There are many ways to identify occupations that fit your personal profile: reading about them, researching them on the Internet, using self-assessment instruments, talking with professionals in the field, and attending company presentations on campus. To make sure you have the most accurate picture of a career and/or occupation, it's best to use multiple methods to gather information.
These web sites present different strategies that you can use to gather information about occupational fields in order to make informed decisions.
- Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook - A searchable guide that describes what workers do on the job, the working conditions, the training and education needed, salaries, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.
- Department of Labor Career Guide to Industries - Provides information on available careers by industry, including the nature of the industry, working conditions, employment, occupations in the industry, training and advancement, earnings and benefits, employment outlook, and lists of organizations that can provide additional information.
- O*Net Search for occupations based on your skills or simply explore different occupations based on different features.
- Career One Stop is a U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored Web site that offers career resources and workforce information to job seekers, students, businesses, and workforce professionals to foster talent development in a global economy
- Career Zone Provides a list of six occupational clusters. Once a selection is made, a list of job titles is provided. Each job title has a detailed description with information on tasks performed, skills, knowledge and education required, wages, outlook and similar job titles. Although the wages are specifically targeted to N.Y., the rest of the content is relevant throughout the U.S.
- Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Comprehensive information for exploring careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, computing and medical fields.
- WetFeet Provides information on specific companies, careers, newsletters, career and company comparison charts, salary benchmarking tools and numerous career discussion boards.
