--- title: 3 Steps that Inspire Students to Build Their Future Careers description: Explore 3 ways that CTE educators can encourage career exploration, provide up-to-date career information, and help students prepare for a job search. image: https://blog.g-w.com/hubfs/Advance%20CTE%20Blog%201_Thumbnail.jpg --- [![gw_web_logo](https://blog.g-w.com/hubfs/gw_web_logo.png)](https://www.g-w.com/) ![menu](https://f.hubspotusercontent40.net/hubfs/7479797/menu.png) ![close_24px](https://7479797.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/7479797/close_24px.svg) - [G-W Blog Home](https://blog.g-w.com/home) - [Career & Technical Education](https://blog.g-w.com/cte) - [Health & Physical Education](https://blog.g-w.com/health-pe) - [G-W Blog Home](https://blog.g-w.com/home) - [Career & Technical Education](https://blog.g-w.com/cte) - [Health & Physical Education](https://blog.g-w.com/health-pe) [Contact Us](https://www.g-w.com/connect) [All CTE](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/tag/all-cte) # 3 Steps that Inspire Students to Build Their Future Careers [![Maureen Brennan](https://blog.g-w.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Post%20-%20Content/maureen_brennan.png?width=50&height=50&name=maureen_brennan.png)](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/author/maureen-brennan) [Maureen Brennan](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/author/maureen-brennan) ![](https://blog.g-w.com/hubfs/Advance%20CTE%20Blog%201_Thumbnail.jpg) 3 Steps that Inspire Students to Build Their Future Careers 2:48 From the first Career and Technical Education (CTE) course in middle or high school to the final class in a pathway, course content should encourage students to envision a future in high-pay, high-growth careers. **Here are three ways that CTE leaders can encourage career exploration, provide up-to-date career information, and help students prepare for a job search**.   ![Advance CTE Blog image 2](https://blog.g-w.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Advance%20CTE%20Blog%20image%202.jpg?width=244&height=162&name=Advance%20CTE%20Blog%20image%202.jpg) **1: Have Students Self-Reflect  **  Introduce students to the world of work, but also encourage them to **learn more about themselves, by evaluating their own personality, interests, and learning style**.   CTE courses should allow time for students to step back and reflect on their personal values and life goals to find connections between that vision and the skills they are learning in CTE. Self-reflection activities could include:   Creating a list of 10 things they like to do and see how their interests align with potential careers. Interviewing people who know them well to help them recall activities they’ve enjoyed or projects they’ve done well. Use that list to choose Career Clusters® that are a good fit.  G-W resources like [Discovering Careers](https://www.g-w.com/discovering-careers-2023?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=3-steps-to-inspire-students) and [School to Career](https://www.g-w.com/school-to-career-2023?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=3-steps-to-inspire-students) help students connect those traits and values to potential careers.  **2: Explore Career Opportunities**  After understanding more about themselves, students are ready to learn more about career opportunities. [In G-W titles](https://www.g-w.com/search/secondary_products?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=3-steps-to-inspire-students), you’ll find career features that help learners **explore the full picture of employment**—job responsibilities, work environment, required education and skills, certifications, and salary information.       **Offering time for career exploration in CTE courses can also help teachers introduce the practice of cross-curricular skills, woven seamlessly into G-W resources.** Learners can write a journal entry about their dream job and imagine what a day at work is like, practice speaking as they interview other students who are in work-based learning programs, or practice math skills as they role play as a financial planner advising a family about affording college.  **![Advance CTE Blog 3](https://blog.g-w.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Advance%20CTE%20Blog%203.jpg?width=351&height=234&name=Advance%20CTE%20Blog%203.jpg)** **3: Practice Career Skills**  The key to CTE is practicing and building industry-specific skills.    **Use Case Studies**, [like those in G-W resources](https://www.g-w.com/assets/files/educators/case_study_social_responsibility.pdf?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=3-steps-to-inspire-students), to offer real-world scenarios of young people working in a particular career. Students can put themselves in the characters’ shoes as they choose a career or as they imagine themselves on the job interacting with others.  **Build a Portfolio**  Guide students in creating [career portfolios](https://www.g-w.com/assets/files/educators/portfolio.pdf?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=3-steps-to-inspire-students) of the work they complete throughout the course. Share the portfolio with guidance counselors, future colleges, or employers.  At G-W, [career exploration is integrated](https://www.g-w.com/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=3-steps-to-inspire-students) into the content and activities for every title. Let’s work together to build careers!   Previous Post ###### [Math is part of the trade…it should be part of the training](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/math-is-part-of-the-trade) Next Post ###### [Teaching with Intention: Why Instructional Strategies Matter](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/teaching-with-intention-why-instructional-strategies-matter) ### Similar Blog Posts [![](https://blog.g-w.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Post%20-%20Content/Blog%20Thumb_Sneakers%20Arrow_600x400%20copy.jpg?width=352&name=Blog%20Thumb_Sneakers%20Arrow_600x400%20copy.jpg)](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/navigating-the-career-path-when-is-the-right-time-to-start) #### [Navigating the Career Path—When Is the Right Time to Start?](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/navigating-the-career-path-when-is-the-right-time-to-start) [![](https://blog.g-w.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20Thumb_Hanging%20out%20Classroom_600x400%20(1).jpg?width=352&name=Blog%20Thumb_Hanging%20out%20Classroom_600x400%20(1).jpg)](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/transitioning-from-high-school-to-a-career-why-decisions-and-planning-matter) #### [Transitioning from High School to a Career: Why Decisions and Planning Matter](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/transitioning-from-high-school-to-a-career-why-decisions-and-planning-matter) [![](https://blog.g-w.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog%20CTSO%20Logo%20Collage_600x400.jpg?width=352&name=Blog%20CTSO%20Logo%20Collage_600x400.jpg)](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/why-do-2000000-student-members-participate-in-ctsos) #### [Why do 2,000,000+ students participate in CTSOs?](https://blog.g-w.com/cte/why-do-2000000-student-members-participate-in-ctsos) 18604 West Creek Drive , Tinley Park, Illinois 60477 [facebook icon](https://www.facebook.com/GoodheartWillcox) [twitter icon](https://twitter.com/GWPublisher) [linkedin icon](https://www.linkedin.com/company/goodheartwillcox/) [instagram icon](https://www.instagram.com/gwpublisher/) [youtube icon](https://www.youtube.com/GoodheartWillcox) Resources - [Contact Us](https://www.g-w.com/connect) - [Engage with Us](https://www.g-w.com/engage-with-us) - [Find Your Consultant](https://www.g-w.com/consultant) - [Request a Free Preview](https://www.g-w.com/preview) - [Tools For Educators](https://www.g-w.com/tools-for-educators) © 2026 The Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Maureen Brennan", "url" : "https://blog.g-w.com/cte/author/maureen-brennan" }, "dateModified" : "2026-01-12T22:13:12.924Z", "datePublished" : "2024-11-05T18:29:54.000Z", "headline" : "3 Steps that Inspire Students to Build Their Future Careers", "image" : [ "https://blog.g-w.com/hubfs/Advance%20CTE%20Blog%201_Thumbnail.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.g-w.com/cte/3-steps-to-inspire-students", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" }, "name" : "Goodheart-Willcox Publisher" } } ```