Career Exploration Guide for Job Seekers

2. Research—It’s Right Before Your Very Eyes You can discover what the world of work has to offer by simply keeping your eyes and ears open.

3. Informal Career Research Exploratory Interview is when you talk to people you know about their career experience. Just ask a few basic questions. • What was your favorite job? • What was your least favorite job? • What was your most unusual job? • How do you like your current job?

4. Libraries—Check Them Out Many libraries have job information centers or career centers. The US Department of Education has developed Career Clusters- 16 different groups of related occupations.

5. Libraries—Check Them Out Look for these useful resources at the library: • The Occupational Outlook Handbook- updated every 2 years. Describes the type of work, training & education required and the future outlook. • Guide for Occupational Exploration- groups careers into categories and describes many occupations within each category

6. The Readers Guide to Periodical Literature- magazine articles that may pertain to a specific career. Career Specific journals(magazine)- Business Week or Wired. O*Net- a government database of workers attributes and job characteristics.

7. Internet Job Services The World Wide Web offers a wide range of Internet job services designed for job recruitment and career research. Most Web sites list job opportunities in different industries according to title, key duties, location, and other criteria.

8. Part-Time Work The most direct way to learn about a career is to work. If your schedule allows it, working part-time will enable you to observe a career from the inside. Temp work is short term work. You are replacing someone who is out temporarily

9. Work Experience Programs You may be able to find a part-time job through a vocational educational program. Such programs give you a chance to learn job skills while you are still in high school.

10. Job Shadowing Job shadowing involves following a worker for a few days on the job. Job shadowing helps you learn the ropes by watching and listening.

11. Volunteering and Internships An internship is a more formal position that helps you learn job skills. Internships require a longer-term commitment than volunteering does. Sometimes they are paid…but usually are not.

12. Volunteering and Internships Service learning is offered by many communities and schools. In such programs, community service—for example, cleaning up a neighborhood —becomes part of your schoolwork.

13. Sources of Career Ideas PEOPLE WORK READING • Family • Friends • Teachers • Counselors • Neighbors • Jobs • Internships • Volunteering • Cooperative • Education • Job Shadowing • Books • Magazines • Newspapers • Internet Chapter 3 • Researching Careers Succeeding in the World of Work

14. Tasks and Responsibilities Find out what you will be doing at work each day by asking these questions: • What specific tasks do workers in this career perform? • Are the workdays repetitive or full of new experiences? continued

15. Tasks and Responsibilities • Is the pace easy, or is the career a high-pressure one? • Is the work primarily physical or mental?

16. Work Environment Because you’ll spend about 40 hours a week at work, be sure to carefully consider your work environment. Your work environment, your physical and social surroundings at work, can affect your well-being.

17. Work Environment Visualize your ideal work environment. As you research careers, try to find those that match your ideal.

18. Working Hours With flextime, workers construct their schedules to suit their lives. Many employers that offer flextime require workers to be on-site during certain core hours.

19. Education and Training Careers demand different kinds of training such as a • two-year associate degree, • four-year bachelor’s degree, or • technical or business school license or certificate. • 2 more years after bachelors is Masters

20. Education and Training How much time and effort will it take to get the necessary education and training for the careers that interest you?

21. Salary and Benefits They list an hourly rate or a weekly or annual salary, as well as ranges based on national averages.

22. Salary and Benefits Benefits may include: • health insurance, • paid vacation( 2 weeks a year) and holiday time, • retirement plan, • regular bonuses, continued

23. Salary and Benefits • employee discounts, and • low-interest loans on homes and autos.

24. Career Outlook Examine what your career area will be like in ten years. Formal research can tell you about industry prospects and help you make important career decisions.

25. International Career Outlook With growth in the global economy, more and more careers involve working internationally. You can find international jobs using library resources and the Internet.

26. Finding the Right Career WHO AM I? • Aptitude and Abilities • Data - People -Things WHAT DO I WANT? WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE? • Work Environment • Working Hours • Salary and Benefits • Career Outlook • International Outlook WHAT DOES THE JOB REQUIRE? • Education and Training • Tasks and Responsibilities Chapter 3 • Researching Careers Succeeding in the World of Work