Educational Opportunity Centers, Inc. - Talent Search - S.P.A.R.C.

Talent Search - S.P.A.R.C.

Careers

How to find the career that's right for you:

Get a Mentor in your favorite career field
Learn Interview Tips
Build a Resume
Check out Hot & Emerging Occupations
No idea what career you might like? Think about what your favorite subject is and research careers in that subject area.
Do an Interest Survey with your Educational Planner
Set up Job shadowing with your parents and the school on career days.
Check out resources listed below

Holland Code Meanings	Career Soft Skills
Earnings by Education Level Chart	Career PowerPoint Presentations
Career Research Activity

Career Resources on the Internet

Site	URL	Description
PHEAA's Education Planner	http://www.educationplanner.org	Learn about careers and the schools across the nation that offer training for them
PHEAA's Education Planner for PA	http://www.pennsylvaniamentor.org	To search above items but for just Pennsylvania
America's Career InfoNet	http://www.acinet.org/acinet/occ_intro.asp?id=1,&nodeid=1	Awesome site with links for Occupation Profiles, Fastest-Growing, Most Openings, and Highest Paying Jobs, plus more!
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics	http://www.bls.gov/oco	Statistics on U.S. jobs
Occupational Outlook Handbook	http://www.ooh.org	Job descriptions, education requirements, opportunity outlook, and earnings information.
Career Voyages	http://www.careervoyages.gov	Explore career options and be in demand by knowing high growth jobs with better wages and brighter future.
Virtual Job Shadow	http://www.virtualjobshadow.com	Explore a vast array of fascinating careers by meeting people who actually do the work in that career. Careers sorted into 17 clusters and span education levels. A different career highlighted each month.
Career One Stop	http://www.careeronestop.com	Search for education/training programs, help fund your education, guidelines for choosing a school, learn about tests & assessments, see career videos, post resume, search job listings, explore wages & occupational trends, etc. Note: America's Job Bank part of site moved to: http://www.careeronestop.org/ajbprsjbl
Career Paths Online	http://careerpathsonline.com	Fun quizzes and other job related items.
Princeton Review	http://ecos.princetonreview.com	USE member code 726013225 to create a new students account. Research careers, take assessment tests, and find a college with the field that fits you.
Salary.com	http://www.salary.com	Check out career income levels with the Personal Salary Wizard.
Schuylkill School to Work	http://www.schuylkillschooltowork.com	Area companies providing opportunities: Cooperative Education, Job Shadowing, Internships, Career Speakers, Tours, Educator in the Workplace, Career Fairs, and Industry Trade Shows
Careers And Colleges	http://www.careersandcolleges.com/cnc/login.do	Get the 411 on careers and colleges when you create a free profile.
PA Post-Secondary Career Schools	http://papsa.org	Helpful information about career education and career schools accessible by county/region, career area, or specific school.
Accounting & Financial Jobs	http://www.financialjobs.com	Employer listings devoted solely to financial professions at all levels.
ACT - Choosing a Career	http://www.act.org/path/student/career/	Follow the steps to make an informed career decision.
America's Job Bank	http://www.ajb.dni.us	Public Employment Service's information for jobs available nation-wide, employers, and job seekers.
Association for Women in Science	http://www.awis.org	Dedicated to achieving equity and full participation for women in science, math, engineering, and technology.
Brave New Work World	http://www.newwork.com	Monitor daily news and trends affecting the world of work.
Bridges	http://www.bridges.com	Explore educational goals and plan for the future.
Career City	http://www.careercity.com	Comprehensive USA job fair listings and job database.
Career Park	http://www.careerpark.com	Employment opportunities with respected and fast growing employers.
Career Path	http://careerpath.com	Sunday job listings from The New York times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and other big city newspapers.
Career Link	http://www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us	PA resource for job seeker, employer, and social services and training.
Do What You Are	http://www.dowhatyouare.com	Career and college guidance based on Personality Type.
Employment Search	http://www.search.com/top/0,8,50066,00.thml	Search NationJobNetwork, E-SpanEmployment, Chronicle of Higher Education Job Openings and more.
Engineering Jobs	http://www.engineeringjobs.com	Listing of company job openings and engineering job resources.
E-Span	http://espan.com	Find 'the right person for the job' and 'the right job for the person.'
Five Step Career Plan	http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/careers	5 steps to a flexible and personal career plan.
Head Hunter	http://www.HeadHunter.net/JobSeeker/Index.htm	Online job fairs, careers abroad, and job search tips.
High Skills ~ High Pay	http://www.act.org/research	Increasing skill levels while in school increases salary opportunities.
Intercristo	http://jobmonkey.com/main/html	Cool jobs on cruise lines, fisheries, resorts, abroad, and more!
Job Engine	http://www.jobengine.com	Comprehensive listing of job openings.
Job Factory	http://www.jobfactory.com/linkmap.htm	Large database of jobs.
Job Source	http://pw1.netcom.com/~usajobs/index.html	State and federal government openings.
Job Bank USA	http://jobbankusa.com	Employment networking and information services to job candidates, employers, and recruitment firms.
Job Hunt	http://www.job-hunt.org	List of online job search resources and services.
Jobs for the Future	http://www.jff.org	Seeks to accelerate educational & economic advancement of those struggling in our economy.
Keirsey Temperament Sorter	http://www.advisorteam.com/temperament_sorter/register.asp	Assessment uncovers innate tendencies, preferences, and motivations.
Census Bureau Jobs	http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/index.html	Search job categories, applications, incentives, and available jobs.
Minorities' Job Bank	http://www.minorities-jb.com	Database of equal opportunity employers.
Monster Board	http://www.monster.com	Job search information, resume building, and employer profiles.
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering	http://guidemenacme.org	Career options and career surveys.
National Alliance of Business	http://www.nab.com	Spearheads corporate community's efforts to increase achievement at all levels of learning.
National Career Development Association	http://ncda.org	Professionalism and standards in career counseling and information.
National Job Shadow	http://www.jobshadow.org	Students across the USA 'shadow' workplace mentors as they go through a normal day on the job.
National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee	http://www.noicc.gov	Data on education, employment, and labor market.
National Skill Standards	http://www.nssb.org	Voluntary national system of skills standards, assessments, and certifications to compete in global economy.
National Youth Employment Coalition	http://www.nyec.org	Promote policies and initiatives that help youth succeed in becoming lifelong learners, productive workers, and self-sufficient citizens.
O*Net Online	http://online.onetcenter.org	Occupational information network.
Outcomes of School Career Development	http://www.ericfacility.net/ericdigests/ed401501.html	ERIC-career development programs in schools must do more than provide information.
PA Apprentice Coordinators Association	http://www.apprentice.org	Helps students decide if they have the aptitude and ability to train for a career in the construction industry.
PA Career Guide	http://www.paworkstats.state.pa.us/gsipub/index.asp?docid=405	Wage and job outlook information for PA.
PA Department of Labor & Industry	http://www.dli.state.pa.us/landi/cwp/view.asp?A=191&Q=57249	PA employment statistics.
PA Free Enterprise	http://www.pfew.org	Intensive program that educates high school students about American free enterprise.
PA HRIC, Team PA	http://www.teampa.com	Business resource network.
PA Labor Market Information	http://www.dli.state.pa.us/workforceinfo	PA employment statistics.
Quest USA	http://www.questusa.com	Send a resume online (free) and contact thousands of employers.
Quintessential Careers	http://www.quintcareers.com/career_assessment.html	Great site for many career assessment tools and tests.
Student and Professional Organizations	http://www.careernet.org/careers/organizations.html	Search career options, take career tests, and see career descriptions.
Student Transition Alliance	http://www.studenttransitions.com	Follow high school graduates of various backgrounds as they explore new adventures and experience life after high school.
Student Jobs	http://studentjobs.gov	Search for jobs, create a profile, or create a resume.
College Board's Hottest Jobs	http://www.collegeboard.com/student/csearch/majors_careers/236.html	Top careers for college graduates.
Career Key	http://www.careerkey.org	The test/quiz measures skills, abilities, talents, values, interests, and personality. Helps choose a career, college major/training program, and career planning.
Job Catapult	http://www.jobweb.com	Job search information and links to resources for practitioners, and online career inventories.
Office of Personnel Management	http://www.opm.gov	Keep tabs on federal government job openings and pay tables from summer work to full-time careers.
The Riley Guide	http://www.dbm.com	(From the author of The Guide To Internet Job Searching) Job search and resources help links.
US Department of Labor	http://www.dol.gov	Find jobs by topic, audience, top 20 items, by form, and location.
USA Jobs	http://www.usajobs.opm.gov	Official site for federal government job openings.
Vocational Information Center	http://www.khake.com	Explore vocational and technical careers and skills employers really want. Find a trade school, research technical topics, and look at current job market.
Wetfeet	http://www.wetfeet.com	Profiles of companies, careers, industries, cities, and careers advice articles.
XAP - Plan a Career	http://www.xap.com/career	Evaluate interests, skills, personality, and values to help determine possible career choices.
Youth Gig	http://www.youthgig.com	Where teens and young adults find part time, summer, and seasonal jobs.

HOLLAND CODE MEANING:

Realistic
-practical, hands-on problems and solutions
-deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials such as wood, tools, and machinery
-enjoy outside work
-do NOT like occupations that mainly involve paperwork or working closely with others

Investigative
-ideas and thinking more than physical activity
-search for facts and figure out problems mentally rather than to persuade or lead people

Artistic
-deal with artistic side of things like forms, designs, and patterns
-like self-expression in their work
-prefer settings where work can be done without following a clear set of rules

Social
-assist others and promote learning and personal development
-prefer to communicate more than to work with objects, machines, or data
-like to teach, give advice, help, or otherwise be of service to people

Enterprising
-start up and carry out projects, especially business ventures
-like persuading and leading people and making decisions
-like taking risks for profit
-prefer action rather than thought

Conventional
-follow set procedures and routines
-prefer working with data and detail more than with ideas
-like precise standards rather than judging things by yourself
-prefer when the lines of authority are clear

Soft Skills employers like their candidates to possess, according to the National Association of Colleges & Employers

Communication
Honesty/Integrity
Interpersonal
Motivation/Initiative
Work Ethic
Teamwork
Analytical
Flexibility/Adaptability

Below is a chart of how much you can potentially earn at different levels of education.

(chart from TAP site)

The Occupational Outlook Quarterly (vol. 46 #1) quotes Income Levels below:

Professional Degree	$80,200
Doctorate's Degree (Ph. D.)	$70,500
Master's Degree	$55,300
Bachelor's Degree	$46,300
Associate's Degree	$35,400
Some College - no degree	$32,400
High School Diploma	$28,800
No H.S. Diploma	$21,400

See the Labor Market Information and Workforce Information Publications for the most up-to-date figures.

Career Research Activity

For this search you will be using the Occupational Outlook Handbook online at http://stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm

Step 1. List the occupation you want to research:___________________________ Type in that occupation to search, i.e. computer programmer, network administrator, accounting clerk.
Step 2. Using the information you found, answer the following questions:

1. What is the occupational outlook for the career? Is it a growing field or are there going to be fewer jobs in the future?

2. What and where are the opportunities for this career?

3. What kind of educational preparation does this career require for entry?

4. What technical skills does this career require? Be specific.

5. What kind of experience is required for entry into this career?

6. What is the salary range for this career?

7. List 2 related occupations to your career.

8. List one address to find additional information about your career.

9. What level math skills does this career require, i.e. algebra, calculus?

Careers PowerPoints

Career Trends PowerPoint Presentation

Getting and Keeping a Job PowerPoint Presentation

Careers Personality Workshop Powerpoint

Things to Do Starting Now - Researching Careers Powerpoint