Career Exploration

Occupational Awareness Inventory Project

This material may be used as an outline for your research paper for Academy Selection.
Click here for a PDF Format copy of the Occupational Awareness Inventory.

This inventory has been designed as an occupational study guide and checklist to aid you in conducting a personal occupational exploration.

As you gather facts about the occupation of primary interest to you, be alert for related areas that could provide alternatives. Career decision making often involves a consideration of alternatives in addition to focusing one’s attention in a specific direction.

Note: your are enrolled in a specific program, and this paper should be reflective of this program.

  1. Introduction
    1. List the occupations that you think you might enter.

    2. Choose the occupation that you are most interested in and want to explore in detail in sections II thru VII.


    To answer sections II thru VII, use the following resources:

    Welcome to O*NETTM OnLine!
    http://online.onetcenter.org/
    Making occupational information interactive and accessible for all...

    Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2002-03 Edition
    http://www.bls.gov/oco/

  2. Nature of the occupation that you chose to explore and how you feel about it.

    3. Examples for the questions below: work inside or outside, vacations, salary, helping or working with people, etc.

    What I really like about this occupation

    		   What I don’t like about this occupation

    Values and Interests:

    How might your values and interests be satisfied by this occupation?

    (You might find the self-exploration Discovery Program available in the Advising Center helpful.)

  3. Amount of Education Required

    1. Amount of Education
      • Associate Degree
      • Bachelor’s Degree
      • Master’s Degree
      • Doctoral Degree

    2. Field Experience Required
      • Internship
      • Apprenticeship
      • Practice Program
      • On-the-job Training

    3. License or Certificate required?

      • Name of License/certificate

      • Certifying Agency

    4. What Academic Majors lead to this occupation?

      5. Is your present major one of these: Yes __________ No __________

  4. Entrance and Advancement

    • Entrance:

      • Where might you get your first position? (Name of kinds of employers)

    • Advancement:

      • As you look beyond the entry level position in this occupation, consider the following questions:

      1. To what positions in the occupation may you advance?

      2. What related occupations may this occupation lead into?

  5. Employment Outlook

    1. National projections

    2. Do you have preference for a particular geographic region?

      3. Yes _____ No _____ If yes, what is the outlook for that region?

  6. Salaries

    7. National _______________ Geographic Area of Interest _______________

    Beginning Wage _______________

    Average Wage _______________

    Top Wage _______________

  7. Sources of Additional Information

    8. (Names and addresses of major professional associations and other organizations from which you may get some helpful information. Take a look at the Professional Organization Research page for some suggestions. )

  8. Summary

    9. Go back over your notes on the preceding pages and

    1. List the most important reasons why you think this would be a good occupation for you to enter.

    2. List the most important reasons why you think this would not be a good occupation for you to enter.

  9. Tentative Decision:

    10. If you had to decide today whether or not to enter this occupation, what would you decide and why?