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CAREER EDUCATION GLOSSARY

Terms in Italics and Boldface are from the Florida Department of Education

Educator's Toolkit on Career and Education Planning

Ability - the power to do something, either intellectual or physical.

Accomplishments.-these are the achievements you have had in your career. These key points really help sell you to an employer (much more so than everyday job duties or responsibilities). In your cover letters, resumes, and job interviews, focus on key career accomplishments, especially ones that you can quantify.

American with Disabilities Act (ADA) - a 1990 federal law that forbids discrimination against persons who are disabled.

Apprenticeship.- an early career stage. Students can participate in structured employer-sponsored training at the work site while also attending school to complete rigorous academic courses and technical and occupation instruction. This experience may last three to four years and requires a signed agreement.

Aptitudes.-specific capacities or abilities required of an individual in order to facilitate the learning of some task. Native or innate qualifications which are necessary to perform a job; physical capacities, mental abilities of various kinds, temperaments and interests. (Contrast with "Skills.")

Assessment.-comparing individual career performance to predetermined standards. Assessment can be accomplished through a variety of means: standardized tests, exhibitions of knowledge, etc.

Attributes.-characteristics of information used to identify occupations, schools, etc. for exploration.

Attitude - the way you think, feel, and do. You can have positive and negative attitudes.

Benchmarks.-the clearly defined performance standards of a program. They break down long-term goals into identifiable milestones of success. Benchmarks provide the fundamental content elements for the more broadly stated standards.

Bias - behaviors resulting from the spoken or unspoken assumption that one person is superior to the other.

Body Language - gestures, posture, and eye contact used to express yourself.

Career.-a lifestyle concept that involves a sequence of work in which one engages throughout a lifetime. Careers are unique to each person and are dynamic, unfolding throughout life. They include not only occupations, but pre-vocational and post vocational concerns as well as how persons integrate their work life roles. The sequence of occupations, jobs, and positions engaged in or occupied throughout the lifetime of a person makes up his or her whole career. One can have a sporting career or a musical career, but most frequently "career" in the 21st century references a working existence: the series of jobs or positions by which one earns one's bread.

Career branding.-helps define who you are, how you are great, and why you should be sought out. Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from other job-seekers, and describing the added value you bring to an employer.

Career change - changing your occupation by devising a strategy to find new career choices. Most experts now predict that the average person will change careers three to five times over the course of his or her work life. Change may occur because you don't enjoy the work as much as you used to. Or maybe you can't progress further in your career.

Career cluster.-an organizing tool for providing a context for learning which links post-secondary and/or workplace entry to the school curriculum. Career clusters offer students core academics as well as activities that match their skills and interests. Examples of career clusters include; Health & Human Services; Business Services & Commerce; Engineering, Manufacturing and Technology; Natural Resources; and Arts, Humanities, and Communications. Career Clusters are used to structure career exploration and educational programs. There are a variety of career cluster frameworks, including one generated by the U.S. Department of Education that incorporates 16 clusters.

Career coach.-also called career consultant, career adviser, work-life coach, personal career trainer, and life management facilitator. These professionals have been likened to personal trainers for your life/career, serving the role as your champion, cheerleader, advocate, mentor, partner, and sounding board on all issues related to your job or career search.

Career counseling.-a process to ensure that students are provided adequate information on local labor markets and postsecondary learning options other than study at a four-year college, using the following career counseling activities: (1) systematic career awareness activities that begin in primary school and provide career exploration and job-shadowing opportunities in middle and high school; (2) individual education and career plans for students that build on practical knowledge of careers gained through career-awareness activities and on their interests and accomplishments; (3) community-based career centers for reliable, easy-to-use information about employers, occupations, wages, job openings, skill qualifications, and education and training options; and (4) ongoing counseling services to students to help them reevaluate and adjust their career plans

Career exploration.-a person's involvement in trying out a variety of activities, roles, and situations in order to learn more about aptitude for or interest in an occupation or other career opportunities

Career development.-a variety of program models for career education have been developed. Instructional models for career education programs are often designed to follow a career development continuum of awareness, exploration and experience. At the first level, awareness, individuals participate in learning experiences that increase their awareness of career education principles, occupational and career path alternatives and personal traits, skills and preferences that influence career decisions. Career awareness activities include job shadows, field trips, spend-a-days, occupational inventories, etc. During exploration, individuals expand awareness to begin to explore options that are available to them and that match life career decisions and goals. They begin to make decisions based on career information that they have gathered and knowledge they have about themselves. Exploration activities include, job shadows, spend-a-days, career fairs, career monographs, analyzing labor market information, self-reflection activities, personal and career inventories, etc. At the experiential level, students have made career decisions based on choices available, self-knowledge and information gathered during awareness and exploration levels. The experiential level is more specialized than the others and may imply occupational skills or training that provides practice and refinement of skills related to a particular job or occupation. Developmental readiness and maturity are closely linked to the depth of experiential learning in which the individual will be involved. Career development is a lifelong process of developing beliefs and values, skills and aptitudes, interests, personality characteristics, and knowledge of the world of work. Career development spans one's entire life and concerns the whole person: the person's past, present, and future work roles. Career development is linked to a person's self-concept, family life, and all aspects of one's environment.

Career fair.-there are many types of job and career fairs, from those scheduled during Spring Break for college students to industry-specific fairs for professionals, but they all have a common theme: a chance for a company to meet and screen a large volume of potential job candidates while simultaneously an opportunity for job-seekers to meet and screen a large number of employers.

Career guidance.-a systematic program of coordinated information and experiences designed to facilitate individual career development and, more specifically, career management

Career-Interest Inventory.-a standardized assessment that has been developed to evaluate a student’s level of interest as they relate to various aspects of career development. These assessments may also be used to allow a student to better understand their preference in types of work settings.

Career Management Skills – identifying your values, skills, interests, passions, and goals, and connecting to careers, having adequate self-esteem to take charge of y our career planning and decision-making, understanding how work effects lifestyle, and understanding how continuous learning impacts job opportunities.

Career mentoring.-career mentoring involves pairing students with adults in the community to support learning about work or other issues related to career development. Most often this activity takes place beyond the regular school day and is a partnership established with a goal of sustainability beyond the course or class in which it was established. Mentoring requires the committed involvement of community adults willing to work with students on an ongoing basis during working hours and beyond.

Career objective.-an optional part of your resume, but something you should contemplate whether you place it on your resume or not. It can sharpen the focus of your resume and should be as specific as possible -- and written in a way that shows how you can benefit the employer.

Career paths.-clusters of occupations/careers that are combined together because the people in them share similar interests and strengths. All paths include a variety of occupations requiring different levels of education and training.

Career planning.-determining a suitable career path using knowledge of personal interests, skills and preferred futures (dreams); researching the educational and skill requirements of a variety of potential work and life roles. Career planning is the continuous process of evaluating your current lifestyle, likes/dislikes, passions, skills, personality, dream job, and current job and career path and making corrections and improvements to better prepare for future steps in your career, as needed, or to make a career change.

Career Stereotype -a belief that certain careers are only for people who meet certain characteristics such as gender, age, ethnicity or other factors.

Career Trek.-a US software program designed to teach students about the world of work. Designed for elementary students.

Child Labor Laws – The Fair Labor Standards Act limits the hours that youth under 16 years of age can work and lists hazardous occupations too dangerous for young workers to perform.

Conflict Resolution – actions that include confronting the conflict or problem, communicating with the other person or group, and deciding an acceptable outcome.

Consumers- people who buy and use goods and services.

Cover letter.-the letter that accompanies a CV or resume. It may be a motivation letter or just a brief note to attach the resume. It should always accompany your resume when you contact a potential employer. A good cover letter opens a window to your personality (and describes specific strengths and skills you offer the employer). It should entice the employer to read your resume.

Demand – amount of goods and services that consumers want to buy.

Demand occupation.-an occupation expected to employ increasing numbers of people in the local area.

Dislocated worker.-someone who has been laid off from his or her job or whose job has been eliminated.

Economics – study of how people produce, distribute, and use goods and services.

Employability skills.-general skills that are essential for job success but are not necessarily linked to specific occupational knowledge. The Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) Report, released in 1991 by the U.S. Department of Labor, identified core foundation skills (e.g., reading, critical thinking, and sociability) and workplace competencies (e.g., skills that deal with resource and information management, interpersonal skills, technology and systems skills) that are considered to be universal employability skills.

Entrepreneur - a person who organizes and runs a business

Entrepreneurial skills.-entrepreneurial skills represent the knowledge, skills and abilities that will support the selection of a career path of self- or cooperative employment or for the pursuit of a personal venture or project. Key features of the processes associated with being entrepreneurial include innovation, critical thinking, structured planning and risk assessment.

Equity - equal distribution of encouragement, opportunity, privileges, and rights to everyone; freedom from bias or favoritism.

Federal Pell Grant - the largest pool of federal grant money. You must apply for a Federal Pell Grant, using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), to be considered for other forms of aid.

Florida Choices – the state career information delivery system available at no charge - www.flchoices.org

Formation.-investment in education and research which results in an improvement in human skills and knowledge.

Foundation skills.-these skills include: (1) basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic and mathematics, speaking, and listening); (2) thinking skills (creativity, decision taking, problem solving, visualizing, knowing how to learn, and reasoning); and (3) personal qualities (individual responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, and integrity).

Free Enterprise – individuals or businesses may buy, sell, and set prices with little government control.

Freelance career.-where you work for yourself and bid for temporary jobs and projects with one or more employers. Freelancing is not an alternative to hard work, but many people enjoy the freedom, flexibility, and satisfaction of working for themselves.

Global economy - the production, purchase, and sale of goods in a world-wide market.

Head hunter.-a colloquial term for recruiters, employment agencies or executive search firms that broker human resources. Like real estate, stock brokers and sports agents, headhunters are in the middle of an employment sales transaction: they solicit customers (companies with job openings willing to pay a fee) and they seek talent (people with specific skills).

Home-based careers.-numerous opportunities exist for job-seekers who want more control over time and work, who want job flexibility to spend more time with family by working from home. Unfortunately, this area is also one that has the most potential for scams and other fraudulent activities.

Human capital.-the sum of knowledge, disposition, skills and expertise of people belonging to an organization. Contrary to structural capital, human capital is the property of individuals. It is a source of creativity and innovation, and therefore of the competitive advantage of an organization. Human capital is a way of defining and categorizing peoples' skills and abilities as used in employment and otherwise contribute to the economy.

Human performance technology-the bulk of methods and processes used to improve job performance in individuals, groups and organizations.

Human resources.-the department dealing with recruiting and further management of personnel matters. The human resources function provides critical support and advice to the management. The attraction, retention and development of high caliber people is a source of competitive advantage and is the responsibility of HR departments.

Immersion courses.-in the teaching of foreign languages, the practice of communicating only in the language being taught.

Interests - the likes and dislikes of a person that affect the choices he/she makes.

Internship.- a one-on-one relationship that provides for “hands-on” learning in the area of the student’s career interest. A learning contract outlines the expectations and responsibilities of both parties. Employers provide structured work experiences that include workplace readiness and job-specific skill development and that connect to school-based learning. Ideally, students work in a number of departments or positions during their internships so they can have a better career-oriented experience.

Interpersonal Skills – how you get along with others. It may involve responding appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of different people in different situations; being tactful, compassionate and sensitive; and treating others with respect.

Job – paid position with specific duties, tasks, and responsibilities in a particular place of work.

Job application – a form that asks questions about a job seeker’s skills, work experience, and education.

Job Interview –formal meeting about a possible job between job seeker and employer.

Job satisfaction.-a term to describe how content an individual is with his or her job. It includes many factors, including the work itself, value to the organization, impact on organization, compensation, and more. When workers are very unhappy with their jobs, they suffer both mentally and physically.

Job shadowing.-a student observes the daily routine of an employee and then "interviews" the employee about his/her work and education. This kind of activities are conducted just after the student has finished his or her degree program, and previous to starting a career.

Lifelong learning.-a noncredit course or activity offered by a school district or community college which seeks to address community social and economic issues related to health and human relations, government, parenting, consumer economics, and senior citizens. The course or activity must have specific expected outcomes that relate to one or more of these areas. Generally, this term also refers to the modern understanding of education as a lifelong activity which is necessary all along a person’s career.

Lifestyle - the beliefs, attitudes, and behavior associated with a person or group; a way of life.

Long-term Goal - something you want to achieve in the future

Mentoring.-a formal relationship between an individual with significant experience (mentor) and another (mentee) where each develops professionally through the transfer of experience and the opportunity to seek alternative perspectives.

Moonlighting.-the experience of working multiple jobs (also referred to as dual or multiple jobholding). People working multiple jobs come from just about every demographic group. Appears to be on the rise.

Motivation letter.-a letter to the company offering a job, in which the applicant explains his or her reasons to apply and provides specific information on why the job is especially adequate. Contrary to the attached resume or CV, the motivation letter is personalized for each specific case.

Non-traditional careers-careers in which fewer than 25 percent of the workforce is of one gender. There are many pros and cons for job-seekers considering working in a non-traditional career path.

Occupation - a grouping of jobs with common tasks that require similar skills

Occupational Outlook Handbook – a publication detailing hundreds of occupations including job duties, working conditions, training and educational requirements, earnings, and job prospects.

On-the-Job Training-Through their jobs in the workplace, students receive hands-on training in specific occupational skills. A general term, "on-the-job training" is part of the activities described within cooperative education and registered youth apprenticeships.

One-stop career centers.-state networks of conveniently located centers that each provide employment, education, and training services all in one place. Some One-Stop Career Centers have all employment, training, and education partners and their programs on-site, while others have only selected partners and programs on-site. They are conveniently located within communities and provide a wealth of information and assistance for job seekers, education and training seekers, and employers.

Personality traits - the qualities and characteristics that shape a person's unique character and identity.

Portfolio.-portfolios are used by young people and adults to organize their career and educational plans. Also referred to as portfolios, employability skills portfolios, career passports and career plans, they provide convenient storage of career information, educational plans, résumés, transcripts, letters of reference, statements of philosophy, awards and honors, and examples of work. A portfolio is also described as a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits effort, progress, and achievements in one or more areas. The collection includes student participation in selecting the contents, the criteria for selection, the criteria for judging merit, and evidence of student reflection

Postsecondary Education - education beyond high school; includes vocational/ technical training schools, proprietary schools, community colleges, four-year colleges, universities, and training programs.

Prerequisite.-a requirement for registration in a particular course of study. For example, a beginning course in psychology may be a "prerequisite" to an advanced course. Some programs have a prerequisite that the student be a high school graduate or have a G.E.D. to gain admission.

Producers – make or provide goods and services that consumers buy and use.

Profit – amount of money left over after the business pays its expenses.

Resume.-a document containing a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education, usually for the purpose of securing a new job. Often the r sum is the first item a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker, and therefore a large amount of importance is often ascribed to it.

Scholarships - gifts of money to students from state, federal, or private sources. While state and federal grant programs are based on financial need, scholarships may be based on a variety of factors, including need, academic excellence, leadership qualities, heritage, or extracurricular interests.

School-to-career program.-as defined by the US federal School-to-Work Opportunities Act, a program combining school-based learning and on-the-job instruction into a structured learning experience with the following attributes: (1) governance by broad coalitions of community partners (students, parents, high schools, employers, workers, postsecondary educational institutions, community-based organizations, and government); (2) employer provision of structured worksite learning and paid work experience; (3) school integration of academic and vocational learning; (4) coordination and integration of school-based and workplace learning; (5) connections between high school and postsecondary learning for at least two years; and (6) certification of occupational and academic skills mastery, recognized by firms across industries and nationwide.

Self-employment.-A self-employed person works for himself/herself instead of as an employee of another person or organization, drawing income from a trade or business. This is less stable than working as an employee but tends to earn a higher hourly income or rate.

Self-instruction.-a process in which materials take learners step-by-step through an instructional process; self-assessment exercises are a central feature and instruction can be paper-based or computer-based.

Short-term Goal – something you might do right away

Skill- the ability to do something as a result of training, practice, or knowledge.

Social Security – a federal government program that provides benefits for people of all ages.

Supply - amount of goods and services available for sale.

Time Management – choosing how to spend one’s time and creating a schedule for one’s choices. Deciding when to do homework and study, preparing for a test, going to school, and planning activities after school and the weekend require time management skills.

Transferable skills - skills that can be used in a variety of jobs or occupations.

Values - the ideas, relationships, and other matters that a person believes to be important.

Work-based learning -provides experiences and activities for student learners to understand the relevance of what is learned in school to what it takes to be successful in the workplace. It also provides opportunities for student learners to acquire information in general workplace competencies.

Work ethic - usually associated with people who work hard and do a good job.

Work exploration.-in those courses where students gain experiences in the workplace for the purposes of learning more about work, for developing generic employability skills, and for exploring and experiencing potential career decisions before they must be made in a real sense, students are using work-based learning for exploratory purposes.

Work readiness.-characterized by students being prepared for and able to adjust to the culture and demands of the workplace. Methods for ensuring work readiness among students include: a formal orientation to the program's goals and expectations; workshops or courses on basic job-related skills; job-shadowing or visits to different workplaces; and school-based enterprises in which students develop job skills by running real businesses.

Work study.-those students who use work-based learning to develop or enhance skills specific to a particular occupation (e.g., welding) are pursuing skills development in a work study approach.

Youth apprenticeship.-a program of study that integrates school- and work-based learning coordinated with business, industry, and labor and facilitates the transition from secondary to postsecondary education by providing the apprentice the opportunity to earn a high school diploma, postsecondary credential/diploma, and Certificate of Occupational Skills.