What is Career Connection?
Career Connection is a program that links students, learning and the workplace. The goal is to provide young people with the opportunity to begin real career exploration during their high school years. Educators, businesses and parents work together to expand career specific learning for our students. Connecting Winters Mill students to the community workforce is also a tool for businesses to help develop and educate their own future workforce.
We welcome our business community for their expertise, professionalism, and involvement in our on-going programs. Businesses provide our students with the most up to date information about the career field. Recent trends and new approaches, which a traditional classroom is unable to provide, make our business partners invaluable.
Career Connection Programs include: mock interviews, job shadowing, Honors internships, and guest speaking. To get involved with Career Connections, contact Bobbi Hollingsworth at 410-386-1500 or by email BobbiHollingsworth@carrollk12.org
Honors Internship Program Requirements
Students must have:
- Senior status
- Grade point average of 2.5 or greater
- Excellent attendance (94% or greater)
- Completed ALL 75 service learning hours
- Maintained appropriate behavior
- Their own transportation
- Completed coursework that matches the intern placement (see completer/career majors list
If your child has all of the program requirements and would like to discuss participating in an internship, contact Ms. Hollingsworth.
Parent Information – FAQ
Internships
1) What are the requirements for entry into a Career Connection activity?
The basic requirements are that students must have:
Senior status;
- 2.5 GPA;
- 94% Attendance rate;
- Completed all 75 service hours;
- Completed HSA requirements.
*The internship should be an extension of the courses the student has taken.
2) How many credits is an internship worth?
A student can earn up to 2 credits in an internship during a semester. Credit earned is based on time completed at the site (1/2 credit = 60 hours and 1 credit = 120 hours).
3) When do I participate in the internship?
Either Fall or Spring semester, and possibly even during the summer. In place of a class period, the student will report to the work site. Students can also do after school and/or weekend hours depending on the placement.
4) How are the internships found?
The Career Coordinator and the student will work together to find a possible location. Career Coordinators will make a site visit to the possible locations to evaluate and begin the necessary paperwork.
5) What are the advantages of participating in an internship?
- Colleges are looking for the student with different experiences. It will set you apart.
- Develop and refine workplace skills.
- Allow you to apply what you have learned in class.
- Exposure to professional role models.
- Eliminate or validate: An internship will assist greatly in determining if this is, or is not, what you want to do in the future.
6) I attend the Career and Tech Center. Can I participate in an internship?
Yes, students at the Tech Center should contact the Career Coordinator and/or their instructor at the Tech Center.
7) I am interested; what should I do?
Make an appointment to see the Career Coordinator with your ideas. All paperwork must be completed TWO WEEKS before the internship semester begins.
Process for interning
Internship Guidelines
Eligibility
- Students must have achieved senior status.
- 2.5 G.P.A.
- 94% attendance
- All graduation requirements scheduled.
- Service Learning Completed
- Students must complete 4 credits in their senior year.
- Complete the formal application process.
Credits
- Internships may count for a maximum of 2 credits. (1/2 credit for every 60 hours and 1 credit for 120 hours).
- Internships are graded on the normal scale of A through F.
Process
- Student expresses interest
- Student completes an application packet
- Career Coordinator verifies eligibility
- Career Coordinator finds possible sites and makes an evaluation visit.
- Student sets up and holds interview with employer (w/ Career Coordinator)
- Paperwork Meeting with employer
- Student Learner Agreement
- Parent Request for Participation
- Consent & Release Form (photograph, video, etc release)
- Transportation
- Rules & Regulations
- Safety Regulations
- Set training plan
- Internship begins
- On-site visits by Career Coordinator for student assessment
- Student complete assignments. (Work hours chart & Weekly journal entries)
- Final evaluation completed by the employer.
Resume Writing
http://jobsearch.about.com/library/samples/blhsresume.htm
Great site specifically geared towards high school students. The resume samples will get you steered in the right direction for the Mock Interviews. If you are serious about a summer job, you may also want to check out the Cover Letter section.
http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/resumewriting/a/firstresume.htm
Dress Professionally
http://www.quintcareers.com/dress_for_success.html
How do you dress for an Interview? This site is full of information and is a good guide to use when prepping for the Mock Interviews.
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviewsnetworking/a/dressforsuccess.htm
This website covers everything a student needs to prepare for Mock Interviews. Professional Dress for women and men is covered in detail. The site also provides interview questions.
Career Exploration
Naviance is a program that is available to all Carroll County Public School students. This program utlizes Career Exploration through assessments, interest inventories, and interviews with people in various careers. Students log into Naviance using his/her CLEVER portal.
www.bls.gov
US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Great site to research the future trends and requirements of specific careers.
www.monster.com
This website is for job seekers and employers. For WMHS students it is a teaching website that provides tools that get you prepared for a career after high school.
www.engineer.net
If you are in the STEM academy and want to become an engineer, check out this site and look at what the industry is requiring.
Mapping Your Future
You can click on “match my career interests” and the Hollands types will come up. Click on the type that you received on the inventory and a list of careers matching your interests comes up. Click on one of the careers and the details of that career come up.
My Next Move
This site provides an interest inventory to connect students' interests, aptitude, and personality to possible careers. It provides information on education, training, and job outlook.
College Search
Naviance also has College Search tools for students. Students can sign on to his/her Naviance account through his/her CLEVER portal.
www.careernet.com
www.collegeboard.com
www.collegenet.com
www.gocollege.com
www.fastweb.com
CCPS College/Post Secondary Planning Page
Cybersecurity Programs in Maryland - https://cybersecurityguide.org/states/maryland/
Online Bachelor's Cyber Security Programs - https://cybersecurityguide.org/online/cybersecurity-bachelors-degree/
Social work in Maryland - https://mastersinsocialworkonline.org/states/maryland/
Mock Interviews
Each year our entire junior class participates in mock job interviews. During the spring semester, juniors are presented lessons during advisory to help them prepare resumes and complete job applications. Over 30 local business and college professionals spend the morning interviewing and providing feedback to help Winters Mill students better prepare for future interviews.
