Counseling Corner: Willowbrook Guidance Department assists students with career/vocational awareness and planning

Willowbrook sophomores participate in mock interviews during a workshop on Oct. 19. In collaboration with Junior Achievement of Chicago, the Willowbrook Guidance Department offered sophomore students career exploration workshops on that day. Students participated in presentations on résumé writing, interview skills and career clusters/pathways.

As part of the Willowbrook Guidance Department’s goal to prepare students for post-high school success, counselors have increased their career programming for students. Events for the 2016-17 school year include:

• Career Exploration Workshops. In collaboration with Junior Achievement of Chicago, the Willowbrook Guidance Department offered sophomore students career exploration workshops on Oct. 19. Students participated in presentations on résumé writing, interview skills and career clusters/pathways.
  
  
• Career Unit in all speech classes. In collaboration with the English Department, counselors worked with students on Oct. 21 to introduce them to the career exploration process. This includes using Naviance to complete a career interest inventory and to research job outlook information and education requirements. Students will later use that information to give a speech on a career of interest.
  
  
• Schoolwide Career Day. Junior Achievement of Chicago will return in January 2017 to Willowbrook to provide students with interactive presentations about various careers. Teachers will have the opportunity to request a career professional whose expertise corresponds with the course being taught. Those presentations are meant to assist students in connecting class instruction to real-world career possibilities.
  
  
• College & Career Awareness Week. In collaboration with the Willowbrook Parent Organization (WPO), counselors are reaching out to local businesses, alumni and community members to provide informational booths or presentations for students during College & Career Awareness Week, which will be from March 20 to 24, 2017.

Tip of the week: The Occupational Outlook Handbook (which can be viewed at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/) is an excellent resource to explore careers and get the most up-to-date information regarding work environment, pay, education, job outlook, similar occupations, etc.