This section is about exploring career options. After learning about yourself in self assessment, the next step is to learn as much as you can about careers. Then, you’ll be able to see which careers are a best fit for you.

Factors to Consider When Researching Career Fields: What type of education or training do you need to get into the field? Compatibility with personality, skills, interests, and values

Factors to Consider When Researching Career Fields: What are the work duties? Typical work environment Job outlook and availability. It’s better to choose fields that are increasing rather than decreasing. You want to know there will be jobs available when you are ready to enter the field. The site below is a great resource. https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/industry/industry.aspx Occupations with the most openings in Nebraska: http://h3.ne.gov/H3/ US Fastest Growing Occupations: www.bls.gov/emp/images/top_occupations.PDF

Factors to Consider When Researching Career Fields: Consider related occupations for more options. Fish & Game Warden Dancer Anesthesiologist Crime Scene Examiner Marine Biologist Fashion Designer

Factors to Consider When Researching Career Fields: Notice, salary is listed last. While it’s an important consideration, it shouldn’t be the most important one. www.mynextmove.org www.salary.com Careeronestop www.glassdoor.com Note: People with certain criminal records may not be able to study or work in all fields. See College for Adults for more information. If relevant, be sure to include this in your career research.

Think of the process as being similar to shopping Think of the process as being similar to shopping. When you shop for clothes, you are looking for items that are the right fit for your personal tastes and body. You try things on to gauge the fit. When choosing a career, you are looking for the right fit as well. Gather enough information to be able to picture yourself in the role and environment.

Go to www.mynextmove.org Enter the results from the assessment you completed earlier. Choose 3 or 4 careers from the list to explore. Click the title to see details. See attached My Next Move Career Exploration for screen-by-screen instructions as needed. Go to http://collegeforadults.org/career/occupation.html to find the Occupational Exploration Worksheet for each career. Another good website for information is the Occupational Outlook Handbook

Let’s Take It a Step Further Use a job search site like www.careerlink.com, www.indeed.com, or NE Works to find 3-4 jobs in each field of interest. Explore positions with several companies to get a feel for the differences in roles. Often, different companies use the same title for different roles or responsibilities. If you’d like, review entry level positions as well as higher ones to get a feel for the changes. To

Researching careers online is a great way to gather information. However, it can be hard to picture yourself in the role and environment. Here are things you can do to get first hand information about a career. Job Shadow-Observe someone for a workday or partial workday. This activity will give you a sense of the daily responsibilities of the role. Information Interview-Talk with a person in the job of interest and ask all the questions you have. The Informational Interview Exploratory Interviews How to Understand Prepare and Ace Them

Volunteering-Enables you to experience the environment first hand and network with full time employees. Work It Daily Challenge-Find a Volunteer Opportunity Part Time Job-Experience the environment and gain experience at the same time. This can work well while going to school.

Next Steps Contact Colleen Plasek at 402-689-6992 or cplasek@poncatribe-ne.org to talk through everything you’ve discovered The next sections will help you pull everything together. Education will help you explore pursuing higher education. Decision Making will help you choose a career and build a plan to reach your goals.