CAREER
NARRATIVE
For Your Career Passport
OVERVIEW
All students are expected to write a career
narrative that will be included in their career
passports which are distributed at the senior
recognition ceremony upon completion of their
senior year. As a junior, you will write a rough draft
which you will then update, revise, and perfect
during your senior year.
 The career narrative is a personal essay that explains why
and/or how you selected your career field, how you plan to
further your education/training after graduation, and what
short-term and long-term career goals you have. It should
also include a second career option you may also be
interested in pursuing (a “plan B” in case you do not find a
job in your first choice career field).
 A few sample career narratives follow these directions.
Please review them and see Mrs. Marshburn with any
questions you may have as soon as possible.
 Please write your career narrative and send it to me as a
Word attachment via GCCC e-mail no later than
______________. If you already wrote a career narrative
in another English class, you may send me that one.
 This assignment is a pass/fail assignment worth 50 points.
GUIDELINES
1. Must be word processed and unique—This is YOUR story!
2. Limit your essay to one page
3. Include a main heading, centered and bold
4. Include a secondary heading, centered
CAREER NARRATIVE
John Smith
5. Use 12 point font, 1 inch margins
GUIDELINES
6. Indent each paragraph
7. Double space the document
8. Edit for correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling
9. Submit multiple drafts, if needed, to make corrections and
revisions
10. Submit a hard copy to me in print once all needed revisions
are made
11. Email the final copy to me at kmarshburn@greeneccc.com
after all revisions are made
PARAGRAPH ONE
Why did you decide to study the career field that
you are in and why did you come to the Career
Center to study it? What are you learning in your
career field at Greene County Career Center?
PARAGRAPH TWO
What do you plan to do after you graduate?
(work, college, military, where, how, etc.)
PARAGRAPH THREE
What is your backup plan if your
first plan is hindered?
For the past two years I have been in the Allied Health Program at Greene
County Career Center. At the end of my senior year I will be qualified in the
following skills: accurate blood pressure, height, weight, blood sugar, respiration,
palpation, CPR, phlebotomy, and I will have my STNA certification.

After graduating from high school, I plan to get a job in the medical field
working in a phlebotomy lab at a local hospital until college starts in the fall. I plan
to attend a four-year college while working. In my first year I will obtain my LPN.
Upon getting my LPN, I plan to apply for jobs at doctors’ offices and hospitals. My
second year of college, I will get my RN, and with that I hope to be a nurse for a
local doctor. My dream would be to work for the same family doctor or hospital as
I continue to further my education. I will continue college for two more years,
working on my bachelor’s degree. During my college years I plan to take classes in
radiology to become a certified ultra sound technician.

When I am finished with my four years of college, I plan to work in my area to
help protect those in my community. I would one day like to travel and help children
in other countries with medical needs. I am sure at one point in time after I become
an established nurse, I will continue my education to get my master’s degree. I may
even work towards my doctorate.

SAMPLE: ALLIED HEALTH

I chose to be in the Allied Health Lab because I want to help people. I saw
more opportunity at the Greene County Career Center than I did at the high
school. My brother went to the Greene County Career Center, and my friend
Ashlei told me about the Allied Health class. I looked into it. I thought that it would
help me go far in life.
 Throughout my junior year I learned about the body, nerves, muscles, bones, male
and female anatomy, etc. We did a gastrointestinal project and a PowerPoint on
diseases. I participated in HOSA competitions. I made it through the state
competitions and went to nationals. My senior year I achieved the status of
Certified Nursing Assistant. I plan on going to college to become a Physical
Therapist Assistant then continuing my education to become a physical therapist.
Then I will live my life as a PT.
 If PT doesn’t work out, then I will be a personal trainer. I could also try a different
medical field like nursing since I have my CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) license.
I could even try Personal Training. Currently I have my CNA and I can take the State
Tested Nursing Assistant test (STNA). Then I will be off to college for PTA.
SAMPLE: ALLIED HEALTH
In the two years that I have been enrolled in Automotive Technology at Greene County
Career Center, I have learned many different skills that will greatly help me on my journey to
become an Automotive Technician. In Auto Tech we cover brakes, steering and suspension, engine
performance, and electronics. Although this does not cover the entire automobile, it does provide
me with a basic understanding of the way automobiles function.

I plan to use the general understanding of automobiles that I have obtained over the past
two years as a basis for a career as an Auto/Diesel Tech. After completing the two year Auto/Diesel
course at UNOH, I plan on finding a job working for any automotive or diesel shop across the
country. Since I like to work on cars and trucks and don’t mind getting my hands dirty, I feel like
this is the perfect career path for me. If this career path falls through, I do have a back up.

My back up plan would be to be an agricultural technician and work towards a career for
any agriculture equipment companies. Even though this isn’t my first choice in careers, it would still
be a fun job and provide my family and me with a weekly check for food, shelter, and clothes. If I
choose this path I will work my hardest to achieve a high enough salary to live a very comfortable
life.

I have also become very fond of careers in landscaping. Pursuing a career in landscaping or
lawn care would be more than enough to make my life and occupation enjoyable to me. Many of
my friends and their parents either own landscaping companies or currently work for one. By
working in landscaping over the past few summers, I believe I have set myself up for any career in
landscaping, although I would much rather achieve my desired position as an Auto/Diesel
Technician.

SAMPLE: AUTO TECH
For the past two years, I have attended the Information Technology Program at the
Greene County Career Center. Before that I attended Beavercreek High School for two
years. While at the Career Center, I have obtained the following skills: computer
networking, hardware (A+),Visual Basic Programming, and software training in Office
2007.

After I graduate from the Greene County Career Center, I plan on attending a
two-year community college, then transferring to a four-year college. I am still deciding
which major I am going into. It is going to be either networking or computer networking
and hardware. Then I will go into the information technology business that my cousin
owns in Michigan and get some experience.

After I finish all that, then I will apply for an information technology job in a large
company like the hospital on the Wright Patterson Air Force Base as a civilian
contractor or get a job in the Microsoft Corporation. Then after I have some
experience, I would like to open my own small information technology shop/business.

If all else fails, I would like to go into mechanics, dealing with cars and trucks. I like
to work on motor vehicles, and I have always had a talent for working on/tinkering with
motor vehicles. I am currently restoring a 1967 Volkswagen type 3 square back. I have
worked on cars for many years with my father and my grandfather. I worked on a 1953
Ford with a Mustang engine in it and a 1953 Chevy grill in the front. My grandfather
currently owns that car, and my grandmother owns a 1953 Chevy. Both cars are in very
good shape.

SAMPLE: IT
The career I desire is to be a probation officer for young adults. I want to move to
a big city, preferably in California. I want to be able to work with the young adults and be
able to help them in the situations in which they have put themselves. I think every teen
should be able to have a second chance and not be looked at as the bad one. I want to
show them that they can do whatever they want, and I will make sure they stay out of
trouble.

After I graduate from the Greene County Career Center I plan to go to Clark
State Community College to get my associate’s degree in Social Work. I’m going to stay
there my first two years, then either transfer to the University of Cincinnati or a college
in southern California. I plan to live on campus, preferably in a dorm. If I can’t transfer to
either one of those colleges my next choice will be Wright State University, and then I
will finish the rest of the time in school to get my bachelor’s. I would then like to
continue on to earn my master’s in Social Work.

If that doesn’t work out, I would like to be a social worker, or work in some field
that has to do with working with people and helping them with their problems. I like to
get right down to the point with every situation and do my best with discovering a good
solution.

I plan to accomplish my dream by finishing high school and getting my diploma. My
goal is to have a GPA of at least a 3.5 so that I can get into the college I want to go to,
the University of Cincinnati. I am going to stay in Ohio until I finish college, then start to
look for jobs in California and a place to settle.

SAMPLE: CRIMINAL JUSTICE
RESUME
RESUME QUALITIES
 Relevant information with
necessary dates
 Contact information
 Education
 Consistent, neat format
 Use the same font throughout
 Use bold letters or underlining
in a consistent manner
 Skills
 List dates in the same format
 Certifications
 Use bullets to organize
 Work experience
 Parallel form
 Extracurricular activities
CONTACT INFORMATION
Direct line phone number
 Is your message appropriate?
Email
 Is it professional?
 2hot2handle@yahoo.com
Address
 Is it current?
EDUCATION
Home school
Career Center
Graduation date
GPA, if noteworthy
Don’t include the
GPA if it’s under 3.0.
SKILLS
 Skills required for your trade
 Technology (specific Microsoft programs)
 Communication skills
 Leadership skills
CERTIFICATIONS
Specific to your field
CPR, First Aid
Coaching, etc?
WORK EXPERIENCE
 Retail
 Food service
 Agriculture
 Lawn service
 Babysitting
 Housesitting
 Pet-sitting
Everyone has had
some type of job
to relate, even if it
not an “Official”
capacity.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
 At home school
 At GCCC
 Memberships, clubs
 Volunteer work
 Church involvement
 Sports
Anything that shows you
don’t sit at home and watch
TV or play video games all
day! You need to show that
you can socialize, show
responsibility, and work as a
team.
REFERENCE LIST
 Three people who know you well
 A supervisory position
 Can speak of your good work and character
 Willing to be listed (ask them first!)