WELCOME TO GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION FOR JOB SEEKERS BETTER KNOWN AS GADJ!

Welcome to the new home of the GADJ!  Here you will find all the GADJ lesson plans ready for download and printing.  GADJ is also expanding with new lesson plans to come out later this year so be sure to check here for updates and new resources.  For more information or questions regarding GADJ, feel free to contact Pat Harris, NCWorks Outreach Coordinator at pharris@mideastcom.org or Brandi Bragg, Career Pathways  Facilitator at brandi.bragg@nencpathways.org.

 

INTRODUCTION

The Guidance and Direction for Job Seekers manual, known as GADJ, was developed to aid frontline staff who provide career counselling. As referenced by the University of Texas at Dallas (https://www.utdallas.edu/career/model/), a thorough career counselling process is a continuous cycle of assessing self, exploring options, developing skills, marketing self, and performing job skills.  This manual provides necessary components for comprehensive career guidance, with each component divided by age-appropriate strategies and available resources to advance opportunities.

GADJ is written in a “lesson plan” format for ease of delivery. While the first edition of this manual lists ten fundamental lessons, we encourage each agency or institution to evaluate their programs and create additional lessons, as needed.  See the following for more information.

Introduction & Purpose

Career Cycle & Standards

Contributing Partners

 

CHAPTER 1 – ASSESSING SELF

In a task as mundane as grocery shopping, the shopper takes a mental inventory of what he or she has at home and thinks about what is needed for the upcoming week. Why, then, when making career choices, wouldn’t a job seeker take “inventory” of skills, interests, strengths, personality, values, and ambitions?

Gathering information for this inventory can look different but the goal is the same – to assess oneself before beginning the job seeking process. The following are lessons for self-assessment.

Title Page – Assessing Self

Lesson Plan 1 – Traitify

Lesson Plan 2 – Reality Check

 

CHAPTER 2 – EXPLORING OPTIONS

Once you’ve assessed your skills, interests, and values, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and do some research and make connections. It’s essential to do online research, read books, and talk on the phone or in person with alumni and others with experience in your field of interest to get a realistic view of career opportunities. This can help you get the lay of the land and illuminate pathways into different fields. (https://www.brown.edu/campus-life/support/careerlab/exploring-options) The following are lessons for exploring options.

Title Page – Exploring Options

Lesson Plan 1 – Job Searching Skills

Lesson Plan 2 – Using NC Career Clusters Guide

 

CHAPTER 3 – DEVELOPING SKILLS

Developing skills is important in life and in work, and it never ends. As we build our careers, we will need to develop new skills along the way. The following are lessons for developing skills.

Title Page – Developing Skills

Lesson Plan 1 – Attitude Counts

Lesson Plan 2 – Communication Skills/Following Directions

 

CHAPTER 4 – MARKETING YOURSELF

When companies have a new product to sell, they begin a marketing campaign to promote their product. You may be familiar with some of these from television commercials, print ads and radio jingles. Many feature music or scenery that you remember and associate with that product such as Nationwide Insurance, which use musicians, athletes and their famous “Nationwide is on your side” jingle. Applying and interviewing for jobs require the same tactics only the product you are selling is yourself. How do you market yourself to potential employers when you cannot create a one minute commercial to show them? By crafting a great résumé and using social media responsibly, you will be able to advertise your skills and abilities in a way that makes employer remember you and want to hire you.

Title Page – Marketing Yourself

Lesson Plan 1 – Résumé

Lesson Plan 2 – Social Media & The Job Search

 

CHAPTER 5 – PERFORMING

Career Planning doesn’t end once you get the job. It is just as important to learn job keeping skills as it is to learn job seeking skills. The following are lessons for performing.

Title Page – Performing

Lesson Plan 1 – The Toothpick Factory

Lesson Plan 2 – Time Management Skills