As an educator guiding secondary students, one of the most impactful services you can offer is to prepare them for their future careers. A crucial aspect of this preparation is exposing them to the diverse range of career options available. To facilitate this, we have developed an engaging and interactive career exploration activity called the Wheel of Careers.
Why is Career Exploration Important?
Career education plays a vital role for students in grades 6–12 by helping them link their academic knowledge to real-world scenarios, explore various career pathways, and build the essential skills needed for success in both higher education and the workforce. During these pivotal years, students start to recognize their interests, strengths, and values—elements that are crucial for making informed decisions about their future. Furthermore, career education promotes goal-setting, financial literacy, and employability skills, including effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities. By weaving career readiness into the educational framework, schools empower students to envision and prepare for fulfilling postsecondary opportunities.
How the Wheel of Careers Activity Functions
In this activity, students can work as a group or individually to tackle the question, “Which job utilizes these skills?” Upon providing their answers, they will be directed to a slide detailing that specific job and its required skills. If they express interest in learning more about the career, they have the option to click on a complimentary Everfi course related to the job. To reinforce their learning, students can also utilize a free printable worksheet, which aids in retaining the information gathered during the activity. This worksheet can serve as a tool for sharing their career interests with peers.
What Careers are Featured on the Wheel of Careers?
We have curated a selection of diverse jobs spanning various career clusters, particularly emphasizing roles that may be unfamiliar to your students. The wheel includes occupations that necessitate a college degree as well as those that do not, featuring both emerging and established careers with a wide salary range. Notably, many of these careers come with a FREE corresponding Everfi course that students can access to delve deeper into their areas of interest. Here’s a glimpse of the careers included on the wheel:
- Graphic Designer
- Data Scientist
- Civil Engineer
- Flight Attendant
- Forensic Accountant
- Product Designer
- Electrician
- Financial Advisor
- Race Car Engineer
- Small-Business Owner
- Machinist
- Software Developer
- Virtual Assistant
Which Standards Does the Wheel of Careers Address?
The national and state standards for career development for grades K–12 aim to assist school counselors and specialists in guiding students through career exploration and planning. The Wheel of Careers aligns with these standards by addressing:
- Activities focused on career awareness and exploration
- Instruction on the relationship between academic subjects and careers
- Introduction to career planning and personal interests
Who Can Benefit from the Wheel of Careers?
This activity is designed for students in grades 6–12. Depending on how you implement the Wheel of Careers in your classroom, the activity may take anywhere from one to four 45-minute sessions. For younger middle school students, it could serve as a brief introductory session. If they wish to explore further, independent research can be encouraged. For older high school students, the activity can be conducted in one class, followed by selecting a job of interest and completing the corresponding Everfi course, culminating in a presentation to share their findings with the class.
How to Access This Career Exploration Activity?
- Complete the form located at the top right corner of this page, prompting an email with a link.
- Create a copy of the presentation and download the student worksheet.
- Initiate the game by clicking Present.
Student Worksheet
Explore the Wheel of Careers!
