Role Models on the Web

[MJ Muir]

I came across this today - Regarding Careers and Jobs - This web site profiles briefly the personality types and includes some of the childhood personalities & experiences etc. of people such as Christopher Reeve, Stephen Spielberg, Rosie O'Donnel and other contemporary high profile Americans. The web site is designed by Career oriented professionals (for students of any age) and it includes a free career test which I think is a version of Keirsey Temperament Sorter. I hope someone finds some inspiration here. And, to make this even more useful, the included LINKS lead to huge lists of career related resources. This is a Britannica Award web site (which I think means encyclopedia related) It may sound boring, but I found it interesting to read little things, for example; about how shy and introverted Speilberg was as a kid and how he had an amazing imagination and how he created wild things, such as when he dressed up a skull to look like a dead archaeologist and how he set it up in his closet and scared his sisters silly. http://www.rolemodel.net/index.html

[MJ Muir]

About the above web site. The articles are fun but the button to LINKS does not work. Darn. I apologize. But what IS working is very interesting and might be useful. I made this mistake because I confused it with another web site I was searching today regarding a fabulous National Conference (Going For Gold) that happened recently in (April or March 2001)in my Province in Canada (near Vancouver). This web site has many great articles about the latest happenings in the working world. This is worth browsing. You will find lots of professional career exploration related information here as well as some new careers that are evolving through the dynamic of the internet such as "virtual assistant" which sounds like a job one can do from home on a computer. And "Seven habits for Career Success" and much much more. http://changingtimes.com/list.cfm?sec=0 The main site is http://changingtimes.com/ I get so excited about this stuff I can hardly believe myself. I think the Internet is so awesome. It keeps blowing me away. I run a Career Centre in a high school of 2000 students. That's why I am a bit obsessive about finding this information. I do hope someone finds it helpful, particularly members of this Barbara Sher board who are searching for career information.

[Arty]

Thanks for posting the info. The more I learn about this subject, the more I am amazed how little information we have when we choose our careers. No wonder almost everybody is unhappy with their choices! You said "I run a Career Centre in a high school of 2000 students." Is this common where you live? I've heard of career centers in colleges, but not in high schools.

[dial]

x [This message has been edited by dial (edited May 08, 2001).]

[Arty]

My, Dial, you have become a sucinct writer. Very pithy comment, though a bit cryptic. (Marlowe is my role model here.) [This message has been edited by Arty (edited May 08, 2001).]

[beachwalker]

you guys make me laugh ! and the info is great thanks

[MJ Muir]

Hi. Thanks for the feedback. It is so good to read feedback. I really don't want to irritate anyone here. It has been hard for me to step out of my world to put stuff up here. I have always avoided chatting to strangers. But you all seem to be so neat. And because of what I do all day I have a hard time holding back when I realize I know a web site with info that might be helpful.I can't stop responding. I spend most of the day on the internet finding information about Careers for students who ask me for help. I get asked all kinds of questions and I guess I can't stop myself from finding answers. I keep in touch via email with the other CIA's across our city and we constantly network information. So you understand I am a bit obsessive and perhaps I must learn to stop browsing when I get home. But hey, I've only been here for two weeks now. I am green and probably irritating. Please forgive me. I can always leave. As the world turns I am last to write at home on my home computer from the north west coast. I see your new writings in the mornings. And I respond at night from home with my cat begging me to stop and pay attention only to her majesty. She has a habit of sitting on the keys and crashing my computer. Her name is Babette. I adopted her from a shelter group in January. She had been abandoned and was starving. Now she thinks she is in heaven. My old cat of 16 died in November and I was so depressed. But then I adopted Babette. And she is a little light in my world. In BC, many secondary schools have Career Centres which support teachers students and counsellors by providing information about the many aspects of career paths such as University and College programs, other schools and training, opportunities for students for government youth related opportunities, scholarship information, careers information and so much more. I can hardly keep up with it. The world is changing so fast. I have an excellent space full of resources as well as five internet connected computers in the centre and my own wonderful little office. I have been doing this for the past four years. Before that (it's a loooong story) I was a working full time graphic artist and an illustrator, before that a liturgical artist and a fabric artist, a children's book author and before that a mom. I am also a grandmother. I work with young energetic students all day long in a huge secondary school. In Vancouver's 18 (I think) secondary schools, Vancouver has eighteen CIA's which means... Career Information Assistants. I am one. We all have a slightly different mandate according to the school administration and the community. Some schools are more focused on tech. Some are more academic. My school is definitely more academic. The BC Ministry of Education (I think) provided government funding about eight years ago to provide CIA support staff in order to provide this assistance in the schools. When I came into my first closet sized Career centre in 97 there were two computers and a bunch of university and college calendars sitting dog eared on shelves. Since then everything has changed and most post secondary institutions have web sites with courses, registration etc. online. I have access to some of the neatest resources online and I have a classroom size career Centre in the new wing of our school. Thanks for letting me know you find this career information useful. I really don't want to take up all this board space jumping in when it might not be appropriate. Here is a neat, and very easy website with another way to look at your personality type and career data that might give you some ideas for exploration. This version of the Holland Code is simple but perhaps useful for ideas. Of course, since I am new, you may all be aware of this information already. But perhaps there are some who might not know about it or at least don't have it at their finger tips. http://career.missouri.edu/holland/

[Arty]

MJ Muir, You are welcome and valued here. Never apologize for long posts. I love them, because they are much more informative then short posts. My condolences on the loss of your cat, and my congratulations on her majesty. Feel free to join in on the topic on the General forum where we discuss cats extensively. Like you, many of us, including me, here have strange, varied histories. I appreciate the opportunity to have a professional to ask about career choices.

[laraspc]

MJ--(may I call you MJ?)--I'd like to add my nickel's worth to Arty's... NEVER apologize for the space and time you take up on this planet!!!! You are clearly a thinking person and there aren't enough of us and those there are need to KNOW how valuable we are. We don't need to brag, but NEVER apologize. (Someday the rest out there will know how important-as opposed to just plain weird and difficult-we are, too.) So that's my rant. Believe in yourself and in the good you are doing. Particularly where young people are concerned. Anything we can do to encourage, enlighten, teach, direct...it's all too important to minimize. And since we're on the same coast--I'd like to hear from you--we can pick each other's brains! ------------------ LauriJean

[bluelilac]

LauriJean and Arty Thanks for the supportive words. Sometimes I get like this. Feeling as if I don't belong. Feeling like a fraud. Yet here I am, working with the kids every day and I wonder how I got here. But there it is. I do so appreciate your words. I have now changed my ID here like everyone else. This will make it easier to write freely. It took me a while to figure it out. But hey. I am catching on. You guys are great! MJ [This message has been edited by bluelilac (edited May 12, 2001).]

[beachwalker]

I agree Bluelilac-pretty name you chose- everyone here has been kind and helpful to me so feel to be yourself and post whatever is on your mind PG-21

[beachwalker]

OOps feel free to be yourself- that is!!

[bluelilac]

Thanks everyone. Onward.