Occupational Research/Informational Interviews

Career exploration involves knowing everything about the occupation, the businesses that employ them, and the industry in general.  You also will benefit from knowing the local labor market to determine where the jobs are in your area.

To research occupations, go to the O*NET website:  http://online.onetcenter.org Links to an external site. - Click on the "Find Occupations" heading then type in a job title in the "Search by" box. You may also find jobs listed in different career categories in the "Browse by" box; scroll through the various categories then click on "Go" to see the list of jobs...then click on the job title to read the description and other information about the job.

More general but comprehensive job descriptions are found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Links to an external site.

The State of California Employment Development Department publishes hundreds of Occupational Guides: Link to Guides Links to an external site.

Here are some other interesting resources including occupational video sites...

Videos of professionals discussing their careers:  Careers Out There Links to an external site.

Occupational profiles with people answering questions about their careers:  The Career Project Links to an external site.

One of the best ways to make a final decision on a career is by performing an informational interview. 15 Best Informational Interview Questions to Ask Links to an external site.

Not sure what questions to ask? Questions to Ask During an Informational Interview Links to an external site.

Informational Interview Videos Links to an external site.

Using a Roadmap Tool, you can customize careers, education, and stories just for you https://roadtripnation.com/roadmap Links to an external site..

Regional guidance can be found at the Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research at  at https://coeccc.net/ Links to an external site.. The Career Education Guide for 2023-2024 can be found at https://coeccc.net/san-diego-imperial/2023/12/career-education-guide-2023-2024-san-diego/ Links to an external site.