O*Net
O*Net is a project of the National Center for O*Net Development created for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. This government project contains extensive career and occupational information for job seekers.
The O*Net database, which is free to users, helps students explore career options and employees investigate new possible careers based on their interests and values.
Using the O*Net database, students can search the information using keywords for more information on specific careers or browse different occupations that involve common interests and abilities.
The O*Net database includes Career Development Tools, a set of assessment guides to help users identify what they desire in a job, based on their abilities and skills. When users determine their ideal work environment based on these factors, job seekers can then connect to the occupations in the databases that involve those same factors.
The O*Net database also includes research information on developing new industries, including the emerging green industry and the greening of traditional occupations, including transportation and manufacturing.
Another tool on the O*Net database includes career ladders and lattices, which show users possible movements starting with an entry level position. Career ladders show possible vertical movements (upward mobility) whereas lattices show possible lateral movement (side to side mobility) within an occupation.
For example, someone with the position as a computer programmer within an organization can move up the ladder to become a network administrator or move laterally to become a database communication analyst. This tool can help employees plan their future career possibilities.
The information on O*Net is updated with new information through research & technical reports and podcasts. Users can sign up for RSS feeds, and the O*Net is also available as a Spanish download.
To access O*Net database online from the Library homepage, click on Useful Internet Links, click Business & Careers, and look for O*Net, the Occupational Information Network.
