Welcome to Expo2Go, an online community resource for high school students. Expo2Go is an additional resource to complement the in-person Careers Expo at the Oregon Convention Center. Here, you can explore Oregon's top employers and many leading colleges/training centers.
- Step 1: Identify your career interests.
- Step 2: Learn more about top employers in the Portland area and beyond.
- Step 3: Explore education options after graduation.
- Step 4: Make a plan for your next steps.
- Step 5: Share with others what you learned: "Expo2Go: Reflect and Plan" activity
Step 1: Identify your career interests.
Use your high school’s career-interest assessment tool, such as CIS or Naviance, or try one of the below options, to identify potential career interests. Your dream job may be something you never considered until today!
- 123 Career Test: Interactive quiz that focuses on work-related preferences.
- Advance CTE Student Interest Survey: Paper survey from a national CTE nonprofit.
- Career Girls: Career interest quiz that lets students explore careers in many fields.
Step 2: Pick 1-2 industries to explore.
The links below include Northwest employers that regularly participate in the NW Youth Careers Expo. They are divided into their "Expo Zones," or industry sectors:
You may also check out CareerOneStop from the U.S. Department of Labor. To learn more about salaries for jobs, use this Salary Calculator from Careers.org.
Step 3: Check out education options beyond high school
The industry links in Step 2 include Oregon community colleges, apprenticeship training centers and universities that regularly participate in the NW Youth Careers Expo. For example, browse nursing programs under “Health Care” and trades apprenticeships under “Construction and Architecture.”
You may also explore other online resources such as:
- College Board Blog: “The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Major”
- Apprenticeship.Gov: Overview of this “earn while you learn” option
- My College Options: Types of Colleges
Step 4: Plan Your Next Steps
The industry links in Step 2 also include suggestions for further exploration. (Look for the heading, "Dig Deeper") This may help you with your Personalized Learning Requirements, which are part of earning an Oregon diploma.
Your high school career center will have more information about specific opportunities. So will your district, such as PPS’ Get Ready for College and Career. Meanwhile, it’s never too early to:
- Look at CTE (Career-Technical Education) classes at your school.
- Work on your interviewing skills and job-search savvy.
- Brainstorm career questions to ask employers.
- Research apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs.
- Research mentorships and internships or Worksystems' summer jobs.
- Explore how to make the most of a job shadow.
- Prepare for college: practice time management and study skills and learn about communication techniques for talking to professors.
- Learn about Career Day or job shadow opportunities through PWA. (Priority given to students from PWA partner districts.)
- Use Expo2Go as a launchpad for a CRLE (career-related learning experience). (PPS information here and a North Clackamas sample CRLE reflection here.)
Step 5: Share what you learned
Complete this “Expo2Go: Reflect and Plan” assignment and share with your teacher, career coordinator, parent or guardian.
Thank you for being part of Expo2Go! Please send us questions, ideas or suggestions. Your high school adviser or career counselor is a great resource for more specifics about pursuing career-learning opportunities and documenting them through written CRLE reflections. Good luck and keep exploring.