Helps to organise a student to complete an investigation into a choosen career. The teacher in supported by presentations with embedded video. Learners Record can be ordered on www.classroomguidance.com

2. This Career Investigation Learner’s Record © third edition was written by Brian
Comerford of Classroom Guidance 2016.
Editor: Jennifer Rope

3. Table of Contents
THE TASK PAGE
Introduction 1
1. Choosing a Career 2
2. Your Objectives 3
RESEARCH & PLANNING
3.1 Methods 4
3.2 Action Plan 5
3.3 Resources Needed 6
3.4 Real Life Example 7
3.5 Who Can Help 7
3.6 Planning Your Meetings 8
3.7 Alternative Solutions 8
CARRYING OUT THE TASK
4.1 Education - Courses 9
4.2 People - Interviews 11
4.3 Interview Questions 11
4.4 Guidance Counsellor - Interview 14
4.5 Task List 15
PRESENTATION & ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS
5.1 Results 16
5.2 Conclusions 17
6. Self-Evaluation 18
7. Bibliography 21
8. Appendix 21

4. 1
Introduction
This Learner’s Record is intended to act as a guide to
writing up your Career Investigation.
It should be used as a template to help you when producing
your own original report.
Please note you are expected to use a computer to type up
your work as this will demonstrate your skills in this area.

5. 2
1. Choosing A Career
List your Top 5 careers. Suggestion: use Careersportal’s interest
assessment.
Decide on a shortlist of three and include detailed job descriptions.
1.
2.
3.
After reading about my top three jobs, the career I’ve chosen to
investigate is: ______________________________________________
Why? ____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Career / Job
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6. 3
2. Your Objectives
Write down what you want to achieve from doing this investigation and
why you want to achieve it.
Aim: _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Why? ____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
For Example:
Aim: I want to find out all I can about a career in carpentry.
Why? So I can know for certain if I want to do an Apprenticeship.

7. 4
3. RESEARCH & PLANNING
OTHER
METHODS:_______________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
JOB
DESCRIPTION
AREA OF
RESEARCH
Education
AREA OF
RESEARCH
Work Environment
AREA OF
RESEARCH
People
METHODS
College Open Day
Prospectus
College Website
Qualifax
4.1 (p9)
Guidance
Counsellor
4.4 (p14)
METHODS
Company Website
4.1 (p9)
Word Of Mouth
SOLAS / FAS
Office
Guidance
Counsellor
4.4 (p14)
METHODS
Phone Calls
3.6 (p8)
Emails/ Letters
3.7 (p8)
Interviews
4.2 / 4.3 (p11)
Surveys
Work Experience
3.1 Methods

8. 5
3.2 Action Plan
Write in what needs to be done for you to understand everything about
the job/career.
ORDER THINGS TO DO
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th

9. 6
3.3 Resources Needed
What will you need to use to get the information required?
RESOURCE TICK IF USED
Computer
Library
Printer
Mobile Phone
Scanner
Camera
Video Camera
Guidance Counsellor
Other (write in)
Other (write in)

10. 7
3.4 Real Life Example
Complete a short report on an organisation where the job you are
investigating is done:
Company Name
Established
Product / Service Description
No. Of People Working There
No. Of People Doing Your Job
3.5 Who Can Help?
List people that could help you find out about the job.
People

11. 8
3.6 Planning Your Meetings
When are you going to make contact? ___________________________
Why have you chosen this person? _____________________________
_________________________________________________________
3.7 Alternative Solutions
If the person is unavailable for interview, how
else will you find the information you need?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Name
Company
Address
Phone number
Date Of Meeting Time

12. 9
4. CARRYING OUT THE TASK
4.1 Education - Courses
Investigate two courses that allow progression to your area of interest.
Course 1
Course Title
College Name
Minimum Entry
Requirements
Subjects Taught 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
No. of Years
Qualification
Earned
Options For
Graduates

13. 10
Course 2
Course Title
College Name
Minimum Entry
Requirements
Subjects Taught 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
No. of Years
Qualification
Earned
Options For
Graduates

14. 11
4.2 People - Interviews
Keep a written account of any interviews done:
Person’s Name: ___________________________
Job Title: __________________________________________________
Date of interview: _____________ Time of interview: _____________
Place of interview: ___________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Aim of the interview: _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
4.3 Interview Questions
Why did you choose this career?
Answer__________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Do you find the career interesting?
Answer____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

15. 12
What training was involved?
Answer___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Are you paid well?
Answer___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What equipment do you use every day?
Answer___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What type of environment do you work in?
Answer___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Do you work on your own or with others?
Answer___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

16. 13
What are the key skills involved in this job?
Skills Personal Qualities
What are the bad things about the job?
Answer___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What are the good things about the job?
Answer___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

17. 14
4.4 Guidance Counsellor - Interview
Appointment Date
Appointment Time
Do you think I am suited to this career? Why?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What is the future like for this career?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Will the qualifications that I get from school allow me to start my career?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Is there a course in college / Further Education I should consider doing?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

18. 15
4.5 Task List
Looking back, list and briefly explain all you did
DATE TASK DONE
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th

19. 16
5. PRESENTATION & ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS
5.1 Results
Tick any methods you used in the table below.
Present these results when you write up your task.
METHODS TICK IF USED
Personality Tests
Interest Inventory
Future Skills Needs
Age / Gender Profiles
Salary Survey
Your Own Surveys
Your Own Questionnaires
Other (write in)
__________________________
Other (write in)
__________________________

20. 17
5.2 Conclusions
Write down your aim(s) again from page 2:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Did you achieve your aim(s) Yes No
Why? _____________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
What was the most useful piece of research to your
investigation? Why?
___________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

21. 18
6. Self-Evaluation
Rate your overall performance by circling one of the below descriptions:
Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor
Why did you rate yourself this way? _____________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
THINGS I DID WELL
THINGS TO DO BETTER NEXT TIME

22. 19
List two things you learned about yourself while doing this task:
(e.g. I have learned that I can organise myself and can work alone, this I discovered
when I organised the interview found the address and did a great interview)
1. _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Write down any skills or qualities you now know you have:
Skills Qualities
List two problems and how you solved them:
1. _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

23. 20
1. _______________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What learning could you use in the future?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Did you change any future plans?
Yes No
Why? ________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

24. 21
7. Bibliography
List the details of any websites, videos, books or newspapers you used
in your investigation in the table below:
8. Appendix
Include the following evidence here to personalise your investigation:
Photos – Take lots of photos but make sure you have permission if you
need it.
Internet Research - Keep print outs of relevant internet research
you used in your write up. Highlight relevant information.
Maps - Print out and keep copies of any maps of places you visited as
part of your task.
Details Of Website / Video / Publication
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

25. 22
NOTES
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