Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 6 Terms job occupation career associate degree bachelor degree occupational trend career clusters career pathway job shadowing Objectives After completing this section, you will be able to: • Describe the reasons most people work. • Explain how the career clusters can help you prepare for college and career success. Why Do People Work? Have you ever wondered why people work? Most people might say it is to earn money. It has to be much more than that. Chances are you will spend more time working than doing any other activity in your lifetime. If your primary goal in working is to earn money, there is a good chance you will spend many hours doing something you really do not want to do. Work is very important in our lives. Often, one of the fi rst things people ask when introduced is “What do you do for a living?” Work helps to defi ne who we are. It also gives meaning to our lives. Work can help you feel good about yourself and have a positive attitude about life. It is a way to make lifelong friends. Work will help you continue to learn and grow. Many of the things you learn at work will help you in your personal life. For example, taking more responsibility at work may give you the confi dence to assume more responsibility at home. Work can be either drudgery or a joy. Do you know people who love work so much they say they will never retire? On the other hand, how many people do you know who hate going to work each day and cannot wait for the weekend? If you take time now to fully explore your career options, you will be able to fi nd something that pays you a good wage. You will also be able to fi nd something that you will love to do and that you do well. It is a wonderful feeling to wake up each morning and look forward to going to work. Go Green Aggressive driving, such as accelerating quickly, speed- ing, and stomping on the brakes, can be very dangerous. It can also reduce your gas mileage by as much as 5 percent in town and 33 percent on the highway. Driving aggressively also increases the wear and tear on vehicles. For example, brakes may need to be replaced more often. This is not only more costly but adds more trash to landfi lls. Importance of Work 1.1 Why do people need to work?k?wor Wh Wh y y do do peopl p eo pl t to k?