State of Alaska > Department of Education & Early Development > Division of Teaching & Learning Support > Career & Technical Education 

What is Career Guidance?

It is a comprehensive program that can help students make and implement informed educational and occupational choices. A career guidance program develops a student's self-awareness, knowledge of educational and occupational opportunities, and the steps involved in career planning.

How Can a Career Guidance Program Help?

Career guidance programs help students acquire knowledge in several areas:

Self-Awarness

• What kind of person am I?
• What sort of work would I enjoy or not enjoy?
• What are my interests and hobbies?
• What skills do I enjoy using?
• Where do I want to live?
• How can I make a decision about a career?

Career Exploration

• What types of careers are there to choose from?
• What sort of training do they require?
• What are the working conditions for various types of jobs?
• What salary can I expect?

Educational and Training Information

• How much education is required for a particular career?
• How much, if any, post-secondary training is required?
• Where could I obtain this training?
• Do I need a certificate or license?
• How much will the training cost?
• Can I get any training while still in high school?

Job Search Skills

• How do I write a resume?
• How do I write a cover letter?
• How do I find out about job openings?
• How do I apply for jobs?
• What do I say at the interview?

Employability Skills

• What does an employer expect of a good worker?
• How can I be a team player?
• What communication skills will I need?
• How can I get along with my co-workers and my employer?

Additional Resources

State of Alaska

• Alaska Career Information System (AKCIS) - A complete career exploration software system for a very reasonable cost
• Alaska School Counselor Association - Alaska School Counseling Guide and other state specific resourses

America's Career Resource Network ACRN - a career decision making tool

ASVAB Career Exploration Website - Free career exploration and planning materials and services

Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Occupational Outlook Handbook - For information about occupations and categories of occupations, including training requirements, numbers employed, salary information, job prospects, and related occupations.
• Occupational Outlook Quarterly - For detailed information about occupational projections (growth and decline rates of occupations and industries), and for descriptions of new and emerging occupations.
• Occupational Employment Statistics - For annually computed employment and wage estimates for over 700 occupations (not including self-employed), at the national, state, and metropolitan regions (within a state) levels.

Career Voyages - Collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S Department of Education designed to provide information on fast growing-high demands occupations, along with the skills and educational requirements needed for them.

Career Development E-Manual - University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) 6-step career planning process

Career Info-Net - Extensive resource library for career information

Career Interests Game - based on Holland's RIASEC theory

Career Key--Online Interest Inventory - Good online inventory and many other resource links

Career Planning Resources from National Career Development Association

K-8 Career Activity Lessons from WIN (PDFs for Download)

Michigan Department of Career Development - Michigan's Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program LEAP AHEAD Web Kit

American Association for Career Education’s ‘Careers Update’
1-310-376-7378, offer factoids and information on a range of career informational topics and resources.

The National Career Development Association - Click on the menu for Internet Resources and then "Internet Resources for Career Planning"

Vocational Information Center - a wealth of career and technical online resources.

WIN Careers - Career Information based on ACT WorkKeys Job Profiles (Username: wincareers; Password: akak)