# CareerQuest Facilitator Guide

*For parents, counselors, and teachers running the course.*

## What this course is

CareerQuest helps a student answer one expensive question before they commit four years and tens of thousands of dollars: **"Is this path actually right for me?"**

It does that by replacing guesswork with three things real adults use when making big decisions:

1. **Experience** — test-driving the work through simulations and job shadows.
2. **People** — talking to those who already live in that world.
3. **Numbers** — the honest cost-vs-salary math.

The companion web app (in `/app`) gamifies all of this into a quest board with XP, levels, and badges. This guide wraps the app in a structured, discussion-driven course.

## Who it's for

- **Students:** grades 9–12 (and undecided early-college students).
- **Facilitators:** a parent at the kitchen table, a counselor with a small group, or a teacher running a semester elective.

## How it's structured

Eight modules. Each one pairs a short lesson with quests in the app and a worksheet.

| # | Module | App quests | Worksheet |
|---|--------|-----------|-----------|
| 1 | Why Most People Pick Wrong | — | Reflection |
| 2 | Know Thyself | — | Self-inventory |
| 3 | Scout a World | Read the Day in the Life · Map the Path | Career Scout Sheet |
| 4 | Meet the Locals | Book an Informational Interview · Shadow a Day | Outreach scripts |
| 5 | Test-Drive the Work | Do a Forage Job Simulation | Career Scout Sheet |
| 6 | Follow the Money | Run the Money Math | ROI Worksheet |
| 7 | The Roads In | Map the Path | Decision Matrix |
| 8 | The Verdict | The 40-Year Question · Quiz · Deliver Your Verdict | Decision Matrix |

## Pacing options

- **Weekend sprint:** Modules 1–2 Friday, 3–6 Saturday, 7–8 Sunday. Explore one career deeply.
- **Summer project:** One module per week for eight weeks. Explore three to four careers.
- **Semester elective:** One module every 1–2 weeks, plus live mentor sessions. Explore five-plus careers and build a full plan A/B/C.

## How to facilitate well

- **Don't steer toward "your" answer.** Your job is to help them gather evidence, not to confirm a major you already prefer. Ruling a path *out* is a successful outcome.
- **Make the calls happen.** The single highest-value activity is the informational interview (Module 4). Help your student find one real person. It changes everything.
- **Honor the verdict.** Whatever they decide — pursue, maybe, or pass — treat it as legitimate if the reasoning is sound.
- **Use the numbers, not fear.** Module 6 is about clear-eyed math, not scaring kids away from college. Many degrees are excellent investments; the goal is to choose one *on purpose*.

## A note on the data

Salary figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and link to the source inside the app. Cost and debt figures come from the College Board, the Federal Reserve, and NCES. Treat every number as a current-as-of-2025 starting point and have students verify local figures.

## Outcomes a finished student can show

- A completed Career Scout Sheet for each explored world.
- Notes from at least one real informational interview or job shadow.
- A filled-in ROI worksheet comparing at least two paths.
- A written verdict (pursue / maybe / pass) with defensible reasons — Plan A, B, and C.