Career Exploration, Research and Career Planning Resources

Follow links below to explore careers, gain valuable knowledge about what careers are in-demand,  and to discover where those jobs are found. . 

• Student Naviance College and Career Planning 
• Virginia Education Wizard
• Virginia Career Clusters (includes advice on developing your High School Academic and Career Plan) 
• Virginia Workforce Connection
• O*Net Online  (tool for career exploration and job analysis) 
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Outlook Handbook, Career Outlook information, and more)
• Virginia Career Planning Guide (CPG)
• My Next Move
• Virginia Employment Commission
• CareerOneStop
• Career Video Downloads ( Career Connections New Jersey)
• Explore Careers 

FCPS Student Pilot Program with Coursera (HS) The FCPS Department of Information Technology (DIT) is excited to announce the launch of FCPS Student Pilot Program with Coursera!  The new program will allow up to 1,000 FCPS High School students to access the full contents of the Coursera Career Academy. The pilot program has a limited number of licenses available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

Program highlights include: 

• Explore popular digital jobs and career paths, from marketing to data science

• Learn from experts at leading companies, including Google, Microsoft, and IBM

• Earn a valuable career micro-credential

• Access to over 27 professional certificates 

Interested students must complete the Coursera Student Interest Form.  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqT8IJHbgqPof4aHkLGk-bG9xn7BG1wzHWdu2RhHVsvE_dTw/viewform .  Once the student completes the interest form, FCPS DIT will contact the parental/guardian for consent. Coursera student accounts will then be created. Additional login details will be provided to students after account creation.   For more information contact: Scott Simmons at [email protected].

Career Fairs -  Students may have opportunities to participate in local career fairs and conferences. These events are considered field trips and must be arranged through the student's teacher, the Academy Counselor or Career Experience Specialist or the base school Career Center Specialist. 

2022 Instruction 2 Industry Expo  (you must be logged into your fcpsschools.net account to access this link) Access recordings from the 2022 spring event. The 2023 event will take place in February.  

Classroom Speaker Series - Area business and post-secondary education representatives from local employers may visit Academy classes to present information on various career fields and provide information on the employment outlook for those careers to help students make career decisions and to better understand the  “next steps” towards attaining their career goals. 

FCPS Career Pathways Speakers - FCPS Career Pathways Speakers Series  (You must be logged into your fcpsschools.net account to access this link.) 

Career Webinars - Follow this link to Career Webinars. (You must be logged into your fcpsschools.net account to access this link.) 

Career Shadow Programs, Externships and Industry Tours - Opportunities to participate in these events may be offered throughout the year by collaborating business, industry, higher education, and government organizations. 

Shadows, Externships - Students may spend all or part of their school day observing for an shadow experience. or take part in 40 hours of observations for externships with a business representative(s) to gain insight and an inside look and overview of companies, career fields, organizations, or government entities.  If the student wishes to earn credit for having a High Quality Work Based Learning Experience to meet graduation requirements there are additional requirements to be met. 

Industry Tours and In-the-Field Trips are typically offered on a first come first served basis to small groups of students in specific career-related classes.

Internships and Apprenticeships - may be offered by organizations in the DC Metro area community.  The purpose of these program s is to offer qualified students the opportunity to apply and build upon Academy course skills and knowledge in a live workplace setting. Students build a greater resume of experience and gain additional knowledge to better prepare them for their future careers. 

Internships - Internships may be paid or unpaid.  If the student wishes to earn credit for having a High Quality Work Based Learning Experience to meet graduation requirements they must work for a minimum of 280 hours during the school year at their apprenticeship and meet addition requirements through a sponsoring employer and their Academy CTE class. Visit Student Internships - for current and upcoming internship opportunities that have been shared. 

Registered and Youth Registered Apprenticeships  - are paid work experiences similar in nature to an internship but both the hours that students work and the time they spend in class are recorded and submitted to the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Apprenticeships Office to provide opportunities for employers to award them credit toward their apprenticeship training to earn a Journeyman's license.  Visit this page for more information. 

General Considerations to Participate in Internships and Youth Registered Apprenticeships

• Maintain good academic standing in your school classes; a grade of B or better is the recommended average for the Academy class.
• Maintain a good professional business attitude in the classroom, with teachers, students, and all adults.
• Demonstrate excellent school attendance; a 95% attendance rate is recommended.
• Maintain good behavior, with no disciplinary actions taken against you.
• Prepare a resume and cover letter to apply for opportunities for internships or youth apprenticeships (you can get help with this from the Academy Career Experience Specialist) 
• Be recommended by your Academy instructor and school counselor.
• Be prepared to have provide your own transportation to and from the internship site.

Resume Writing/Critiquing & Interview Preparation - Students may participate in a resume lesson in their classes or one-on-one with the Academy Career Experience Specialist or an Academy Support Team member in order to develop a resume which they may customize throughout the school year as they attain new skills and experiences.

Workshops focused on refining the resume and developing other Workplace Readiness Skills may be offered throughout the year.

Volunteers from business and industry may provide coaching for improvement of interview skills and resume critique in Mock Interview workshops. 

Resources are also available through Schoology in the Edison HS Academy class for students to access for self-directed resume creation and interview preparation. 

Individual Career Counseling - Students may request assistance in determining career direction through career counseling sessions with the academy career experience specialist or at their base school in the College and Career Center. These sessions may include taking career assessments of interests and work values, examining skills and aptitudes, and identifying the outlook for specific careers/career opportunities. 

Students may also participate in workshops, class activities and special events to learn and enhance job search, resume preparation, interview, and business etiquette skills.  

Virginia Career Works Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Program 

Educating Youth Through Employment (EYE), a Summer Employment Program

Fairfax County One Stop Employment Resource Center Services  (virtual and in-person services)