Career Exploration for Students – Elementary School

Source: Adapted from National Career Development Association

• Pay attention to the activities your child likes, books read, shows watched, or how he or she spends free time. Talk about related careers.
• When your child says, “I want to be a _____when I grow up”, ask them to describe that career. Help them to think of related careers.
• Use clip art to create career coloring pages for your child.
• Ask your child to define success. Ask what are ways to be successful.
• Purchase coloring books that highlight career areas.
• Starts a discussion with the statement: “What’s more valuable – time or money?”
• Discuss what activities your child likes or dislikes and why.
• Talk about your job(s).
• Talk about the jobs of relatives and family friends.
• Create a family career tree together.
• Have your child compare skill learned to chores done at home. How do they relate? How are they different?
• While paying bills, explain the jobs/services associated with various companies.
• Explain budgeting, and help your child create a budget.
• Create a daily activities time chart. How does that compare to a work day?
• As you watch TV with your child discuss the jobs/careers the characters have.
• Take your child to your work site.
• Research careers together on the internet.
• Visit college campuses on family vacations.
• Take field trips to companies or organizations that promote tours of their facilities.
• Encourage your child to create career posters or poems to enter into the NCDA Poster and Poem Contest. See www.ncda.org.