Career Planning and Professional Readiness

This unit develops students’ career decision-making and job-readiness skills through exploration of occupational options, graduate and credential pathways, and workplace competencies. Students practice networking and interviewing, assess education formats and ROI, and build personal strategies for stress management, time management, public speaking, and low-risk entrepreneurial opportunities to prepare for the next stages of career development.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze personal interests and strengths and match them to occupational categories (people-, word-, STEM-, animal-care, and business-focused roles) using career exploration resources and informational interview findings
• Evaluate graduate programs and credential options (format, length, cost, and expected return on investment) and justify a recommended educational pathway for a chosen career goal
• Apply networking, informational interviewing, and job-search techniques to produce a targeted career action plan and supporting materials (elevator pitch, interview preparation checklist, and follow-up strategy)
• Demonstrate professional workplace behaviors and soft skills — including public speaking, ethical negotiation, stress management, and time-management strategies — through simulated interviews and workplace scenarios