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What Color Is Your Parachute? (For Teens)

Overview

This book is intended to support teens to consider the many steps involved in career development pathway planning.

This quote is taken from the description in the book: “The exercises in What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens help uncover what matters most to you, what you love to do, the kinds of people you work best with, and how to use the skills and interests you already have—on social media and elsewhere—to choose a major or career path that is uniquely suited to your passions, strengths, and goals.”

With the most up-to-date information on how the pandemic and other challenges have altered higher education and the job market, this new edition features time-tested techniques such as information interviewing (with sample outreach and thank-you notes), the latest job discovery tactics (both online and in-person), how to connect to and land great internships, and more.

By implementing a plan now, you can make the most of high school and create a life you’ll enjoy post-graduation!”

Link to the book here.

Objectives

  • To engage youth with self-reflective activities and ideas to support personalized career development pathway planning.
  • To support educators with supplementary activities and ideas for career connected learning.

Instructions

What Color Is Your Parachute for Teens (4th edition) by Carol Christen is one in a series of career development books intended for youth. While it is written to appeal to an adolescent reader, it can provide educators with several practical activities and ideas to implement to support career connected learning. This resource could supplement and compliment the activities found within the myBlueprint activities. There are several fun activities and tips than can be scaffolded or used separately. It could also be used by parents to learn about the career development process.

The book is divided into 3 main sections with several activities and ideas for each section:

  • Discover yourself.
  • Design your future.
  • Plan for your dream job.

Note:  This is an American resource that references an American context for post-secondary life planning.

Key Highlights

  • A fun and practical book that can be used by teens and adults to support career development pathway planning.
  • Engaging and easy to read.
  • Contains many practical ideas and self-reflection activities for youth in manageable chunks.