HW4 Parts 1 and 2
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HW4CareerAssessmentworksheet.docxLast updated Summer 2025
ACA 122 College Success
HW4: Career Self-Assessments and Summary
Part 1: Career Self-Assessments and Goal Exploration
Complete the activity explained below before attempting to answer the questions for Part 1. You will need access to the Internet, so plan accordingly.
STEP 1 NCcareers.org, partnered with CFNC, is a helpful site for exploring careers in North Carolina. Go to nccareers.org and log in. If you applied to Durham Tech online, you likely already have a CFNC account—try using that login. If needed, use the help tools to reset your password or create a new account using your Durham Tech email.
STEP 2
Take the short version of the Interest Finder. When you get your results, click “Print/Save” and choose “Save Your Results” (not “Print Assessment Information”). Upload a copy with your assignment—your name must be visible. Printing is optional.
STEP 3
Answer all of the questions in the worksheet below.
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NCcareers.org |
Use only NCcareers.org to answer the following questions. 1. According to the Interest Finder on NCcareer.org, indicate your three top interest areas. (Look at the six multicolored circles on the left side of your results page. The highest numbers represent your top interest areas.)
2. From your Results page, click the link that says “Explore Matching Occupations.” Scroll through the list, and click on a career that interests you. What career did you select? (Hint: You can sort the list using different filters. Look for the gray text that says “SORT BY” at the top left of your results table.)
3. After clicking on your selected career, read the provided information about it. What is one academic major useful for this career? (Look under “Education and Training.”)
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STEP 4
On NCcareers.org, go to “Find My Interests” and scroll right to select “Work Values Sorter.” Click “Get Started” to begin. When you finish, click “Print/Save” and save your results. Your name must be visible. Upload your results with the assignment and use them to answer questions #4–8
STEP 5
Answer all of the questions in the worksheet below.
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NCcareers.org
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4. According to the Work Values Sorter on NCcareers.org, indicate your top two work values. (Hint: On your results page, your top two work values are the two values with the highest scores.)
5. According to the Work Values Sorter on NCcareers.org, what are two careers that match your work values? (Hint: Click on “View careers related to work value” from your results page.)
6. Select a career that interests you by clicking on it. What career did you select? (Note: If the career that interests you is not in the list, feel free to use the search bar to find it.)
Transferable skills are skills that you need for this career that can also be used in other careers. In that same career, look at the section labeled “Top Skills and Abilities.” What are two skills that people need to succeed in this career?
7. In that same career, look under the section labeled “Knowledge/Specialties.” What are two area of knowledge that are useful to people in this career? Do those subjects interest you?
8. In that same career, look under the section labeled “Similar Occupations.” What are two related careers in the list? Do any of the related careers interest you?
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STEP 6
The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a database of national career information compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is updated every two years. It is an excellent resource for career research. The OOH is further explained in the textbook on pages 150-151.
1. To search the OOH, go to http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
2. In the upper right corner of the page is a search box that says “Search Handbook.” In that box, type in the name of a career you are currently interested in and then click “Go.”
3. Click on the link that closest matches your career of interest.
4. Review the information under the different tabs to see what you can expect of a job in that career.
STEP 7
Answer all of the questions in the worksheet below.
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OOH
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9. List one career that you researched in the OOH. Choose a career that interests you.
According to the OOH, what are two occupations that are similar to the one you chose? ( Hint: Look under the Similar Occupations tab.)
10. According to the OOH, what are two important qualities of a person in your career? (Hint: Look under the How to Become One tab.)
11. According to the OOH, what is one organization you can contact for more information on your career? ( Hint: Look under the More Info tab.)
12. According to OOH, what is the projected percent change in employment for your career? ( Hint: Look under the Job Outlook tab.)
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STEP 8
Even if you're not planning to transfer, it's helpful to see how your associate degree could lead to a bachelor's degree. Go to http://bit.ly/TransferNC and scroll to “NCCCS Transfer Resources.” Find a UNC system school that offers a bachelor’s degree in your field, then click on your major to view the plan. AAS students: Pick a major close to your program (e.g., Medical Assisting → Biology; IT → Computer Science). Save the Transfer Guide and upload it with your assignment. Not sure what to choose? Ask your instructor!
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BDP |
13. What college did you select for your Transfer Guide? Include the link for the transfer guider here
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STEP 9
Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center is a database available through the Durham Tech library to help students perform additional research on their career of choice.
1. To search Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center, go to the Durham Tech Library website ( http://www.durhamtech.edu/library)
2. Click on “Articles, Journals, and Databases”
3. Scroll down to the F databases and click on “Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center”
4. On campus, this will take you directly to the database. Off campus, you will need to log in with your Durham Tech username and password.
5. Type your chosen career in the Search box.
6. From the list of results, click on the one most closely aligned to your chosen career.
7. Use the career profile to answer TWO of the questions on the next page.
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Fergusons CGC
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What career did you research in Ferguson’s Career Guide? __________________________________________ |
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Every career entry in Ferguson’s is a little different. Some will include all of the elements below while others will not. For this reason, answer any TWO of the following questions (#14 – #19) , using information from the Ferguson’s database: 14. List the steps in the Career Ladder for your chosen career.
15. What is one of the Tips for Entry into this career?
16. What is the Minimum Education Level for this career?
17. What are the Perks and Pitfalls of this career?
18. What are the Special Requirements for this job?
19. What Unions and Associations are available for this career?
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STEP 10
College Central Network is an important resource for Durham Tech students looking for jobs and employees looking for new hires. You will be using the College Central Network to find possible job openings in your future field.
1. To search the College Central Network, go to https://www.collegecentral.com/durhamtech/
2. On the login page, find the field that says “I am…”. Click it, and select “a student” from the drop-down menu.
3. In the remaining two fields, enter your Durham Tech username and password. If you have login difficulty, click the “Activate” your account link. If you continue to have login difficulty, click “Sign Up” to create a new account.
4. Once logged in, click on the button that says “Search – My School’s Jobs” at the top of the page. This will take you to a page where you can search for jobs that are available specifically to Durham Tech students.
5. Choose your program from the “View Jobs for a Major” pulldown menu.
6. Click on the “View Jobs for a Major” button to begin the search. (If no job openings appear, please choose another major that may be related to your field.)
7. Select one job opening from the list to answer the questions below.
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College Central Network |
For the job opening you have selected, complete the chart below using the example to guide you.
Title of Position: Elections Deputy Director Company Name: Rockingham County Government Job City, State: Wentworth, NC Job ID#: 6623137 Date Posted: 12/09/2021
Click on the name of the position for this job opening to reveal a more detailed job description. 21. What degrees are wanted for this job opening? (If none are listed, write “None required.”)
22. What are the majors wanted? (If none are listed, write “None required.”)
23. What are the special skills wanted? (If none are listed, write “None required.”)
24. What is one of the “Other Requirements” listed? (If none are listed, write “None required.”)
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Part 2: Career Summary
Directions for Part 2: Using only NCcareers, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, and Ferguson’s Career Guide, research your chosen career. Write a well-organized one-page (at least) essay with at least three double-spaced paragraphs that summarizes the information you find about your career. Do NOT include information about your own interest in the topic or what you know from your own experience. This is a research paper! Some topics you can research include:
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· Overview of the career · Educational and training requirements (including continuing education requirements and opportunities) · Job description for entry level work in the career field · Work environment or workplace setting · Working conditions and physical demands |
· Potential work schedules · Potential earnings (including starting salary) · Challenges you may face on the job · Job outlook · Opportunities for advancement · Related careers or links to other positions |
Citing Sources: Avoid quoting lengthy passages; instead, put the information into your own words. Cite each of your sources using the MLA format for in-text citations and works cited list Remember that this is a summary of the career information, so use quotations sparingly.
ACA 122 College Success
HW4 Grading Rubrics
Part 1: Career Self-Assessments and Goal Exploration
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Required Element |
Points Possible |
Points Earned |
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The answers to the reflection questions are accurate and sufficient, do not contain distracting spelling and/or grammar errors, and use academically appropriate language. |
40 |
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The results from the Interest Finder and the Work Values Sorter are uploaded in Canvas. |
10 |
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TOTAL CAREER SELF-ASSESSMENTS & GOAL EXPLORATION GRADE |
50 |
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Part 2: Career Summary
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Required Element |
Points Possible |
Points Earned |
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The Career Summary sufficiently addresses the suggested topics for research. |
10 |
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The Career Summary focuses on the career field itself, not the student’s interest in the career. |
5 |
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The Career Summary is organized into at least three logical paragraphs. |
5 |
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The Career Summary itself is at least one page long, is typed, is double-spaced, and uses size 12 font. |
5 |
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The Career Summary does not contain distracting spelling and/or grammar errors, and it uses academically appropriate language. |
5 |
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The Career Summary is an effective summary of NCcareers, OOH, and/or Ferguson’s CGC and does not rely heavily on quoted phrases and sentences. |
5 |
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The sources of the information in the Career Summary are cited properly. Quoted material is within quotation marks, and quoted and paraphrased phrases and sentences are cited. |
10 |
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The in-text citations and Works Cited entries are in correct MLA format. |
5 |
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TOTAL CAREER SUMMARY GRADE |
50 |
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Total HW4 Grade
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CAREER SELF-ASSESSMENTS & GOAL EXPLORATION GRADE |
50 |
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CAREER SUMMARY GRADE |
50 |
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TOTAL HW4 GRADE |
100 |
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1
