Career exploration activities for special education
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Good career exploration activities let students try, see or ask about real work, then reflect on what fit. Plan each one with a fill-in planner: the student's interest data, the activity, preparation, what the student does on the day, a reflection and the data you will keep. The completed example below shows a job shadow planned this way for a grade 10 student.
Career exploration is where a student's postsecondary employment goal comes from. A student who has never seen a workplace cannot tell you what job they want, so the goal ends up being whatever an adult suggests. Activities fix that. Each one should leave a trace: a reflection, a rating, a changed interest. That trace becomes transition assessment data.
This page has a menu of activities by support level, a fill-in planner for one activity, a completed example and section-by-section notes on what reviewers and families look for. For where exploration fits in the plan, see transition planning in the IEP.
Career exploration activity menu
Pick from the row that fits the student's grade and support needs. Move down the table as the student gains experience.
| Level | In school | In the community | Online or at home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out (grades 6 to 8, or any student new to the idea) | Interview school staff about their jobs; sort job cards by career cluster | Name workers seen on an outing | Watch short career videos with a viewing guide; interview a family member |
| Exploring (grades 8 to 10) | Interest inventory and talk about results; hands-on career stations | Workplace tour with prepared questions; career fair | Research 3 jobs on a career website |
| Testing fit (grades 10 to 12) | School-based job rotation; CTE course sampling | Job shadow; informational interview | Compare jobs using pay and training facts |
| Deciding (grade 11 to exit) | Career portfolio; present own research | Internship or work experience | Map a career ladder; research local employers |
For students with significant support needs, use real tools and places over pictures where you can. Matching a broom, an apron and a scanner to the jobs that use them teaches more than a worksheet. The template match work tools to jobs shows how to measure that.
Fill-in career exploration activity planner
Copy this into a document and fill in each line.
| Section | Fill in |
|---|---|
| 1. Student and date | Name, grade, date of activity |
| 2. Interest data | What assessment or conversation led to this activity |
| 3. Postsecondary employment goal | As written in the IEP, or "not yet set" |
| 4. Activity | Type, place, contact person |
| 5. Before: preparation | Questions to ask, what to wear, how to get there, what to bring |
| 6. During: student's task | What the student will do or ask, and how many |
| 7. Supports | Visuals, adult support, communication device, accommodations |
| 8. After: reflection | Questions, format (written, dictated, pictures, video) |
| 9. Data kept | Count, rubric score or rating, and where it is stored |
| 10. Next step | What this result changes in the plan |
Completed example: a job shadow for Nico
| Section | Completed |
|---|---|
| 1. Student and date | Nico, grade 10, March 14 |
| 2. Interest data | Interest inventory in October showed Realistic and Investigative interests. Nico said he likes animals and "fixing things." |
| 3. Postsecondary employment goal | Not yet set. Exploring animal care and maintenance work. |
| 4. Activity | 2-hour job shadow at a veterinary clinic. Contact: practice manager. |
| 5. Before: preparation | Nico writes 5 questions with a question frame. Reviews the bus route with the transition teacher. Wears closed-toe shoes. |
| 6. During: student's task | Ask at least 4 of his 5 questions. Watch 3 different jobs (front desk, vet tech, kennel). Write one note after each. |
| 7. Supports | Question card; transition teacher nearby but not beside him; noise-reducing earbuds for the kennel area. |
| 8. After: reflection | Same day, Nico rates each of the 3 jobs from 1 to 5 and names 2 tasks he liked and 1 he did not. |
| 9. Data kept | Asked 5 of 5 questions. Rated kennel assistant 5, vet tech 4, front desk 1. Stored in his career portfolio. |
| 10. Next step | Add a second shadow at an animal shelter in May. Draft an employment goal around animal care for the annual review. |
Nico's IEP goal for the year comes from the career exploration goal page: "Before each of 3 job shadows, Nico will write at least 5 questions about the job's tasks and training, and ask at least 4 during the visit, in 3 of 3 shadows." Templates: write questions before a job shadow and reflect on job fit after a job shadow.
What reviewers and parents look for, section by section
- Interest data (2). Reviewers want to see the activity came from the student's interests, not from what was easy to arrange. Parents want to know their input counted. Quote the student.
- Postsecondary goal (3). "Not yet set" is honest and fine in grade 9 or 10. By grade 11, an activity should test a stated goal.
- Activity (4). Families notice when every student does the same tour. Match the place to the person.
- Preparation (5). This is where the teaching happens. Writing questions, planning the route and choosing clothes are all skills.
- Student's task (6). A count makes it measurable. "Will observe" is not a task.
- Supports (7). Note what was needed, so the next activity can fade it. Supports used here belong in the transition present levels.
- Reflection (8). Reviewers look for the student's own words or ratings. A reflection written by the adult does not count as the student's voice.
- Data (9). This is the line that turns an outing into a transition assessment. Keep it in one portfolio across years. The template build a career exploration portfolio helps.
- Next step (10). If nothing changes after the activity, ask why you did it.
More activities with a goal ready to go
| Activity | Template |
|---|---|
| Informational interview with a worker | Conduct an informational interview |
| Workplace tour | Ask prepared questions on a workplace tour |
| Career video | Answer viewing guide questions after a career video |
| Career fair | Gather information at a career fair |
| Compare two jobs | Compare two jobs using labor market facts |
| Career ladder | Map a career ladder from entry level up |
| Choosing a CTE program | Choose a CTE program using exploration results |
| Guest speaker | Summarize a career guest speaker's talk |
Exploration feeds the next steps. Once a student has a direction, teaching job interview skills and vocational and employment goals take over. When a state VR agency offers job exploration counseling as a pre-employment transition service, it can add to what the school does; see inviting vocational rehabilitation to the IEP.
The OSERS transition guide describes career exploration and work-based learning as part of preparing students for employment.[1] NTACT:C lists practices for career awareness and work experience that teams can draw on.[2]
Frequently asked questions
What are good career exploration activities for students with disabilities?
Activities that put the student in contact with real work and ask them to reflect: interviewing school staff, workplace tours with prepared questions, job shadows, hands-on career stations, informational interviews and short work experiences. Match the activity to the student's interests and support needs.
How do I make career exploration count as transition assessment?
Record what the student did and what they thought. A rating of each job, a count of questions asked, or a short reflection in the student's words turns an activity into data. Store it in a portfolio and summarize it in the transition present levels.
How many career exploration activities should a student do each year?
There is no rule. Three to six well-planned activities a year, each with a reflection, usually give enough information to shape or test a postsecondary goal. Students still unsure of a direction may need more.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Career exploration goals (transition)
- Vocational skills goals (transition)
- Work-based learning in the IEP glossary
- Vocational rehabilitation in the IEP glossary
Related guides
- Transition planning in the IEP: what is required and when
- Teaching job interview skills in special education
- Inviting vocational rehabilitation to the IEP
- Vocational and employment IEP goals
Sources
- A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities (August 2020), U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
- Effective Practices, NTACT:C
- 34 CFR §300.43: Transition services, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.