Guidance exercises bg

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Counseling programme
used by the Career Guidance Center
in Sliven, Bulgaria
The career guidance training programme has been
developed by the team of:
PROJECT BG051PO001-4.3.02
Career Guidance System
in School Education
The project is implemented with the financial support of the
Operational Programme "Human Resources" and the European
Social Fund of the European Union

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The theoretical framework is based on the adapted
version of the developed by S. Low and T. Watts
model of career education in secondary school. It
includes specific exercises that foster the active
participation of the students in making decisions
about education, vocational training and
opportunities for professional development and
career. The guidelines for training in career counseling
are structured in four global fields:
 Decision
 Opportunity
 Transition
 Self-awareness
WHERE?
WHEN?
?
HOW?
WHO?

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SECTION 1: DECISION
This section includes exercises related to inform on
different professions. The exercises help to create a
more realistic idea of the dream job. Students'
attention is focused on the educational system and
the relationship: professional field→ profession
→specialty.
EXERCISE 1
WHEN, WHERE
AND WHAT DO I
WANT TO WORK?
Essence: Depending on the position and the
professional sector, there are large differences in
when, where and how people work. Occupations are
associated with certain conditions. Not everyone is
able to cope successfully with different conditions.
This method helps students to determine the
conditions in which they wish to pursue the desired
profession. They will determine both: the conditions
in which they prefer working, in order to cope and

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work well, and the professions associated with these
conditions.
Objective: Specifying the desired working conditions
and the related occupations
Organization form: Work in groups or subgroups
Description: In groups, the participants discuss the
conditions under which they want to work. With the
help of the career advisor, they discuss the
professions which meet these conditions.
Preparation: Worksheet- Appendix 1, flipchart
Target group: Students who are about to make a
choice of education and/or profession.
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

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APPENDIX 1: WHEN, WHERE AND WHAT DO I
WANT TO WORK?
WHEN WHERE WHAT WITH
During the day Office People
At night Factory Sport facilities
Part time Workshop Plants
Shifts Lecture hall Fine tools
On rotation basis Hotel Data
At your own choice Outdoors Texts
Flexible working
hours
Restaurant Chemicals
Parks Wood
On the street Computer
Airport Paper
Railway station Vehicles
Hospital Ceramics
Shop/mall Glass
Construction site Instruments
Leather
Clay
Farming
Stone
Machines
Plastics
Electronics

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SECTION 2: OPPORTUNITY
The exercises in this section are subject to the idea
that for the adolescents it is essential to be self-
reflective and learn more about themselves. They
reflect on their own abilities, skills and interests and
how they might evolve towards future successful
career and life fulfillment.
EXERCISE 2
MY STRONG AND WEAK
POINTS
Essence: As the symbols of Yin
and Yang in Chinese
philosophy depict the
interaction of opposites; both strengths and
weaknesses co-exist in every person. The knowledge
of the person's strengths and weaknesses is an
important tool for self-control and a condition for the
targeted use of strengths to achieve professional and
personal success. The exercise enables the
participants to recognize their strengths, and through
feedback mechanisms to correct the perception of
themselves.

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Objective: The students will describe their own
strengths and weaknesses and identify steps to
overcome the weaknesses
Description: The facilitator writes on a flipchart the
following strong points: energy, organization and
diligence, then the participants continue the list. The
facilitator writes the weak points: quick temper,
unsociability and laziness, then the participants
continue the list. The facilitator asks the participants
to indicate to each strong point its antonym, for
example, energy - apathy, organization -
disorganization, diligence - laziness. The participants
complete the worksheet – Appendix 2. Each
participant completes the self-assessment of his own
strengths and weaknesses, and then the participants
switch the worksheet to complete the second part of
the assessment of the others. Finally, they discuss
strategies for overcoming the weaknesses.
Duration: 1 hour

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APPENDIX 2: MY STRONG AND WEAK POINTS
I about myself
I think my STRONG POINTS are I think my WEAK POINTS are
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
The others about me
Your STRONG POINTS are Your WEAK POINTS are
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6

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SECTION 3: TRANSITION
This section includes exercises that allow the students
to come to the conclusion that the choice of
education and profession is an independent act and
personal responsibility. Decision-making is a process
that requires preparation. Some exercises are related
to case studies and the ability to accept and/or reject
the different alternatives for a decision on a case.
EXERCISE 3
WHAT IS THE BEST
CHOICE?
Essence: The model of making a decision presented
here is prompted by the fact that the more
complicated a problem is, the more substages we
have to include in the three major stages of solving
the problem. Making decisions often involves moral
dilemmas. They come up when we try to decide what
to do in situations concerning the interest of the
others or when our moral values of justice, honesty,
etc. are in conflict. When we make such decisions it is

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necessary to consider criteria which take account of
the other part alternatives.
Objective: Applying the model of making decisions in
a situation with a moral dilemma.
Description: The facilitator gives the participants a
work sheet- Appendix 3 and divides them in
subgroups. Each subgroup becomes acquainted with
the problem case and discusses the substages of the
major stages. A spokesperson of each group presents
the arguments and their final decision. A discussion
follows where the participants try to achieve a
consensus.
Target group: Students from grades 11-12
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

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APPENDIX 3: WHAT IS THE BEST CHOICE?
C
A
S
E
John is a student at 12 grade. He is the best in the class. He plans to
combine drawing with mathematics and continue his studies at university
specializing Architecture. The university is in another town so his family
will have to provide his accommodation and food. At the same time his
brother has had health problems for a year and needs expensive
medicines. His mother is unemployed which decreases the chances of
finding enough money to cover all the expenses. What should John’s
decision be?
S
T
U
D
Y
1. What is the problem?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. What causes the problem?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
A
N
A
L
Y
S
I
S
3. What are the alternatives?
Alternative 1……………………………………………………………………………………..
Alternative 2……………………………………………………………………………………..
Alternative 3………………………………………………………………………………………
4.
I Others
Alternative 1 Alternative 1
Advantages Advantages
Disadvantages Disadvantages
Alternative2 Alternative 2
Alternative 3 Alternative 3
C
H
O
I
C
E
5. What is the best decision for John?...................................................
6. What is the best decision for his brother?...........................................
7. Which alternative should John choose?...............................................
8. What needs to be done to execute the decision?...............................

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SECTION 4: SELF-AWARENESS
The exercises in this section are united by the idea
that for young people it is essential to recognize the
need of targeted training for the transition from one
to another educational degree or to the labor market.
EXERCISE 4
What should not be wrong in
choosing a profession?
Essence: Many factors that influence career choice,
namely: ability, academic excellence in certain
subjects, opinions of parents, teachers, school
counselors, peers, friends and high social/economic
status of certain professions, are able to provoke
imitation of a successful career choice by repeating
the choice of the successful people.
Objective:Analysis of typical mistakes when choosing
a profession.
Organization form:Work in groups or subgroups

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Description:The participants study carefully the list of
the most common mistakes when choosing a
profession / Worksheet - Appendix 4 / then select 3
mistakes assessed as most dangerous to them. Each
participant reports to the group the mistakes that he
has chosen. A discussion of the most common
mistakes follows. The facilitator asks the participants
to answer the following questions:
-What should I stop doing to avoid this mistake?
-What should I continue doing to avoid this mistake?
-What should I start doing to avoid this mistake?
Preparation: Worksheet - Appendix 4, flipchart
Duration: 1 hour

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APPENDIX 4: List of the most common mistakes
when choosing a profession
Ignorance of the changes in the profession
Choice because of the prestige of the
profession
Choice under the direct or indirect influence of
friends
Carry a positive attitude towards a person who
exercises a profession to the profession itself
Passion to the outside side of the profession
Identification of a school subject with a
particular profession or not making a
distinction between these two concepts
Outdated perceptions about the nature of
work in the sphere of material production
Ignorance of the personal characteristics /
abilities, skills, interests, attitudes, motives…/
Underestimation of the physical characteristics
and/or diseases that are important in choosing
a profession
Ignorance and/or lack of a sequence of steps
for deciding the choice of education and
profession

Guidance exercises bg

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