What do I want to do with my life? What career is best for me? How do my interests compare with people who already work in the field? What do I value in a career? What are the job duties? What is the pay? How much education do I need to prepare for this job? How many job openings are expected? Where will the openings be? How can I get more career information?

The answers to these questions are part of the career exploration process. This process involves taking a look not only at a particular career but also looking at yourself. Career information is available through a variety of sources.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook developed by the U.S. Department of Labor provides thorough descriptions for 270 jobs which covers 90% of all workers. Information on labor market trends plus the following specific details are provided for each job:

• Nature of the work
• Earnings
• Training and education needed
• Skills required
• Work environment
• Job outlook
• Related jobs
• Sources of additional information

Another source of career information is the Michigan Occupational Information System (MOIS). MOIS provides the following information on 439 careers:

• Nature of the occupation
• Occupational specialties
• Working conditions and requirements
• Education and preparation
• Opportunities for experience
• Earnings and advancement
• Employment outlook
• Sources of additional information
• Summary profile

To begin looking at yourself, the focus should be on interests, abilities and values. Interests define your preference to be in certain environments or situations. Abilities focus on your particular skills, aptitudes and talents that you have developed throughout your life. Values represent the principles by which a person lives. It is the code of conduct you follow.

There are many self assessment tools available to help identify your interests, abilities and values. These tools include the MOIS – STRUCTURED SEARCH, HALL OCCUPATIONAL INVENTORY, and the OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook) PERSONALITY CAREER QUIZ. These resources are available in the Career Resource Center located in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) room 117T.