Career Information: Exercises

Overview: The Occupational Outlook Handbook will give you information on the nature and working conditions of an occupation, along with qualifications, potential earnings, and job outlook for employment.

 If you want to look for a specific job, career, or industry the Occupational Outlook Handbook is loaded with a lot of great information.  Use the following tips and process to get the most out of the Handbook. Go to http://www.bls.gov/ooh/, then read the tips below and complete Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3!

Tips:  When searching an occupation on the Handbook, you can type in the name of the occupation in the search box located in the upper right-hand corner of the page and click “go”. If you cannot find any information, click on the A-Z index and search for the occupation alphabetically, chances are it is listed under another name. 

STEP 1: Take a minute to think of two occupations that you would like to learn more about and write them down.

STEP 2: Search each occupation listed above on the Occupational Outlook Handbook and use this information to answer the questions and fill in the information below.

1. What is it about the nature of the work that sounds most appealing to you?
2.  Where can you find employment in this field? (Private company, gov. agency, regions, etc.)
3. What are the qualifications for this type of position? Both academic and skills based.
4. What is the potential job outlook and earnings for this position?
5. Is there any aspect of this position that does NOT sound appealing to you?

STEP 3: Now that you have decided on a few occupations, it’s time to see which majors at Broward College will help you start moving in the direction of obtaining the occupation you desire.

Now that you have decided on a few occupations, it’s time to see which majors at Broward College will help you start moving in the direction of obtaining the occupation you desire.

• Visit the Broward College Degrees and Certificates page: https://www.broward.edu/academics/degrees-certificates.html
  This information provides an overview of each major offered and career outlook information.

Remember, employers look for more than just a degree, they desire college graduates to possess a wide array of skills. A degree alone may not land you a job, so you may want to create an action plan to develop your skills as outlined in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, and the Broward College website.