Educators. Inspire Your Future can help you guide your students as they explore careers of interest. 

Through Inspire Your Future, educators can: 

  • Help students find appropriate Career Exploration Opportunities (CEOs)
  • Support students as they seek guidance from
    local professionals (Career Coaches), develop their education and career plans, and build their resumes. 
  • Design career exploration projects for students
  • Connect with local companies and industries
  • Connect with current and potential CTE Industry and Advisory Group members. 
  • Find useful career development-related articles, including links to local industry data

What exactly is
Inspire Your Future?

Inspire Your Future is web-based portal that lets students actively interact with area businesses and career coaches. By integrating
career development tools (via Career Cruising.com) and engaging a student's support network - teachers, counselors, parents, family members, mentors and the community - we provide the opportunity for young people to experience the world and achieve their future
career goals, connecting their academics to the world of work. 

Our goals are to:  

  • Help students find relevance in what they are learning in the classroom
  • Engage students early and give them resources to explore careers
  • Support and encourage students to set and reach career goals
  • Strengthen the relationship between local businesses and educators
  • Prepare the future workforce by letting students experience career options before making important college decisions. 
  • Create a more invested workforce by aligning student's strengths and interests with the needs of area businesses.
Let's engage parents even more in their children's career planning. Please share this customized video with them.  videoicon 

With Inspire Your Future, students can: 

Assess Skills - Assess their own skills, abilities and preferences to see how they match up with careers that interest them.

Explore Careers - With access to more than 600 career profiles, including job titles and descriptions, students can explore career options. The site gives suggestions regarding education and coursework, information and training requirements, 

salary information and more. 
Connect to Companies - Companies throughout the Chicago area have completed company profiles that include a
company description, location, career opportunities, and what kind of Career Exploration Opportunities they can provide students, plus much more.

Ask Questions - Career Coaches in almost every field are available for on-line discussions. Students may also follow discussion boards of interest and read questions that others have had about specific careers.

Get Some Experience - Experience a career first-hand by participating in Career Exploration Opportunities by searching for job shadowing, mock interviews, company tours, company events, and internship opportunities. These are all offered by local employers as a part of Inspire Your Future.

Understand Choices - Understand the education and training required for a particular career, compare post-secondary school data and profiles and access college prep, scholarship and financial aid information.

Make a Plan - Develop a job search plan, write a resume and cover letter, and prepare for a job interview with step-by-step help. All this data can easily be saved and shared with mentors and advisors.