Four steps to a new career

FOUR STEPS

TO A NEW CAREER

Georgia Department of Labor

Michael L. Thurmond, Commissioner

Need a New Career?
When a person needs to find a new line of work - or their first job - it's often hard to know where to start. There are steps you can take and several tools you can use to explore the possibilities.
Follow these steps to explore occupations and decide what aspects are most important to you and your future. Ask about any of the tools listed at the Resource Area in your local GDOL Career Center.
Step 1: Find Occupations to Explore
These O*NET Career Exploration Tools are all good starting points for understanding yourself and exploring occupations that might fit you best. You can take one, two or all three of them.
The Interest Profiler helps you discover the type of work activities and occupations that you would like and find exciting. It is self-administered and is available in both a paper/pencil version and a computerized version.
The Work Importance Locator helps you identify your work-related values, or what is important to you in a job. Examples of work values are independence, relationships, and working conditions. The Locator relates these values to occupations that you may find satisfying. It is also self-administered and comes in both a paper/pencil and a computerized version.
The Ability Profiler helps you identify your job-related strengths and relates them to occupations that best match those strengths. It has a paper/pencil section and an optional apparatus section that measures abilities such as motor coordination and manual dexterity. It is administered by GDOL staff and scored by computer.

Step 2: Get More Information
Now you probably have several occupations to explore. Next, find more information on each one. These are some important information sources:
O*NET OnLine is an easy-to-use website found at http://online.onetcenter.org. Under Find Occupations by Keyword, enter a job title. Then print a Summary Report to compare job tasks, working conditions, needed skills, education and experience level, related occupations and more. You can also find related occupations under Find Occupations by Job Families.
The Georgia Career Information System or GCIS has extensive Georgia-specific information on occupations, related education and training programs, schools and colleges, and financial aid. GCIS also includes a Skills process that helps you identify jobs that match the skills you prefer using. Information is available at www.gcic.peachnet.edu.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook, available in book form and also at http://www.bls.gov/oco, gives in-depth information about many occupations including qualifications needed, job market trends, advancement opportunities and related occupations.
Talk to people in the occupation on what they like about their jobs, and what they don't like as well.
Step 3: Compare and Consider
Use the worksheet on the other side, or make one that includes the factors most important to you.
Step 4: Develop an Action Plan
Decide what more you need to know about each occupation, and the training needed, in order to reach a decision. Finally, develop your action plan and get started on the road to your new career!

DOL-4440 (7/04)

Occupation Titles

Occupations to Explore Worksheet

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Main Work Activities

Working Conditions

Main Industries Where Found

Related Occupations

Education, Training and Experience

Where to get Education or Training

Average Wage

Job Market Outlook

Other Considerations: Positive

Other Considerations: Negative

More Information Needed

My Action Plan
Goal:

Steps I will Take:

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Visit our website at www.dol.state.ga.us
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