CAREER STUDIES CULMINATING ACTIVITY
OCCUPATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECT AND
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
PURPOSE: The purpose of your summative project is to provide you with an
opportunity to thoroughly investigate an occupation that you MAY be interested in
pursuing. You will also research the education you would need to become qualified in
your chosen occupation.
THIS WILL BE WORTH 30% OF YOUR FINAL GRADE.
LATE PENALTIES
WRITTEN WORK: all students written work is due ON THE FIRST DAY OF
PRESENTATIONS. If you are one day late- 25% off, If you are two days late- 50% off.
After two days late you will receive a mark of ZERO!
ORAL PRESENTATIONS: If you are absent on the day of your presentation, you will
receive a mark of ZERO. In order to be given the opportunity to present, you will need to
show your vice-principal a DOCTOR’S NOTE.
PROCESS:
STEP 1: THINK
Select an occupation that you believe you would seriously consider for the future. If you
are unsure what this may be, look through some of the assessments you have completed
and the suggestions offered to you. The occupation you select must involve an
apprenticeship, college, or university education.
My occupation is: ____________________________
STEP 2: A) RESEARCH and POWERPOINT PRESENTATION (CONTENT)
45 marks
My presentation date is: ___________________________________
My written work is due: ___________________________________
Using a variety of sources, research the following information about your occupation. Do
not simply cut and paste information from one source.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
DAY 1: At the end of this period I will be able to describe:
 Brief Job description Salary range-starting salary to experienced salary
 Projected labour trends for this occupation (go to this website to find this information
– www.workingincanada.gc.ca)
 Related Careers- at least 2
SHOW MY ROUGH WORK TO MY TEACHER ____________________________
DAY 2: Self Assessment
 Companies/places where people are able to work ( find something local and something
further away)
 Specific duties- provide a list of at least 5 duties you would perform in this occupation
 Working Conditions
 Advantages of this occupation- at least 4
 Disadvantages of this occupation- at least 4
EDUCATION PATH:
Select one Ontario Institution that offers the program you need to become employed in
this occupation and provide the following:
 Name and location of institution
 Residence and meal plan information (outline each cost separately, plus a grand total
for all your years of study)
SHOW MY ROUGH WORK TO MY TEACHER ____________________________
DAY 3 Self Assessment
 Tuition cost (per year plus a grand total for all your years of study)
 Detailed description of the program- Describe the COURSES and TOPICS you will
study
 Length of program and what you will graduate with when you are finished.
 Admission requirements from high school
 Bibliography- a list of the websites you used and any other resources
SHOW MY ROUGH WORK TO MY TEACHER ____________________________
DAY 4 Presentation Work Period
B) THE POWER POINT PRESENTATION (Creativity and speaking skills) 25 marks
Everything you learn about your occupation should be presented in a DYNAMIC power
point presentation. COLOUR, PICTURES, HEADINGS, and EFFECTS should be
used creatively to enhance the look. You will be assigned a date to present to the class. Be
rehearsed and organized for this presentation. Rather than just reading everything that
appears on the screen, you should stand and engage your audience as much as possible.
SHOW MY TEACHER THE ROUGH DRAFT OF MY PRESENTATION
__________________________________________
DAY 5 Planning and Reflection
STEP 3: YOUR PERSONAL EDUCATION PLAN (15 MARKS) DUE: __________
Using the G.R.C.I. course calendar, plan what courses you would need to take in grade 11
and grade 12 to meet the admission requirements of your chosen program. Complete the
entire page and hand this in on the FIRST DAY OF PRESENTATIONS.
STEP 4: REFLECTION (15 MARKS) DUE: _____________
 After you have conducted all your research, type a 1-2 page (double spaced) reflection
discussing why this occupation is OR is not something you are interested in pursuing.
 The reflection should make reference to the various self-assessments you completed in
unit 2, and how those results are (or are not) a match to the career you researched.
 You also need to include specific information from your research, and discuss what
you found appealing or discouraging about this career choice. If the career is not
something you would like to consider, speculate about other careers that might interest
you and why.
 You should also include a broader discussion of your future goals and ambitions. Your
reflection will be handed in with your personal education plan on :
_______________________
SHOW MY TEACHER ROUGH COPIES OF MY EDUCATION PLAN AND
REFLECTION ___________________________________________
INTERVIEW ----BONUS MARKS
Conduct an interview with someone who is working or has worked in your chosen
occupation. This may be done in person, over the phone or via email. If you are meeting
someone who is unknown to you, the interview should ONLY OCCUR IN A PUBLIC
PLACE. DO NOT ARRANGE TO GO TO SOMEONE’S HOUSE THAT YOU DO NOT
KNOW. Design a minimum of 10 questions to find out as much information as possible.
You should use what you have already learned about the career to ASK probing questions
that reveal NEW INFORMATION. Your goal is to find out what the job is really like.
Some topics to consider asking about include:
-their education path through high school and after
-advice for people interested in that career
-job satisfaction (what they like/dislike)
-a typical day/what they actually do
-job prospects for the future
Your interview must state who you interviewed, their job title, where they work,
their daytime phone number, how the interview was conducted, their relationship to
you (if any), and the date of your interview.
Once completed, the interview should be typed out in question and answer format and
added to your power point presentation. You will be evaluated on the quality of your
questions and information that you obtain. Avoid question that lead to yes or no answers.
You are seeking to obtain as much information as possible.
* BONUS MARKS are based on the degree to which you know the person you are
interviewing.
EASY = you interview someone you know, such as a family friend, relative, or teacher
(6%)
MODERATE = your interview was arranged by someone you know, but the person you
interview is a stranger (8%)
HARD = you make a “cold call” or send an email to company to interview someone
you’ve never met (10%)
CAREERS RESEARCH PROJECT: RESOURCES AND TIPS
RESEARCHING YOUR OCCUPATION:
The following websites may have useful information about your chosen occupation:
www.careercruising.com
user ID __________________
password ________________
Click on explore careers and search by index to find hundreds of different careers.
www.jobfutures.ca Click on I want to be and search through any of the 226 careers
RESEARCHING THE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:
APPRENTICESHIPS
www.apprenticesearch.com
* Some of the information on your assignment sheet does not relate to the
apprenticeship program (residence fees, etc). Record other useful information
instead (i.e. How many hours must you train)
UNIVERSITY:
www.electronicinfo.ca
Go to program locater and browse by university
You may now search by program, type of degree or specific university. Find the degree
or program that will qualify you for the chosen career and search for all the required
information listed on your assignment sheet. Each university website will be somewhat
different so you need to be patient as you look through the site for the information you
need.
* Remember that in university, for a Professional Program such as dentist, doctor,
teacher, or lawyer, you must first obtain a bachelors degree. Research BOTH
pathways.
COLLEGE:
www.ontariocolleges.ca
Click on High School Students
You may now search for a specific college and research what programs they have or use
the Program locator to find the specific program you are interested in. You will need to
then select a college that you would like to attend. Follow the links to find all of the
information requested on you assignment sheet. Each college website will be somewhat
different so you need to be patient as you look through the site for the information that
you need.