Researching Careers

Researching Careers
(Career Search Web Sites)

How to Research
To start researching careers, you need to identify careers of interest, which can be very challenging. To generate the broadest and most inclusive list of occupations, start by identifying areas of interest or skill and list occupations related to them. Then include occupations of people you know or careers you’ve heard about that interest you. You might consider meeting with a career counselor and taking an assessment. Career assessments are useful tools to help identify your interests, abilities and values and how they fit with different careers. Identifying careers on your own can be difficult if you’re not familiar with what careers are out there.

Once you’ve identified careers to research either your own or through the help of a Career Assessment, you are ready to start researching. It is very important to educate yourself regarding your career choices. As you start researching, you will need to identify information such as…

Occupational description
Related majors/training programs
Length of training
Schools offering program/training

Expected salary range
Related occupations
Working conditions
Job outlook

Where to Research
Identifying this type of information isn’t as difficult as you might think. Many books and electronic resources containing information about careers and career development are readily available. As you begin to research, be creative and use a variety of resources to obtain your information. Some helpful resources to start using include the following:

Boise State University Albertsons Library contains many career related resources in the reference area.

Boise State University Career Center Resource Room contains books, magazines, and other resources with information on careers and occupations.

Matching Majors to Occupations will help you identify specific occupations related to majors offered at Boise State.

Idaho Salaries are available from the Idaho Department of Labor, including salaries specific to Boise.

America's Career Info (ACINet) provides information about typical wages and employment trends across occupations and industries, lists knowledge, skills and abilities required for most occupations.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides detailed descriptions of approximately 250 of the most common occupations in the United States. Information is provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and is also available in a hardcover format at the Boise State Career Center and Albertsons Library.

O*NET is a computerized database of information on occupations, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Additional Web Links to career search websites are available.

Another way to obtain information about careers is to contact someone who works in a field of interest and ask them about that career. This is called an Informational Interview.

You will also want to start identifying majors that fit with the occupations you are considering. Once you’ve identified some potential majors, begin contacting those schools or departments and set an appointment to meet with an academic advisor. Online resources are also available to help you identify which school(s) offer the educational program you will need to meet your career goal.

For additional assistance contact the Boise State University Career Center. Click here for location and contact information.

Top of Page Career Choice

This page maintained by the Boise State University Career Center. Please contact the Career Center at (208) 426-1747 or career@boisestate.edu with questions.