10 Essential Skills in this module

1Communication
2Critical & Creative Thinking
6Professionalism
10Information Literacy

Trail Tool

Career Research Guide

One career, researched well, and an honest look at the fit.

About 30 minutes 1 of 7 in this module

One career, researched well. Then an honest look at whether it fits you.

Work through the five sections in order. The first three are research: what the job is, what the numbers say, and what the work is really like. The last two are where it gets personal. When you're done, save it as a PDF and upload it with Mile Marker #8.

Look ahead

Lesson 8.2: Research Your Career shows you how to use Career Coach and O*NET for each section.

Fill in your research

Your answers save in this browser as you go. Select Save as PDF when you're finished, then upload the PDF to the Mile Marker #8 assignment in Blackboard.

Research sources

Career Coach (opens in a new tab): regional salary, job outlook, and OCTC programs
O*NET OnLine (opens in a new tab): tasks, skills, work styles, and work context
Occupational Outlook Handbook (opens in a new tab): national pay and outlook
Job postings on Handshake, Indeed, or Glassdoor: what employers are actually asking for

Pathfinder Tip

Prefer paper? A printable version of this guide is in Blackboard. Fill it in by hand, then upload a photo or scan.

Career Research Guide

Your name (required)

Date

Section 1The basics

Be specific. "Health care" isn't a career. "Registered Nurse" is.

Job title

Industry or field

Education and training required. Which program at OCTC, or elsewhere, gets you there? Specific skills needed: technical skills, software, certifications, or licenses Sources I used

Section 2The numbers

Use Career Coach for regional numbers and the Occupational Outlook Handbook for national ones.

Salary range in our region

National median salary

Job outlook

What's driving the outlook? (For example: technology, an aging population, policy, automation)

Section 3The reality of the work

This is what most career research skips: what the work actually looks and feels like day to day.

Typical work environment. Office, outdoors, clinical, remote, school, warehouse, lab, traveling?

Typical schedule and hours (days, nights, weekends, on call, flexible?)

Dress code (scrubs, uniform, business casual, casual?)

People load

Pace and pressure

Physical demands. Sitting, on your feet, lifting, driving, traveling?

Section 4The fit analysis

Connect what you found to what you know about yourself from Modules 3, 6, and 7.

Strengths: where do your HIGH5 strengths show up in the demands of this career? Be specific. Don't just list your strengths.

Values: where my values are honored

Values: where there may be friction

Work environment: how does the setting fit how you work best? Pressure: how does this career's pace and pressure compare with how much pressure you handle well? Academic path: how does the education this career requires connect to the direction you explored in Module 6? Life management: how do the schedule, pace, and physical demands fit how you manage your time and energy now? Overall fit

Section 5Your honest assessment

This section feeds straight into Mile Marker #8.

Three reasons this career interests you. Go deeper than "it pays well." Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3

One area of alignment

One area of friction or uncertainty

One question I still have

Who or what could help me answer it?

Before you writeSynthesis In two or three sentences: what do you know now that you didn't before, and what does it change about how you're thinking about your direction?

In the print window, choose Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF) as the printer. The file name will start with "Career Research Guide".