Gahris, Ohio Department of Education, and Anthony Tizzano, Cleveland Municipal Career Development Program.