RESEARCHING CAREERS

1. RESEARCHING CAREERS By David Agnew Arkansas State University

2. Objectives: • Define terms related to Researching careers, 4.1. • Explain why researching careers is important. • Identify career information resources, 4.2. • List the three main career resources published by the U. S. Government • Identify instructional resources relating to Career Orientation • Explain the usual procedure for doing research. • List nine pieces of information to review when researching careers • Identify the pitfalls of researching careers • Demonstrate the use of terms in relation to researching careers, 4.1.1. • Research careers, using a variety of careers of resources, 4.21.

3. Objective 1: Terms • ArkOscar -- a computerized career information delivery system • Education/training requirements -- the instructional background and skills needed to qualify for employment • Employment outlook -- the prospect for the future of a job or career • Entry-level jobs -- the jobs that beginners start with to train them for higher-level jobs • Internet -- the computer network system through which information can be shared on the World Wide Web • Job duty -- a task one is expected to perform on the job • O*Net -- Occupational Information Network compiled by the United States Department of Labor • OOH -- (Occupational Outlook Handbook) a book used for researching the most common careers in the United States • Part-time jobs -- jobs requiring less than 35-40 hours a week, depending on the employer • Qualification -- a special skill, knowledge, or ability that enables a person to perform a particular job • Related occupations -- jobs or careers belonging to the same group on the basis of similar knowledge and skills • Research -- to find out more by reading and talking to people • Temporary jobs -- jobs that last for a limited period of time • Volunteering -- doing a job without pay to gain experience • Working conditions -- the environment of the workplace

4. Objective 2: Why Research Careers? • To teach them how to explore the different career options • To focus on the careers of interest • 20,000 jobs, 12,700, 700, 250 can not teach about all of them…. • To give them a tool to use on their own in the future.

5. What Research is Not……. • A Hands-on Activities • Busy work • Rest/play time for the teacher • Just talking to someone in a specific job

6. Objective 3: What resources are available for researching careers? • Private publishers or vendors • Government Printing Office • State Department • On-line resources (OOH) • People These are in the form of books, research briefs, videos, on-line references, etc…

7. Objective 4: Three Main References • O*NET, an online source a few years ago replaced the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (D.O.T.) • Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) --- Describes 250 different occupations in detail. These 250 account for 80% of all jobs. It is up-dated every two years. • Guide for Occupational Exploration (GOE) --- based upon interest, 12 groups, called interest areas. A definition of each is given.

8. DOT – History(Dictionary of Occupational Titles) • A number is assigned to each occupational title. The DOT number is a lead to other sources. First three numbers are similar. • 9 digit code • People, Data, Things • 1939 -- 1991 • Will not be published again • O*NET has taken it’s place

9. O’NET • http://online.onetcenter.org/ • Take a tour of O*NET --- • Click on “Learn more about O*NET”.

10. Types of information found in OOH • Nature of work • Working Conditions • Employment • Training, other qualifications, and advancement • Job outlook • Related Occupations • Sources of additional Information

11. OOH is one the web • http://stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm

12. Type of information found in the GOE • Kind of work done. • The skills and abilities needed • How to decide if you could learn to do this kind of work • How to prepare for entry into the job area • Other factors to take into account when thinking about a job.

13. Objective 5: Additional sources for use in researching careers. • Career Briefs • Chronicle of Guidance • Career Briefs (short info sheets on careers) • Magazines • Career World, and etc…. • Career Watch Magazine http://www.discover.arkansas.gov/?PAGEID=164 • People – interviews, Live or recorded • Internet – Videos • Kuder – person match

14. Discover Arkansas website • Take the tour– TOUR is Listed under Home • http://www.discoverarkansas.net/

15. Online videos • View several videos at each site: • http://www.nextsteps.org/video/ • http://www.iwitts.com/html/video_clips.html

16. Objective 6: Usual Procedure for Research: • After the teacher helps students assess their own career interest and after the teacher has taught about one or more cluster, the students identify potential jobs of interest. Sometimes teachers will have students draw for careers in a cluster. • Students are given a review of the research resources and how to use them. • Students are given one worksheet to complete on a career. • Teacher grades and gives the worksheet back to the student for his/her personal file.

17. Objective 7: Nine points to checklist for researching careers • a. What is the nature of work and what will my duties be? • b. What are the working conditions? • c. What personal and physical qualities do I need for the job? • d. How much will I earn? • e. Are there advancement possibilities? • f. What training and education is required? • g. What is the careeroutlook? • h. What are some related jobs? • i. What are other sources of information?

18. Sample Worksheet for Researching Careers. • Name ________________ Job __________________ • 1. What is the nature of work and what will my duties be? • 2. What are the working conditions? • 3. What personal and physical qualities do I need for the job? • 4. How much will I earn? • 5. Are there advancement possibilities? • 6. What training and education is required? • 7. What is the career outlook? • 8. What are some related jobs? • 9. What are other sources of information?

19. Objective 8: Pitfalls to Research • Just doing worksheets from books is seldom enough. • Books or even the internet can be boring. • Students need to get the research report back for their file. • Research should not be copying what is in the book to a form. It should require students to think about and gain a deeper understanding of the job(s) being researched. • Forcing students to research careers of remote interest waste valuable time and turns students off to research. Jobs being researched should be somewhat focused on interest of the students • Thinking that there must be a research activity with every cluster.

20. Alternative Research Techniques • Personal interview (in person or on phone) • Writing to professional organizations • Using the internet • Use a variety of sources when researching careers. • CD Roms from Employment Security Office, have video clips • Research can be a group activity at times • Shadowing a working person is a form of research.

21. In Summary • Why do students need to research careers? • What resources are available for students to use in researching? • What kind of information are you seeking when researching? • What research is not and the pitfalls of researching careers.

22. The End