Occupational Research

Researching occupations can help you to: discover the wide range of work available, learn what careers others with a similar background have pursued, find out the specifics of a particular job and detect work-related trends.

Information Search

Find out what?

  • Knowledge required, training needed
  • Skills, e.g., problem-solving needed to perform job
  • Duties and responsibilities
  • Working conditions, e.g., hours, physical demands of job, physical environment, sensory effort, level of stress
  • Salary range or compensation for work
  • Opportunities for advancement
  • Related occupations
  • Future job outlook

How?

Start with a visit to your Career Information Center. The Center is located in the counseling office in each high school and serves as a resource for career and educational information. Here you may review:

  • Occupational Handbook
  • MOIS (Michigan Occupational Information Services)
  • Internet Searches
  • Magazines, career file, etc.
  • Internet

Decision-Making

Career Objectives

  • Define your career goal(s).
  • Consider a broad range of career options.
  • Organize your career ideas into three groups:
    • Work you would like to be doing in 5-10 years.
    • Work you would like to be doing in 2-5 years.
    • Work you would like to be doing now.

By having longer-term goals, you will be able to set your course to becoming successful in your career. Then by working backwards to the present, you will be able to take a step at a time toward your ultimate goal.

Personal Objectives

In conjunction with your career objectives, decide your goals in other areas of your life: family and friends, physical fitness, leisure activities including travel, finances, etc.

Life Long Learning

Change is everywhere in the world, in companies and in organizations. Individuals will need to change to keep pace. That means continuous learning and updating - an ongoing adjustment to your portfolio of skills and knowledge.

Enjoying your studies is excellent. Becoming more well-rounded is excellent. But you need to think about that third component: strengthening and expanding your hirable talents, abilities, skills and knowledge.

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