|
|
Research Your Options
Reality Check
Reading occupational information
can help you learn a lot about a career field. But it's also
valuable to talk with one or more people who work in the occupation
to get a current, real-world perspective about what a job is
really like. Ideally, it's important to do both kinds of research.
One of the first steps you can take to plan your future is to do some
basic research into the occupation(s) or academic options you are considering.
It is often easy and tempting to make assumptions about a career field,
based on testimonials from one or two people you have met in the field,
what you see in the media, or what you hear from peers and family members.
But by gathering concrete information from objective sources, you can
make better decisions about your future.
You can use resources referenced on this webpage to obtain information
about an occupation of interest, such as:
- typical job duties
- training and educational requirements
- job outlook
- salary ranges
- major employers in the occupation
If you are planning to pursue a graduate or professional degree in the
near future, use our Graduate School web
section to research degree programs that match your interests and goals.
If you are wondering which careers are pursued by students in a particular
major, take a look at What Can I Do with
a Major in... which describes the career destinations of graduating
Cal seniors.
Career Center Resources
The Career Center Information Lab
The Information Lab contains
a non-circulating collection of hundreds of books, binders, and periodicals
about
- career fields and industries
- college majors and careers
- graduate and professional school programs
Located in Room 212 of the Career Center, the Information Lab is an intimate
library setting for reading and utilizing computers for career research.
Career Events and Panels
- Do a customized calendar
search using the category "Career Exploration" in your search criteria
to find career panels, career information nights and other events
to help you gather occupational information. Use the category "Professional
and Graduate School" for events related to preparing and applying.
- Register for CareerMail to
get email announcements about events related to career fields of interest.
General Occupational Information
The sites listed below contain information about occupations
and employment trends across many fields and industries. You can use these
resources to learn which undergraduate and graduate level majors are recommended
for each occupation.
- O*Net Online - Provides information about tasks, knowledge, skills, and abilities for a wide range of career fields. Search for occupations by keywords, skills used, or your Theme Code from your Strong Interest Inventory results.
- Vault Employer & Industry Guides - A collection of downloadable materials available to Cal students and alumni that includes industry guides, employer profiles & lists, career guides and more.
- California
Occupational Guides - Information about more than 300 career fields
from the California Employment Development Department.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Information about more than 200 career fields from the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics.
- Acinet - America's Career
InfoNet - Occupational outlook information, wage and trend information,
discussion of relevant skills and abilities, as well as online video
"snapshots" of specific occupations.
- JobStar
- Guides for Specific Careers - Links to career information compiled
by professional associations and other organizations.
- Jobprofiles.org - Insider
information from professionals on a variety of careers for those exploring
their options.
Information for Specific Career Fields
You may have a specific career field in mind that you would
like to research. The information in the Career Fields section of the
Career Center website can help you investigate career paths, industries,
and opportunities for gaining experience.
Take Action
Researching careers is valuable in building your knowledge,
but it is only useful if you do something with the information you obtain.
As you read about a career or academic option, write down what you have
learned to help you evaluate whether or not it is still a viable option.
What are some pros and cons about the occupation you are considering?
How well does the occupation fit with your interests, skills and
personality type?
Is the training or preparation you need to get into the field acceptable
to you?
Based on what you have learned about this occupation, will you keep
it as one of your options?
Yes _____ No _____ Why or why not?
Back to Planning Your Future Home
|
