It’s important when selecting a career to be fully aware of the future job growth potential as well as salary possibilities. What could be sadder than to spend four years of college and discover that your selected major or selected career does not sustain a family — or that there are only a few new job openings in that field.
A salary that is livable for a Young Professional may not be adequate for a family. A yearly salary in the mid-twenty thousand may look good – but, the federal government poverty rate for a family of four (two adults, two children) is $24,000.
Some college majors, and some careers, will not support a family! There are college majors that do not lead to sustainable careers and do not generate the funds to pay back Young Professional loans! Other careers may pay well but are fields that are not growing and are difficult to get into.
WOWI
World of Work Incorporated (WOWI) has developed a skills assessment tool (https://www.wowi.com/ ). This one and a half hour online career assessment test measures skills in categories of verbal, numerical, abstractions, spatial-form, mechanical/electrical and organizing skill. It also measures job satisfaction indicators (workplace preferences) such as: isolative, gregarious, dominant, versatile, repetitive, etc.
Having measured skills and workplace preferences, the career assessment tool provides recommendations on career interest areas that would be suitable such as: sciences, public service, managerial, arts, clerical, service, sales, outdoor or industrial.
Finally, the WOWI career assessment provides specific job titles that would work for you based on your skills and workplace preferences. These job titles are organized according to required education and are linked to Department of Labor web sites that provide information on job growth for the next ten years and projected salary information.
The WOWI career assessment is a wonderful tool that provides specific career recommendations and allows you to determine if the projected job growth and job salary are sufficient to allow you to support yourself and a family.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics “Occupational Outlook Handbook” is available at bls.gov/ooh. This document allows you to select occupations based on entry-level education, median salary, projected growth rate, on-the-job training and projected number of new jobs.
At each specific job title entry the OOH provides details on median pay, entry-level education, number of jobs today, number of jobs in ten years, and job outlook.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook also provides information on the type of tasks that are accomplished in this job, work environment, how to enter the field, pay, job outlook and links to similar occupations.
This document provides excellent information on job growth projection and salary growth.
O*Net Online
O*Net Online is sponsored by the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration. The website, onetonline.org, organizes careers into categories such as green industry, bright outlook, STEM discipline, job family and job zone.
For each job title, the website lists typical tasks, needed tools and technology, knowledge, skills, abilities, work activities, detailed work activities, work context, job zone, education, credentials, work styles, work values, related occupations, wage/employment trends and current job openings.
This website contains a very thorough description of thousands of job titles and a complete explanation of the tasks, tools and technology used in the job.
Career One Stop
Career One Stop is found at careerinfonet.com. This website contains career videos where people explain their work. There is also an excellent section on education and training options and a section on federal training programs and locating state educational resources.
Occupational information is very comprehensive and is provided state by state. Projected annual growth projections are presented for the U.S and for each state.
Educational resources and recommendations are provided for specific careers.
Majoring in the Humanities
Majoring in the Humanities may make the transition to the workforce challenging. All pathways to a career require diligent preparation and a clear strategy.
It’s crucial to have a plan for developing specific skill-sets which are attractive to employers. Become very familiar with the educational requirements of jobs listed in the Occupational Outlook Handbook or O*Net Online. Develop a firm career path towards specific employment or towards post-graduate school.
Conclusion
It’s important to carefully study career opportunities in respect to future employment projections and in respect to salary (will it support a family). There are a number of very good websites that provide this information. Also, the WOWI career assessment test can be helpful in determining your interests, skills and workplace preferences and providing detailed job recommendations.
As you study career opportunities, include your parents, relatives and others in your deliberations, to seek their wisdom. As you continue to study this decision out in your mind, take your conclusions to Heavenly Father in prayer for affirmation of your career choice. successful career choices consistent with what matters most to you.
