Are you looking for a change in career, but are at a loss for options? Or maybe you know what you want to do, but have only a vague idea what your dream job requires. For example, would you need to take classes? How many hours a week could you expect to put in at this new job? What innate attributes would help you in this career? And what hasn’t even occurred to you?
In plain language, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook tells you what you need to know about almost any job you can name. Click the link to any job on the site (there are over 4,000 listed), and you will see a job summary that tells you:
- what you can expect to be paid in that position,
- how much education you need to secure the job,
- how much on-the-job training you can expect,
- approximately how many of those jobs are currently on the market,
- how quickly that job market is growing (or shrinking),
- and much more.
From the Summary page, you can browse categories for more detailed information via links such as What They Do, Work Environment, How to Become One, Pay, Job Outlook, and Similar Occupations.
To access the Occupational Outlook Handbook online via Chatham Community Library’s Online Resources page, choose the NC LIVE link, then scroll down to the middle of the page and click on the Career, Jobs, & Test Preparation category. From there, click on the Occupational Outlook Handbook link to be taken to the site. (You can also visit www.bls.gov/ooh directly. No login required.)
