E X P L O R I N G

UPCOMING SCHOOL-TO-CAREERS WORKSHOPS

Present Yourself with Pizzazz: Interviewing and public speaking Connecting Careers and Women: A dialogue between girls who are embarking on a career and women who are successful in their chosen field
Leave the Worrying Behind: Test taking strategies/anxiety tips (SAT prep)
Etiquette Workshop Luncheon: Learn valuable techniques for making it through an interview luncheon with charisma
Educational Planning: What to do today to plan for college tomorrow
Summer Enrichment Programs: Black Students at White Colleges - Questions to ask/Answers to look for
College Application Process: Overview of the process, including financial aid tips
College Getting In and Staying In: A panel of college student's share their experiences at diverse educational institutions
Tech Zone: Essentials for success in technical careers
Learning Styles: Discover your unique learning needs to reach academic and life goals
Communication Styles: Get your mesage heard and understood
Connecting Careers & Students II:

HAVE YOUR STUDENTS THOUGHT ABOUT BEING...

An Auto-Customizer who uses paints, wheels, spoilers, seats, body style changes, stereos and other accessories and alterations to make the ordinary car extraordinary. Auto-customizers combine skill at bodywork and other mechanics with artistic flair. In fact, some of the most famous customizers are also well known for their artwork. Customizers face some tough challenges along the way. Clients either know exactly what they want their car to look like--and they may have unrealistic ideas--or they aren't sure. Either way, customizers say they spend almost as much time talking to the customer as they do working on the car. Customizers need a broad range of general knowledge about paint colors and how to best coat different surfaces, as well as an idea of vehicle design and construction. Customizers usually work in garages or shops, sometimes around potentially toxic automobile paints and solvents. Most follow strict safety procedures to protect against the chemicals they encounter. Workdays and weeks are usually standard. The average annual salary is $33,720. Formal education is not required in most areas for customizers. Apprenticeships and trade school programs for mechanics are gaining popularity, however, as today's vehicles become more complex. Dozens of schools in North America offer two-year, one-year or eight-month courses in autobody and mechanical studies. Some customizers also study painting or art.

A Conference Organizer who plans conventions, meetings, trade shows and special events. They coordinate locations, people, flights, events, rooms and more. Organizers may also have to plan for the people attending the event, whether that be 25 or 5,000 attendees. This may include looking after flight arrangements, hotel accommodations, meals, recreational activities and even name tags. Organizers may also advise clients on meeting arrangements such as getting good speakers or picking the best time for a lunch break. Technology is becoming increasingly important as multimedia presentations and interactive systems are now commonplace. A conference organizer also attends the event, making sure everything is running smoothly and stays on budget. That can mean working very odd hours and can also mean a lot of travel. Usually conference organizers are self-employed, although some are hotel employees or meeting planners for large companies. Their average salary is $35,930. Conference organizers are skilled negotiators with a professional approach. They are also experts at scheduling, program design and agenda planning. A wide range of experience is the main prerequisite for this job. If you're interested in pursuing this career, find some kind of work in the area, even if it means volunteering. Volunteering is one of the best ways to get experience in organization and management. Most professionals in this industry have degrees or experience in management, business, public relations or hospitality and you may even want to get certified.

A GIS Expert who works with computers to produce maps. Gone are the days of illegible maps and charts. Today, all the information needed to map the world and chart global trends is stored on computers. The tools used to display and analyze geographic data are called geographic information systems (GIS). GIS works by digitizing maps and charts, and then cross-referencing these maps with other data. Since the information is on computer, people can quickly find hidden relationships, patterns and trends they could never see with paper maps and charts. Besides mapping, GIS can be used to analyze data that will help plan uses for land, plot urban areas and figure out how to get resources to remote areas. It can also be used to preserve the environment--by mapping pollution, tracking endangered species or identifying wetlands. Emergency personnel can map the best route to an emergency. Cities and towns can use them to help maintain roads and traffic signals and doctors can track the spread of infectious diseases. GIS experts work for private companies and government. Earnings range from $21,510 through $76,880. The multidisciplinary nature of GIS makes it useful in many other careers. Make sure to have the educational background in whatever field you want to use GIS in. You need to be able to think spatially and have a strong background in computers and statistics. A good general understanding of geography and computer hardware also helps.

A Jewelry Designer who makes wearable art. Jewelry designers use scale drawings, sketches and wax models to turn gems and precious metals into ornaments. Designers need to know how jewelry is made--size, shape, weight, color and materials are important. They also need to think about how the piece will be used, safety and cost. Designers use colored pencils, special templates, watercolor paint and, increasingly computers to create their drawings. They may supervise craft workers who carry out their designs. Designers also work with jewelers, mold makers, retail customers and jewelry buyers for stores and manufacturers. Those who run their own businesses also spend time looking for new customers and carrying out administrative tasks. Some designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. Most designers, however, work for manufacturers, adapting jewelry fashions for the mass market. All designers may travel to showrooms or manufacturing facilities overseas. They work a lot with detail and intricate designs which requires good vision and manual dexterity. But creativity is more important than drawing skills. Another key to success is their ability to communicate. They must understand what the customer wants, and then create a drawing that can be transformed into a piece of jewelry. Salaries range from $12,670 to $41,160 a year. Jewelry designers are artistic, good problem solvers and have business sense. A liberal arts education, courses in merchandising, business administration, marketing and training in art are all good ideas for jewelry designers. In high school, consider taking art, design and drafting classes. Math classes are also important to develop problem-solving skills.

All descriptions excerpted from Bridges

ECOS UPDATES

Our training sessions at DC Link and Learn were a great success.

A few highlights from our sessions:

• All students enrolled in your high school can receive individual ECOS accounts. There are samples of letters and flyers to help publicize the availability of ECOS in the Administrator modules. Just customize them to your school and distribute to students, parents, teachers, counselors to encourage students to use the system.
• Students can create resumes easily once they enter their information in the Profile module. Students who may be applying for internships, scholarships, summer jobs and other opportunities can produce a professional looking resume using ECOS.
• Remember that you can monitor ECOS activity and produce reports using the Administrator module. ECOS can help you determine which careers your students have expressed interest in exploring, which colleges are stored in their locker and how many times they have accessed the system. 
• Remember that each school has 10 administrator user ID's available (in front of your training manual). Feel free to assign these to counselors at your school so they can enable students to create an account.

ECOS powerpoint presentations are now available to demonstrate systems capabilities in your school for your colleagues. If you need help using the system, demonstrating it to other colleagues within your schools, or integrating it into other STC or classroom activities, please let us know.

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Here you will find information on interesting jobs of the future, upcoming STC field trips, and help with ECOS.

Many thanks to the facilitators and students who attended our ECOS training session...your participation made it a success!