Research Careers

Taking time to research careers and occupations not only gives you an idea of what job outlook and salary information to expect, it also helps you know what kind of training, qualifications or credentials are required, what are the best careers in the places you want to work and more. Below is a selection of self-serve databases, tools and resources to help you explore career options.

Career & Occupational Research

Use these resources to conduct general research on different jobs or occupations.

Occupational Handbook

This guide by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has information about jobs like typical duties, work environment, education, salaries and job outlook.

Occupational Outlook Handbook

O*NET OnLine

O*NET OnLine is a tool for career exploration and job analysis sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Labor. It has detailed descriptions of the world of work.

O*NET OnLine

Career Clusters

Career clusters identify pathways from secondary school to two- and four-year colleges, graduate school, and the workplace, so students can learn in school and what they can do in the future.

Career Clusters

CareerOneStop Toolkit

Profiles of over 750 specific occupations, including salary information by state and county. This site also has Career Videos On-Line.

CareerOneStop Toolkit

City Town Info

Have your sights set on a geographic location? Find facts about various jobs and careers within U.S. cities.

CityTownInfo.com

Certification Exams

Many careers require you pass an exam to work. See a list of certification exams for various career fields and learn more about what each test entails. This resource includes sample questions.

Exam2Jobs.com

WI State Licenses

The state of Wisconsin licenses and regulates 132 different types of credentials in more than 58 professional fields. Learn more about educational and licensing requirements for jobs ranging from substance abuse counselors and nursing home administrators to real estate professionals and funeral directors.

dsps.wi.gov

Top Jobs

U.S. News & World Report Rankings include the 100 Best Jobs, Best Paying Jobs, and Best Jobs within various industries such as Business, Healthcare, Technology and more.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Career Videos

The career videos are a great place to get ideas for how you might plan your future. Browse these career video libraries to get inspired while you learn about various career opportunities that could be available to you.

CareerOneStop Videos

Browse these videos to learn about careers, industries, skills and abilities, or work options and education levels.

Browse CareerOneStop Videos

RoadTrip Nation

View PBS RoadTrip Nation interviews with various professionals to learn how they paved their career path in a wide variety of career fields and industries.

Watch RoadTrip Nation

CandidCareer.com

Candid Career has thousands of career videos to help you find your ideal job. Whether your exploring majors or careers or are looking for job insights, Candid Career has videos to help.

Visit CandidCareer.com

Employment Projections

Often times, students might wonder about career trends and what jobs are in highest demand. Here are some resources to help you research employment projections and trends:

Workforce Projections

The U.S. Dept. of Labor sponsors this nationally recognized source of objective, data-driven projections of future state and local workforce needs. It provides both long- and short-term projected employment growth for occupations among various states.

Visit ProjectionsCentral.org

U.S. Labor Statistics

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is our federal government's main labor statistics fact-finding agency. It measures labor market activity, working conditions, salary changes, and productivity and publishes these employment projection resources.

WisConomy

Use WisConomy's data tools and visual dashboards to access Wisconsin labor market information, job numbers, wages, hot jobs, industry and occupation projections. This site is published by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

Visit WisConomy

Need Help?

It's fantastic that you're researching careers. No doubt you have questions about what all this means to you. If your occupational research has taken you to a point that you're ready to talk to an advisor, just call, email or stop by for a drop-in session.