Career Management 3.03 Career Clusters

Career Cluster A group of jobs related to each other by common interests. Jobs range from entry level to professional

All U.S. jobs can be grouped into the following 16 career clusters: Agricultural and natural resources Architecture & construction Arts, audiovisual technology, & communication Business & administration Education & training Finance Government and administration Health Science Health Science Hospitality & tourism Hospitality & tourism Human service Human service Information technology Law & public safety Manufacturing Retail/wholesale sales & services Scientific research/engineering Transportation, distribution,, and logistics.

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Workers in natural resources focus on methods to improve present and future quality of life. Most natural resource occupations require two or more years of technical study

Architecture and Construction The people in these careers are involved in the design, building and maintenance of physical structures. Included in these structures are homes, bridges, industrial facilities, dams, hospitals, schools, highways, shopping centers.

Arts, Audiovisual Technology, and Communications This career cluster is for those individuals interested in designing, performing, or writing.

Business and Administration Business employees perform multiple tasks to keep businesses and organizations running smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

Education and Training This career may involve planning, management, and providing education and training services. Typically, a minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required for careers in this field.

Finance These careers involve the management of money and include banking, investment and financial planning services.

Government and Public Administration Careers in this area involve government, legislative, administrative, and regulatory services. Workplaces range from nonprofit organizations to local, state, or federal government. Criteria to have one of these jobs range from on-the-job training to advanced degrees.

Health Science These workers have jobs requiring them to keep people healthy or helping to heal the injured or ill.

Hospitality and Tourism Some tourism jobs require working weekends, nights, or holidays when most people are vacationing from their jobs. Many of these jobs do not require and education.

Human Services These careers are social and community services and involve helping others. A key reason people are in these fields are they want to help, protect, nurture, or proved a service for others. They can involve working with people having physical or mental disabilities at clinics, schools or homes.

Information Technology Information technology careers are the fastest changing careers of all the clusters. They need to be well versed and keep updated on the latest tools and applications. They must be good communicators and able to work well with coworkers.

Law and Public Safety This cluster focuses on assisting people through judicial, legal, and protective services. Criminal justice system, crime laboratories, detention and rehabilitation centers, and courthouses are some of the positions in this cluster.

Manufacturing Workers directly involved in manufacturing operate machinery, and move/store materials for manufacturing. These workers are often called blue-collar workers because their duties usually require special work clothes or protective clothing. White-collar workers are usually salaried employees and not required to wear work clothes. Blue-collar and white-collar must work together as a team in order for organizations and companies to be successful.

Retail/Wholesale Sales and Service This is based on sales and customer service, represents the largest employer in the private sector. Retail includes: Supermarkets, department stores, specialty product stores, boutiques, hardware stores, and pharmacies. Wholesale includes sales representatives and wholesale agents, or companies that sell to retailers. Personal services include hair styling, cosmetologists, dry cleaners, and funeral workers. These people are people oriented and focused on customer service.

Scientific Research and Engineering This cluster may involve physical science, social science, or engineering. Tasks range from laboratory work to testing services to research and development. Many positions in this cluster involve finding new methods to solve problems. People in these categories may find themselves facing deadlines in a competitive environment. These are highly technical and require firm backgrounds in math and science.