Career & College Readiness Lesson Plans
Matching Interests & Careers
Self-knowledge
Grade Level 9
Overview
Students will research and select occupations based on the interests they identify using the
California CareerZone’s Interest Profiler assessment.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
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Identify potential occupations to pursue
Understand how interests and career choices are connected
Language Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
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Verbally describe assessment results and explain how those results
help in career exploration
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Write an organized summary of each occupation researched
Standards Alignment
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California Common Core State Standards: College & Career Readiness
Anchor Standards:
o L. 9.1, 9.2
California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards:
o 3
California Standards for Career Ready Practice:
o 3
National Career Development Guidelines:
o CM 1, 3; PS 1, 2, 3
International Society for Technology in Education for Students:
o 3, 6
English Language Development Standards:
o Part I: A 4; B 5, 6
o Part II: C 6
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
Matching Interests & Careers

Self-knowledge
American School Counselor Association Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success:
o BS-SMS 3; BS-SS 1
Materials
1. Instructor Resources
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Computer with internet access and projection capability
Projector and screen
Computers with internet access for students
California CareerZone Student Account Information (p. 6)
California Career Resource Network Lesson Plans Handout E-copies
https://californiacareers.info/
2. Student Handouts
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Vocabulary (p. 7)
California CareerZone: Interest Areas/Work Environment Descriptions (p. 8)
California CareerZone: Student Account Set Up (p. 9)
California CareerZone: Take the Interest Profiler (p. 10)
Occupations Based on My Interests Worksheet (p. 11–13)
Lesson Resources (p. 14)
3. Online Resources
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Matching Interests & Careers Start-Up Video [01:20]
https://youtu.be/pODrLo2w1gw
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California CareerZone
https://www.cacareerzone.org/
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Interest Profiler
https://www.cacareerzone.org/ip
o Contact/Help
https://www.cacareerzone.org/help/reportissue
Activity
Students will complete the California CareerZone Interest Profiler and use their results to find
occupations that match their interests.
Lesson Prep

Review the lesson plan procedures, handouts, and start-up video. This information will
help prepare you to lead discussions on how and why it is important to consider one’s
interests when choosing a career.
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
p. 2
Matching Interests & Careers

Self-knowledge
Go to the California CareerZone website (link in Materials section) and create your own
student account.
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Use the student handout for account set up instructions.
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After creating your account, complete the Interest Profiler (instructions are in the student
handout). Be prepared to demonstrate this process to your students.
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Make copies of the student handouts, or, you can send students e-copies. They are posted
separately with the lesson plan on the California Career Resource Network Lesson Plans
webpage (link in Materials section)
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Before class begins, have your computer on and the California CareerZone website, your
open CareerZone account, and the lesson start-up video open in your web browser.
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About hyperlinks. All hyperlinks (URLs) in this lesson are on the Lesson Resources
handout.
Lesson Procedures
1. Introduce the lesson by describing the topic and activity. For a quick introduction, show the
start-up video (link in Materials section). Confirm students understand what to expect.
2. Distribute and review the Vocabulary handout (p. 7).
3. Ask students what they think is important when exploring occupations they might like to
pursue. In this discussion, talk about the benefits of matching their interests to occupations:
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Research shows that people who work in occupations that match their interests are
happier.
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Your chances of getting promoted increase if you like your job.
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If you enjoy your work, you will feel motivated to keep your job and have a sense of
satisfaction in what you do.
Tell students that just like music, movies, and friends, their personality traits play a role in the
choices they make. The same is true for the careers they choose. For example:
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If you are outgoing and active, you probably won’t be happy sitting behind a
desk all day.
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If you are quiet and shy, you probably won’t be happy in a loud, boisterous
environment.
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If you like working alone, you most likely won’t be at your best working in teams.
4. Distribute and review the Take the Interest Profiler handout (p. 10). Use the handout to walk
students through the steps of taking the assessment.
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
p. 3
Matching Interests & Careers
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Self-knowledge
Make sure all students have a CareerZone account. If any do not, distribute and review
the California CareerZone Student Account Set Up handout (p. 9). Give each student
time to set up an account. Explain all students need to be signed in before taking the
assessment.
5. Distribute and review the California CareerZone Interest Area/Work Environment Descriptions
handout (p. 8). Explain the Interest Profiler ranks their interests based on their answers to a
series of statements.
6. Distribute and review the Occupations Based on My Interests Worksheet (p. 11–13).
7. Distribute the Lesson Resources handout (p. 14). Have students go online, sign in, and
complete the assessment. Tell students to use the mini version (30 questions).
8. Have students select four occupations from their results list to complete their worksheets.
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Note: Remind students to sign out of their accounts when they’re done.
9. Have a class discussion about the completed worksheet. Consider discussion prompts:
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Do you think your assessment results reflect your interests? Why? Why not?
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Were you surprised by the occupations the Interest Profiler suggested as a good fit for
you? What surprised you?
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Which of your occupations requires the most education and training?
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Which of your occupations requires the least education and training?
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Why do you think those occupations are a good match for you?
10. Wrap Up. Review with students the knowledge they gained and employability skills they
practiced in this lesson:
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Critical Thinking Skills: Practiced by analyzing research findings and determining if
potential occupations are a good fit.
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Language Skills: Practiced when organizing, summarizing, and discussing
occupational information.
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Communication Skills: Used for effective class discussions and writing summaries.
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Technology Skills: Used to complete the online career assessment, explore
findings, and locate occupational information.
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Self-development Skills: Expanded by working independently and using an online
assessment to gain personal insight and then apply those insights to career
exploration.
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
p. 4
Matching Interests & Careers
Self-knowledge
Estimated Time
One or two class sessions
Learning Assessment

Set up a student account on the California CareerZone website.
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Completed the California CareerZone’s Interest Profiler assessment.
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Completed the Occupations Based on My Interests Worksheet using their Interest Profiler
occupations list.
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Wrote an organized summary of the four occupations they researched, adhering to the
writing standards befitting their grade level.
Other lessons and materials are on the
California Career Resource Network.
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
p. 5
Matching Interests & Careers
Self-knowledge
Instructor Resource
California CareerZone
Student Account Information
The step-by-step account set up instructions are in the student handout. As the instructor, it’s
important for you to know:

Students can complete some of the activities on the California CareerZone without having
a student account. However, students’ assessment results and research will not be saved
unless they are signed into an account.
o Because career and college exploration and planning are continually evolving
processes, having students save their work means they won’t have to start over
each time they continue their career exploration and planning activities.
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Account Information
o An email address is required.
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It is recommended that students use the same email address and password
for their accounts on the California CareerZone and California Career Center
websites.
o Last Names are optional.
o Students do not need to provide their last names to set up an account.
o This name field is noted as optional on the CareerZone’s account set-up
form. Be sure your students understand this.
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Students can get help with or delete their accounts by sending an email to California
CareerZone Contact/Help (link in Materials section and in Lesson Resource handout).

You may wish to establish a password convention to help your students remember their
passwords. Any convention will work. For example:
o student initials + year + class period: [ts2027period1]
o student initials + year + school initials [ts2027DHS]
Important
Be aware of your district’s policies about students
using the internet for school assignments.
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
p. 6
Matching Interests & Careers
Student Handout
Self-knowledge
Vocabulary
Career: the total series of roles and work experiences a person has throughout life.
Everyone has one, lifelong career that includes many occupations and jobs.
Occupation: a cluster of jobs with common characteristics that require similar skills (for
example, Occupation: Health Care; jobs include nursing assistant, nurses, doctors,
patient advocates, etc.).
Job: a paid position with specific duties, tasks, and responsibilities in a particular place
of work (for example, a photographer at Best Pictures).
Certificate: a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or
has passed a test or series of tests.
Occupational Profile: a summary of information about an occupation.
Projection/Annual Openings/Outlook: the expected rate of growth or decline in the
future for a particular occupation.
Personality Traits: an individual’s habitual patterns of behavior, temperament, and
emotion.
Salary: employee compensation quoted on an annual basis.
Wages: employee compensation based on the number of hours worked multiplied by
an hourly rate of pay.
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
Matching Interests & Careers
Student Handout
Self-knowledge
California CareerZone
Interest Area/Work Environment Descriptions*
The California CareerZone Interest Profiler identifies your interests and matches them
with occupations you might like. These descriptions come from the CareerZone website.
Your Interest Profile:
 Shows your three strongest interest areas
 Measures whether or not you might enjoy an occupation
 Helps you narrow down your career exploration and
increases your odds of finding a job you’ll like
Interest Area/Work Environment Descriptions
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on
problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials
like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of these occupations require working outside and
do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas and require an
extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and
figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs, and patterns. They
often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of
rules.
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching
people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These
occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they
require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines.
These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas.
Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
*Holland Code Theory
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
Matching Interests & Careers
Student Handout
Self-knowledge
California CareerZone
Student Account Set Up Instructions
1. Go online to the California CareerZone. https://www.cacareerzone.org/
2. Scroll down the page and choose “Register Now”.
3. An account form will popup. (If the form doesn’t popup, unblock your web browser’s popup
blocker.) Fill in the information.
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Use your full email address as your username. Then use that username when you set
up your My Stuff Student Account on the California Career Center website.
4. Select “Next”. A second form will popup. Fill it in.
Important:
You can set up your account without using your last name.
You may leave the name field blank.
5. Select the “Register” button. You’re now on your account’s homepage.
6. Choose “I Want To”. Then choose “Interest Profiler”. Then start building your profile.
7. Log out of your account when you’re done.
If you need help with your account or want to delete it, send an email to California CareerZone
Contact/Help. (https://www.cacareerzone.org/help/reportissue)
_______________________________ ___________________________________
Your Username
A hint to help you remember your password
_______________________________
Date You Set Up Your Account
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
Matching Interests & Careers
Student Handout
Self-knowledge
California CareerZone
Take the Interest Profiler
1. Log into your student account. If you don’t have an account, create one.
2. Look at your “Stuff” section. Select the “I Want to” button.
3. Look at the “I Want to” section. Select the “Interest Profiler”.
4. Then select “Start a New Interest Profiler”.
5. Choose the 30-question version in the “Interest Profiler Options” popup window.
6. Read the instructions. At the end of the instructions, select the “Begin” button.
7. For each statement, select the face that best reflects how you’d like doing the activity.
For example:
I like playing video games.
8. After the last statement, select the “Summarize” button. Read the paragraph to see
what your scores mean. Hover over your top 3 interest areas and read the descriptions.
9. Then, select the “View Occupations” button. Choose 1 occupation from the list.
Write down the title ___________________________________________
10. Then, use the interest area descriptions and your occupation’s profile to help you
identify characteristics you’d like to have in your occupation:
Interest Area
Characteristics You’d Like in Your Occupation
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
Matching Interests & Careers
Student Handout
Self-knowledge
California CareerZone
Occupations Based on My Interests Worksheet
Name
Class
p. 1
Date
Select 4 occupations from your Interest Profiler occupations list to complete your worksheet.
List 4 occupations that
match your interests.
What do people do in this
occupation?
What preparation is
needed?
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
What do you like
about this
occupation?
Matching Interests & Careers
Student Handout
Self-knowledge
California CareerZone
Occupations Based on My Interests Worksheet
p. 2
Name __________________________________
Use the information from page 1 to write a well-thought-out summary of each occupation you wrote down. After writing
each summary, write a thoughtful question (not a question you can answer with yes/no) you’d like to ask someone who’s
working in that occupation.
Your writing must meet the standards befitting your grade level (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.).
1. Occupation Summary for _________________________________________________
1 a. Question(s) to ask someone working in this occupation:
2. Occupation Summary for _________________________________________________
2 a. Question(s) to ask someone working in this occupation:
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
Matching Interests & Careers
Student Handout
Self-knowledge
California CareerZone
Occupations Based on My Interests Worksheet
Name __________________________________
3. Occupation Summary for _________________________________________________
3 a. Question(s) to ask someone working in this occupation:
4. Occupation Summary for _________________________________________________
4 a. Question(s) to ask someone working in this occupation:
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
p. 3
Matching Interests & Careers
Student Handout
Lesson Resources
Matching Interests & Careers Start-Up Video [01:20]
https://youtu.be/pODrLo2w1gw
California CareerZone
https://www.cacareerzone.org/
California CareerZone Interest Profiler
https://www.cacareerzone.org/ip
California CareerZone Contact/Help
https://www.cacareerzone.org/help/reportissue
Additional Resources
California Career Center Student Account Setup
https://www.calcareercenter.org/Portfolio/Profile
California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education
Self-knowledge