College vs. Community College: What’s the Difference?
9-12
2
Career Exploration: 4 Key Questions to Ask
Lesson Details
Grade Level
9-12
Duration (minutes)
1
Summary
A Grade 9-12 lesson teaching students to research any career using four key questions — daily duties, pay, required education or training, future job outlook, and personal fit — so they choose careers based on real information rather than just a job title or salary.
🗂️ Graphic Organizer: Research and compare careers using our interactive organizer.
Student Worksheet: Career Exploration: 4 Key Questions to Ask
Teacher Note: Students can watch the video lesson above and answer the questions. Click the “Teacher Answer Key” dropdown below when you are ready to review the solutions!
Key Concepts:
• Daily Duties: Look past the job title — research what the job actually involves day-to-day.
• Pay: Check starting pay, average pay, and how location or experience can change earnings.
• Education & Training: Careers can require university degrees, apprenticeships, certifications, or technical school — not just one path.
• Outlook & Fit: Research whether demand for the career is growing or shrinking, and reflect on whether it fits your interests, personality, and preferred work environment.
Instructions: Read each question carefully and write your answer in the space provided.
- Question 1: According to the video, what should you look at instead of just a job’s title?
- Question 2: Name two things that can change how much a career pays.
- Question 3: Name three types of education or training paths a career might require.
- Question 4: Why is it important to research a career’s future outlook?
- Question 5: Besides pay and education, what personal factors should you consider when choosing a career?
Click to reveal Teacher Answer Key
1. What the job actually involves day-to-day — for example, a nurse also handles paperwork, stressful situations, and long shifts, not just patient care.
2. Location and experience.
3. University degrees, apprenticeships, certifications, or technical schools.
4. Because technology and AI are changing many jobs, so demand for some careers is growing while others are shrinking.
5. Your interests, personality, and preferred work environment.
Disclaimer: This worksheet was generated with AI assistance based on original video content. It is intended for educational reference only. Teachers are encouraged to review and adjust questions to fit their curriculum standards before classroom use.
🎯 Extension Activity: Research one career using the four key questions from this video, then try building a resume for a related part-time job using our free Resume Maker.