Education for youth and adults. Identify career interests, explore the current job market, and create a pathway to reach your career goals.

What is Career Countdown?

Career Countdown is designed to provide participants with insights for linking their interests, skills, and abilities to career choices and how to create pathways to achieve career goals.

Participants will engage in a realistic simulation that involves managing their proposed salary to meet lifestyle choices. This simulation helps participants to better understand how lifestyles can be altered by education path and career choices.

• Career Countdown is an educational series for youth and adults that uses interactive lessons to enable each participant to prepare a career pathway.
• Career Countdown is offered in both single session and multi-session formats. The program length can be adjusted to suit each group’s needs and goals.

Career Countdown Goals

• To assist youth and adults with identifying which of their interests and skills can transfer into careers.
• To provide participants with career options based on their current interests and skills.
• To support anyone starting or changing careers.
• To educate participants regarding the following:
  • Different career opportunities and current salaries of each.
  • How career choices affect lifestyles.
  • How the right educational pathway is needed to achieve career goals, whether it be on-the-job training, technical college, or university.

Career Countdown Makes a Significant Difference

• Increasing study habits of students by 30 percent.
• Improving students’ academic performance by 22 percent.

Testimonials

• “Great program for students! Wish I had this growing up!” — Volunteer
• “I learned a lot and had fun! With this information, I will make better decisions as I decide on what I truly want to be when I grow up and what it takes to get there.” — 6th Grader
• “I ended up BROKE, but now I know it’s because the lifestyle I chose cannot be supported by my career choice. I’ll choose differently next time!” — 8th Grader

Contact Us

Alabama Extension serves all 67 Alabama counties. If your county isn’t listed below, contact the nearest county on the list or the program specialist in the state office.

State Office, Alabama A&M University

Terence Norwood, Community and Economic Development Specialist

Mobile: (256) 932-0947 | Email: tpn0004@aces.edu