An Interactive Career-Guidance Workshop

The turnkey CTE workshop that moves students from surface-level curiosity to well-informed pathway commitment.

The Job of Interest Reality Check™ (JOIRC™) helps students thoroughly investigate the essential facets of a job and evaluate how well the work fits them so they can determine which pathways and courses best support their career direction.

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Job of Interest Reality Check™ Logo

An Interactive Career-Guidance Workshop for Students


Help the Young People You Influence Make Informed Career Decisions Before They Invest in the Wrong Path

The Job of Interest Reality Check™ (JOIRC™) gives young people a structured process for investigating a specific job, reflecting on what they discover, and deciding whether it is worth exploring further.

Schedule a Workshop Exploration Call

THE CHALLENGE

Unexamined Job Realities Can Lead to Regrettable Choices

Young people can be genuinely interested in a career without understanding the physical, environmental, educational, and day-to-day realities of the work. When those realities surface after preparation has begun, an avoidable mismatch can emerge.

The Go Before You Know Cycle

When young people discover career concerns after investing in preparation, the impact reaches beyond a simple change of mind. Redirection can waste time, money, and effort, create discouragement, and weaken their confidence in future career decisions.

THE PROBLEM

The Cost of An Uninformed Career Choice

Wasted Time

Young people may complete courses, training, and other preparation before realizing the work is not what they expected.

WASTED MONEY

Families and young people may spend money on tuition, training, equipment, transportation, and preparation that no longer supports the direction they choose.

WASTED EFFORT

Discovering a serious mismatch after preparation begins can create discouragement and make choosing a new direction even harder.

Young people need a structured way to investigate career realities before making education and training decisions.

From Career Interest to an Informed Career Decision

Students move through four guided steps to investigate a job, consider what their findings mean personally, and make a better-informed academic and career decision.

DETERMINE

Choose a specific job of interest and establish a clear research focus.

DISCOVER

Investigate nine essential job facets to understand what the work actually requires and provides.

DISCERN

Evaluate each facet, consider its personal implications, and identify concerns or unanswered questions.

DECIDE

Assess the full picture and decide whether the job remains a reasonable for-now option.

INSIDE STEP 2: DISCOVER

Thorough Job Exploration is powered by the Job Research Blueprint®

Participants investigate nine essential facets of a specific job to understand the realities of the work before investing further in a preparation path.

EXPLORE THE NINE JOB FACETS

Using the job they researched, participants identify what deserves additional investigation and what education, training, or experience could support the direction if they continue.

When the Job Remains a Possibility

Revealed Preparation Direction

Participants identify the education, training, credentials, experiences, and next steps connected to preparing for the researched job.

When the Job Raises Concerns

Revealed Research or Redirection

Participants identify unanswered questions requiring deeper research or recognize when another career option should be explored.

Whether young people see their researched job as a good option or set it aside, they leave knowing how to repeat the process with another job of interest and make better-informed preparation decisions.

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MEET YOUR WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

Career-Guidance Expertise Brought Directly to the Young People You Serve

Jay DuSold is a youth career-guidance specialist and the founder of Life After 12th. For more than 30 years, he has worked with young people and parents through coaching, courses, and workshops, helping thousands of students approach education and career decisions with greater clarity.

For more than a decade, Jay has focused exclusively on career guidance for young people. He developed the Job of Interest Reality Check™ and the Job Research Blueprint® to help teens and young adults investigate jobs of interest, evaluate what they discover, and make informed decisions before investing further in preparation.

What Students Say After the Workshop

For a long time, I dreaded researching jobs because I always seemed to get vague information. Now I can gather all the exact information I’m looking for quickly and easily... and I’ve used it for many careers.


Student workshop participant

The biggest takeaway was gaining the ability to gather good, relevant information on a potential career path quickly using AI. 





Student workshop participant

It strengthened my interest in some aspects, but also brought up a couple of problems I might have if I pursue this career.


Student workshop participant

The way Jay helped us learn how to research careers was game-changing for me.




Student workshop participant

MEET YOUR WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

Career-Guidance Expertise Brought

Directly to Your Students

Jay DuSold is a youth career-guidance specialist and the founder of Life After 12th. For more than 30 years, he has worked with young people and parents through coaching, courses, and workshops, helping thousands of students approach education and career decisions with greater clarity.

Over the last twelve years as a youth career guidance, Jay has developed the Job of Interest Reality Check™ and the Job Research Blueprint®. He uses these creations to help students investigate jobs of interest, evaluate fit, and identify a more informed educational direction.

What Students Say After the Workshop

For a long time, I dreaded researching jobs/careers/majors for college because I always seemed to get vague information. Now I can gather all the exact information I’m looking for quickly and easily... and I’ve used it for many careers.


Student workshop participant

The biggest takeaway was gaining the ability to gather good, relevant information on a potential career path quickly using AI. Also, the importance of informational interviews and where to find them.


Student workshop participant

It strengthened my interest in some aspects, but also brought up a couple of problems I might have if I pursue this career.


Student workshop participant

The way Jay helped us learn how to research careers was game-changing for me.


Student workshop participant

THE WORKSHOP

A Fully Facilitated Workshop Configured for Your School or Organization.

CONFIGURED FOR

YOUR GROUP

The student audience, timing, format, and program goals are considered when shaping the workshop experience.

Facilitated from start

to finish

Students are guided through Determine, Discover, Discern, and Decide during an interactive workshop experience.

Supported by

structured resources

Each participant uses guided research materials to document findings, evaluate what they discover, and identify an informed next direction.

Career curiosity becomes a decision young people can explain and a next step leaders can support.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a career assessment?

No. JOIRC™ does not assess a participant’s personality, interests, strengths, or innate design, but it can work alongside any assessments your school or organization currently uses. The workshop teaches participants how to investigate one specific job and reflect on the realities they discover.

Does it determine whether a job matches a student?

No. JOIRC™ does not produce a match score, recommend a career, or determine whether someone is suited for a job. Its purpose is to help participants gather essential job intelligence, consider what that information means for them, and make their own informed next decision.

Participants may recognize signs of possible fit or concern, but JOIRC™ is fundamentally a job-investigation and reflection experience.

Does it replace existing career services?

No. JOIRC™ complements the work of school counselors, teachers, youth leaders, mentors, and career-readiness professionals. It gives young people a structured investigation process, visible work, and shared language that can strengthen future career-guidance conversations.

What do students leave with?

Participants leave with a documented Job Profile, a reasoned for-now decision, unanswered questions requiring further investigation, and clear next steps.

They also gain a repeatable process they can use whenever they consider another job possibility.

What are the format options?

JOIRC™ can be delivered as an in-person focused workshop or as a multi-session cohort experience. The most appropriate format depends on the number of participants, available schedule, desired depth, and your organization’s objectives.

The recommended format will be discussed during the Workshop Exploration Call.

How long is the workshop?

JOIRC™ can be customized according to the format. The minimum time required is 90 minutes for a single-day workshop. The recommended schedule will be discussed during the Workshop Exploration Call.

What technology is required?

Participants need an internet-connected device, access to an approved artificial-intelligence platform, and a way to save their work, such as Google Drive.

For an in-person workshop, Jay will need access to the room’s presentation system. Specific technology requirements can be adapted to your school’s or organization’s policies.

What does the workshop cost?

Pricing depends on the delivery format, number of participants, schedule, and level of customization. During the Workshop Exploration Call, Jay will learn about your school’s or organization’s needs and recommend an appropriate workshop option.

Bring JOIRC™ to Your School or Organization

Three straightforward steps move your organization from initial exploration to a fully facilitated workshop experience.

01

Schedule a Consultation

Discuss the young people you serve, your organization’s goals, current career-guidance needs, and what you want the workshop to accomplish.

02

Confirm the Details

Establish the participant audience, workshop format, timing, technology, materials, logistics, and any organization-specific considerations.

03

Secure the Date

Choose a date for your workshop, sign the agreement, and submit the required deposit.

Schedule Your Workshop Exploration Call Here

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