Getting Real
Helping Teens Find Their Future
- Kenneth Gray - Pennsylvania State University, USA
"Gray provides a systematic method for working with students to look at opportunities after high school in a realistic way."
—Mary Reeve, Director
Services for Exceptional Students
Help teens achieve success after high school through meaningful career development!
Without a realistic postsecondary strategy, more than half of students fail to graduate college or land rewarding jobs. Educators and parents can improve students' odds by encouraging them to develop the long-term initiative and commitment of a solid career plan.
This updated edition of Getting Real examines real-world occupational trends and projections to help teens gain "career maturity" and a sense of direction. The second edition has been expanded to address students with special needs and those at risk of dropping out, and includes a new chapter on understanding today's teens and parents. Offering a systematic, six-step plan for helping adolescents integrate youthful aspirations with economic realities, the author examines:
- The fundamentals of the labor market
- Myths and misconceptions that can limit students' choices
- Alternative options to a four-year degree
- Career exploration strategies and activities, such as job shadowing and work-study
Develop confident, clear-thinking teens who can make well-informed academic and career decisions about their future!
"I applaud the author’s efforts in promoting a shift from the 'one way to win' stance toward that of helping students face reality and develop career goals that will help them be successful."
"Stresses the need for career maturity. This is one of the few books that addresses this topic so well."
"This book is a must-read for those involved in developing futures planning for students in ninth grade through their exit from high school into adult life."
“Gray provides a systematic method for working with students to look at opportunities after high school in a realistic way.”