Career Planning and Salary
Explore Careers
Introduction
What types of positions are currently available in this field? What are the average working conditions and expectations? Will this career be in demand five years from now? Research is critical as you begin exploring different career paths.
In this module, you'll learn what to look for as you start researching careers. We'll also talk about various online and direct resources that will help you gather valuable information.
How to research
Before you begin exploring different career paths, it's important to understand what you should be looking for in your research. Asking the right questions can make finding a career a lot easier.
Click the arrows in the slideshow below to learn what information to gather in your career research.
Research strategies
You should make use of various methods and resources as you gather information about different careers. Taking a diverse approach to your career research will help to ensure the information you collect is accurate and helpful.
Career research guides
Watch the video (3:14).The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Department of Labor is the most comprehensive resource for researching any career. You'll be able to learn about the nature of the work, normal working conditions, average salaries, projected job outlook, and more.
CareerOneStop is also a powerful career planning tool. A central resource in the new American Job Center Network, it allows you to browse careers that are in demand, compare different occupations, create a career plan, and learn valuable resume writing and interviewing skills.
Watch the video (3:28).MyNextMove, on the other hand, will guide you through the career research process and provide a quick, visual summary of the information you need to know. This is a great resource if you're having a difficult time getting started. You might also try another career planning guide, such as US.Jobs.
Watch these two videos for a demonstration of the Occupational Outlook Handbook and CareerOneStop.
General advice
Review the interactive below to learn more about other resources for researching careers.
Download the Career Research Worksheet ( .doc 
or .pdf 
).
- Navigate to one of the career research websites above to assist you in your research.
- Try answering the questions in the worksheet to start researching a career.
- Think about how you might use one of the methods above to learn more about a career path.