Career Information Research Paper

Career Information

Finding the most appropriate and up-to-date information about a specific career could be a tedious process. Luckily though, there are numerous sources of career information an individual could rely. In this text, I analyze three occupational information sources.

O*NET Resource Center (http://www.onetcenter.org)

In brief, O*NET describes itself as "the nation's primary source of occupational information" (O*NET, 2014). As the organization further points out on its Website, its database comprises of hundreds of descriptors that are both standardized and occupation-specific. One key advantage of this particular source of occupational info is the fact that its database is continually updated so as to keep up with trends and changes in the job market. The said update is done through "surveying a broad range of workers from each occupation" (O*NET, 2014). Yet another key benefit of this source of occupational info is its huge database of occupational definitions. It should, however, be noted that for a novice user, this online source of occupational information could prove difficult to navigate. This is more so the case given the number of links presented to help users navigate the site's content.

I would recommend the site to a wide range of users. This is more so the case given that unlike many sources of occupational information, O*NET is directly affiliated with what it calls a family of sites containing information helpful to various categories of users, including but not limited to job seekers, students, job-coding professionals, HR specialists, and veterans.Source 2: Occupational Outlook Handbook

Compiled by the United States Department of Labor, the Occupational Outlook Handbook remains an authoritative and reliable source of occupational information. One of the key advantages of the handbook is detail. In addition to providing the occupation title, the handbook also offers a detailed glimpse of other aspects including but not limited to training and qualifications required, working conditions, advancement outlook, earnings, and general job outlook. Yet another key advantage of the Occupational Outlook Handbook is its lack of bias. The fact that it is authored by the U.S. Department of Labor makes it an accurate, valid, reliable, and authoritative source of career and occupational info. However, as comprehensive as it may be, the number of occupations the handbook captures is far less than that captured in the O*NET Resource Center -- the latter has more than 900 occupation entries while the later has approximately 400 descriptors. This could be viewed as the only weakness of the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

I would recommend this handbook to upwardly mobile professionals -- i.e. A seasoned professional either seeking career change or looking for more information about his or her career and its future prospects.

Source 3: Career One Stop (http://www.careerinfonet.org)

Career One Stop describes itself as "the suite of web-based products funded and developed by the U.S. Department of Labor" (Career One Stop, 2014). It is important to note that as it….....