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Turning Interests and Strengths Into Career Opportunities

Choosing a career can be stressful for many youth, and youth with disabilities may face even more pressure. They are often told what they cannot do instead of being encouraged to explore what they enjoy and what they are good at. This can make career planning feel limiting rather than exciting. Changing this way of thinking is an important first step. 

What Is Career Exploration?  

Every young adult has strengths and interests. Some enjoy being creative, others like solving problems, working with their hands, or helping people. Youth with disabilities also have talents and skills that matter. When career exploration focuses on strengths instead of limitations, it helps build confidence and makes it easier to imagine a positive future.

The YouTube video, “What Is Career Exploration? – Special Education Learning”, defines "career exploration", which means learning about different jobs to help people decide what they might want to do in the future. It talks about looking at many types of work, understanding what each job is like, and thinking about what you enjoy and what you are good at.  

You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUje5-iccI0




Job Exploration Counseling

Exploring careers does not mean choosing one job right away. It means learning about different options and seeing what feels like a good fit. This can include volunteering, internships, job shadowing, or talking with others about their work. It is also important to talk about supports and accommodations that can help someone succeed on the job.  

The Job Exploration page on TransitionTA explains one of the five required Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, focusing on helping students with disabilities explore career options and understand the world of work. It outlines how job exploration counseling supports students in identifying interests, learning about different occupations, reviewing labor market information, and understanding career pathways.

You can check out the full page here: https://transitionta.org/topics/pre-ets/job-exploration/






What are your thoughts on Career Opportunities? Share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences in the comments below!

 The SPAN Youth Chat

On February 4th, from 4:15 to 5:00 PM, join the Youth Engagement Team for a presentation on a topic relating to self-advocacy. More info to come.





Resources...

Link to SPAN's website: www.spanadvocacy.org
Link to SPAN's Youth in the Know Resource Page: Youth in the Know
We're here for you! Call SPAN if you need assistance: 1-800-654-7726.

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