O*Net System--Career Exploration for Free

In researching a presentation I did for a major heathcare organization on scholarships and work opportunities in the heathcare industry, I came across the O*Net System.

I also mention this system in my ebook.

1. O*Net Online System

http://online.onetcenter.org/

http://www.onetcenter.org/

The O*Net System is the "nation's primary source of occupational information" and stands for Occupational Informational Network.

Basically, you can now go online and found out what will be the projected need and growth for a certain occupation in the next ten years, how much education will that occupation most likely require, and what are the wages for that occupation across the nation, including a breakdown of wages by state and major metropolitan areas.

The wage information is very informative, going beyond the average. Salaries are given in the bottom 10% and 25% (the range for starting salaries), the Median income (the average salary), and the top 75% and 95% range (the salary at the high end). This gives you a more accurate picture of salaries and what to ask for when you get to that stage in the interview process.

2. O*Net Career Exploration Tools

http://www.onetcenter.org/tools.html

O*Net also provides a set of career exploration tools. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars for career assessment, you can use this free resource.

Here is a description of the tools and the concept behind them from the website:
"The O*NET team has designed a set of self-directed career exploration/assessment tools to help workers consider and plan career options, preparation, and transitions more effectively. They also are designed for use by students who are exploring the school-to-work transition. The assessment instruments, which are based on a "whole-person" concept, include:

O*NET Ability Profiler
O*NET Interest Profiler
O*NET Computerized Interest Profiler
O*NET Work Importance Locator
O*NET Work Importance Profiler

These instruments will help individuals identify their work-related interests, what they consider important on the job, and their abilities in order to explore those occupations that relate most closely to those attributes. Users of the tools may link to the more than 800 occupations described by the O*NET database, as well as to occupational information in CareerOneStop. This allows individuals to make a seamless transition from assessing their interests, work values, and abilities to matching their job skills with the requirements of occupations in their local labor market."

When I look at this system, I am amazed.

This is a resource provided by our federal government. Your tax money paid for this informative and accurate guide.

Go forth and prosper!