Perryville sophomores explore career interests

"I don't know what I want to do after high school!" According to Jim Harryman, the Perryville Area Career and Technology Center counselor, this is one of the most common statements heard from the high school sophomores he encounters. "This may seem surprising", stated Harryman, "when you consider students begin career exploration early in their elementary years." Nevertheless, on November 23rd the Perryville Area Career and Technology Center gave the Perryville High School sophomores the opportunity to delve deeper into possible career interests by taking the Missouri Connections Career Exploration Interest Inventory.

Through this inventory, students answered questions on a computer-generated inventory which displayed a color graph showing their high to low career interest areas. From there, they were able to explore educational expectations, income possibilities, and general characteristics of the career. "For those students preparing for possible Career Center placement this was the first step", Harryman stated, "but the inventory was completed by all sophomores as they continued to formulate their 4-year plan and think about what they will be doing following graduation in 2012.

Mr. Harryman was assisted in the supervision of the inventory by high school counselors, Mrs. Tammie Lukefahr, Mrs. Debra Cobb, and Mrs. Barb Kutz.

The Missouri Connections website (http://dese.mo.gov/divcareered/missouriconnections.htm), sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, provides great information to individuals of all ages on career planning and preparation.