Career Exploration Workbook: Informational Interviews, Job Shadowing, and Field Research

Most people stop career exploration at quiz results and online articles. The people who make better decisions go further: they talk to real practitioners, observe real work, and gather first-hand evidence. This hands-on course walks you through a complete exploration project, with templates for every step. By the end of this course you will have run at least six informational interviews, completed at least one job shadow or observation session, written a structured comparison of three career options, and produced a decision memo summarizing what you learned and what you still need to test. What you will learn: - How to translate assessment results into a shortlist of careers to investigate - How to identify and reach out to practitioners using professional networks and alumni databases - How to write outreach messages that get responses - How to design a 30-minute informational interview that captures useful information - How to set up a job shadow, observation, or short project experience - How to take field notes that compare daily tasks, working conditions, paths in, and pay realities - How to write a decision memo that compares options across multiple dimensions The course is structured as a project workbook. Each module corresponds to one phase: scoping, outreach, interviewing, shadowing, comparing, and deciding. You complete each phase with provided templates and progress to the next when the artifact is in hand. This course is written for students, recent graduates, and adults who want to move from passive research to active exploration. By the end you will have replaced opinions with first-hand evidence, and you will hold a written record of what you learned that you can revisit as your interests evolve.