Factory Tours Make Career Exploration Easy

Whatever happened to the "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer"? Today's families are often busier in the summer, with camps, classes, vacations, sports, and summer jobs filling the days.

If you're traveling to other states, look for opportunities to go on factory tours. These are often aimed at visitors who are high school age or older. Factory tours are a fun way to investigate jobs, career options and working environments, which is an important component of making better career decisions.

What piques your interest? Harley-Davidson? NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory? The Hershey Company? The Metropolitan Opera? Or Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream?

Here are two great resources for factory tours:

Factory Tours USA is where you'll find almost 500 tours in 48 categories, organized by state and searchable by type. A delightful resource for young and old!

"Watch It Made in the USA: A Visitor's Guide to the Best Factory Tours and Company Museums," a book by Karen Axelrod and Bruce Brumberg, is also a treasure trove of destinations. Their website and blog have additional suggestions as well.

© Copyright 2007, Career Vision / Ball Foundation. Article may be reprinted with permission.

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