Purpose: This  research guide has been designed by your instructor and librarian to help you complete your career paper assignment. 

Assignment:   For the Career Research Paper, choose a career that interests you or one suggested by the career assessment done in the class.  Answer these questions:

§         Describe the career.  What are the typical job duties?

§         Why are you interested in this career?

§         Are certain personality types or skills required?  How does your personality type match this career or not?

§         What are the interest codes for this career?  How does your interests and values match this career?

§         What are some advantages and disadvantages of working in this career?

§         What type of environment will you be working in?

§         What is a typical day, week, month, year?

§         What is the pay?

§         What is the job outlook?  (Find a job advertisement on this career and paste it on a piece of paper or download it from a website)

§         What are the educational requirements?  Licensures?

§         What are related majors or majors needed for this career?

§         What are related occupations for this career?

§         What are the growth opportunities?

§         What interesting facts did you discover?

2.      To research your career, use at least 4 sources of information.  You may use the Career Center to find information for this paper, the College Success Web Site at http://www.cuyamaca.edu/collegesuccess/research.asp, WebCT Resources under Career Development, and/or my website at www.cuyamaca.edu/cindymorrin under Career Development.

3.      Include a bibliography listing the sources of your information.  For computer sources, list the Web address and date accessed. 

4.      As one of your sources of information, use an interview with a person in your career of interest (your informational interview).  Look on WebCt under the educational/planning week/chapter on how to conduct an informational interview and questions to ask.  Don’t forget to write a “thank you” note to the person you interviewed.