Practical work: professional self-awareness and finding professional interests
The aim of professional self-awareness is to assess yourself across different fields and, by searching consciously and purposefully, to shorten the list of professions. In the first task you choose ten fields (management, service, education, health care, production, design and so on) and write down your understanding of each. In the second you rate your ability in each field on a 5-point scale; time and practice will show how accurate your estimate is. In the third, professions are linked with factors affecting health (stress, noise, height, long standing, risk of injury, night work and so on): for example a shop assistant stands long, a programmer tires the eyes, a pilot faces responsibility and night work. In the interest map you answer 39 questions with “+” (like), “−” (dislike) or “0” (unsure); the questions are grouped into 13 fields (physics and maths, chemistry, electronics, mechanics, biology, medicine, pedagogy, art, sport and others) and the “+” marks in each column are counted. Fields with many “+” show the direction of your interest, but it is not a verdict: interests develop and change. Discuss the result with a trusted adult or the teacher; for health questions a doctor’s advice is needed.
Mini-questionnaire (done in class): for 5 fields (technology, nature, working with people, art, calculation) write 3 “Do you like it?” questions each, answer with “+”, “−”, “0” and count the “+” in each field. Compare results with partners, but do not judge each other.