Careers
General
FERGUSON'S CAREER GUIDANCE CENTER (Facts on File) VIDEO - Comprehensive and easy-to-use career research database offers information on more than 3,300 jobs and 94 industries, plus advice on applying for a job, acing an interview, behaving professionally in the work environment and more. More than 90 sample resumes and cover letters included! The Resources section contains over 50,000 entries on scholarships, internships, and other opportunities. Includes more than 290 videos present essential career information on both specific jobs and industries and on skills. If you're using this resource at home, you'll have to enter your library card barcode to begin.
World Almanac for Kids - Resources for homework, reports, and projects in a fun format from a trusted source. Covers a wide range of topics, including career ideas; written for students in 4th - 8th grade. If you're using this resource at home, you'll have to enter your library card barcode to begin.
Peterson's Test and Career Prep - Provides the tools you need to achieve educational and career success. Whether you are a student exploring higher education, a recent graduate embarking on a career path, or a business veteran who wants to make a change, you'll find in-depth information and interactive exercises to achieve your goals. Includes practice exams, planning features to simplify financial aid and find scholarships, and career tools such as a robust resume creator, career assessments and job overviews. If you're using this resource at home, you'll have to enter your library card barcode to begin. (Peterson's / Gale Cengage Learning / Nelnet, Inc.)
NJCAN VIDEO - The New Jersey Career Assistance Navigator (NJCAN) provides accurate, comprehensive, current, and relevant occupational, post-secondary school and financial aid information. NJCAN contains the latest national, New Jersey and local labor market data and projections. NJCAN also includes information on job interview preparation, resume and cover letter creation, how to keep a job, self-employment, and military occupations. NJCAN is designed to support lifelong career exploration, and career planning and decision-making through easy to use, straightforward search and sorting utilities, and an online portfolio for saving information from all system components.
Click here to login as a NJ Resident. (New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development & University of Oregon)
CareerShip - Online career exploration for middle and high school students. Students can review careers by cluster, match careers to their interests, or search for a particular career (Mapping Your Future, a nonprofit organization sponsored by student loan guaranty agencies; powered by O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor). See also My Next Move INTERACTIVE, an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options, with tasks, skills, salary information, and more for over 900 different careers (National Center for O*NET Development, U.S. Department of Labor).
Career Videos (CareerOneStop) VIDEO - Browse CareerOneStop's video collection to learn about careers, industries, skills and abilities, or work options and education levels. Videos may be downloaded in several different formats (State of Minnesota and U.S. Department of Labor).
Disabilities: Career Resources for Students with Disabilities VIDEO INTERACTIVE [Free registration required] - A collection of online resources for students with disabilities, including the interactive Map It: What Comes Next? module, Getting a Job! module, and a series of Real Life 101 videos to help you prepare for the transition to college or workplace (Described and Captioned Media Program). You'll find links to many helpful resources on the Youth development and leadership resources page (Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor; date unknown). See also Adolescent Health Transition Project and related links, and Webfinder: People with Disabilities - Employment Info.
Khan Academy Career Video Series VIDEO - 'Are you wondering how to land your dream job or negotiate your salary? We ask real people in real jobs how they make it all work in our video series about careers. In addition, explore articles and videos that will help you land a job and make strong financial decisions.' (Non-profit organization)
Know It All: Kids Work! VIDEO INTERACTIVE - Learn about jobs in a hospital, theater and TV station in a colorful virtual community of workplaces, with video profiles of real people who work in these careers; for middle school students. (ETV Commission)
Occupational Outlook Handbook - Explains what workers do on the job in hundreds of occupations; also describes working conditions, education or training requirements, earnings, and expected prospects for a wide variety of jobs. Click on 'A-Z Index', or search by occupation keyword. Updated every two years. See also Career Outlook by subject, 2001 - 2020 [Info in older reports is outdated]. (U.S. Department of Labor)
OLogy - 'OLogy means 'the study of.' On this website, you can meet the 'OLogists' who work in fields such as archaelogy, astronomy, biology, geology, paleontology, and many others; middle school and up (American Museum of Natural History). See also Science and Technology career links, below.
Student Jobs - Lists federal government job opportunities, including internships, for students and recent graduates. (U.S. Office of Personnel Management)
You're a What? [Info in older reports is outdated] - Articles describing a wide variety of new or unusual occupations such as Human factors engineer, Contact tracer, Mystery shopper, Climatologist, Rodeo clown, and many more! (1999 - 2023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Youth at Work - Information for young workers about employee rights & responsibilities, and about different types of discrimination affecting young workers and how to help prevent it (U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission). Young Workers: Safety and Health provides advice for teen workers on how to protect themselves on the job. Also offers related information for parents, educators, and employers (OSHA: U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration). See more work-related links for teens on our TeenZone page.
Specific Careers & Career Fields
For information on specific careers not listed below, please consult the General Resources, above.
NOTE: The sites listed below provide general descriptions about the kinds of work involved in different careers. If they include data on earnings, projected job growth, etc., it may be outdated. For the most recent info, see Occupational Outlook Handbook, above.
Accounting Careers - See Mathematics, below.
Agriculture Careers VIDEO - 40 short videos highlight a wide variety of careers in agriculture and natural resources. Each video is one to four minutes long and features an interview with a professional working in an agricultural field (videos hosted on YouTube). My American Farm INTERACTIVE is a related page for Pre-K - Grade 5. (National Center for Agricultural Literacy at Utah State University)
Animal Care - See Veterinary Medicine and related links, below
Archaeology & Archaeology FAQ - An introduction to careers in archaeology, brief answers to FAQs about archaeology, plus related resources. (Archaeological Institute of America)
Architect - Provides an introducation to the field of architecture, with information on the education & other necessary steps to becoming an architect, and related resources. (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards)
Archivist - Explains what archives are, what archivists do, qualifications for employment, and salaries & benefits (Society of American Archivists; site includes advertisements). See also Library Careers, below.
Astronaut UPDATED LINK VIDEO - Articles and videos to help you prepare if becoming an astronaut is your dream job. Discover STEM Careers at NASA (YouTube videos) NEW VIDEO provides a behind-the-scenes look at just a few of the unexpected roles that help NASA accomplish its goals in space and on Earth (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).
Astronomy - A brief summary of what astronomers do and how to prepare for a career in astronomy (2010, International Astronomical Union). See also About a Career in Astronomy (American Astronomical Society).
Atmospheric Sciences Careers - Learn more about what atmospheric science professionals do for their jobs. Covers fields such as astronomy & astrophysics, engineering, environmental science, geography, geology, meteorology, oceanography and more (National Center for Atmospheric Research). All About Careers in Meteorology gives a broad overview of careers in atmospheric and related sciences, with links to many related resources (American Meteorological Society). Meteorology Careers gives brief descriptions of various career choices for meteorologists, plus some related links (2020, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
Automotive Technician - A brief summary of careers in the automotive industry that can begin with a certificate or apprentice program, plus a searchable listing of ASE-accredited automotive service technology educational programs. (2020, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence)
Biological Sciences - An overview of education and careers in biology, with links to related resources (American Institute of Biological Sciences). See also Careers in Microbiology and the Microbial Sciences (2019, American Society For Microbiology), and Health Careers, below.
Book Publishing [Archived page] - Briefly describes different types of careers in book publishing, and lists corresponding college majors for each job title. You will also find information about different types of publishers, commonly used terms, educational resources, publishing organizations, and more. (Association of American Publishers)
Building Trades - Learn about careers such as Bricklayer, Carpenter, Construction Laborer, Electrician, Operating Engineer, Plumber, Pipefitter, Welder, Roofer, and more. Provides a job description, required education/certification, salary information, important personal qualities (mechanical skills, math skills, physical stamina, etc.), and related trade union link for each trade (Building Trades Alliance). See also These 8 Home Improvement Trades Are Desperate for New Blood (2022, BobVila.com) and PeopleReady Skilled Trades.
Business Ownership: Young Entrepreneurs VIDEO INTERACTIVE - An online course that introduces young entrepreneurs to the basics of creating and financing a successful business. (U.S. Small Business Administration)
Chemistry VIDEO - Describes dozens of careers in chemistry, with information on educational requirements, work environment, skills, career paths, job outlook and more. Also includes profiles of individuals working in each field. (American Chemical Society)
Computers and Information Technology - Briefly describes a variety of computer-related occupations, including What They Do, Work Environment, How to Become One, pay, outlook, and more (from Occupational Outlook Handbook). See also Careers in Computer Science and Computer Engineering (IEEE Computer Society), Cybersecurity Career Options (2022, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies), Careers in Cybersecurity (2018, National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education; National Institute of Standards and Technology), and Engineering links, below.
Construction - See Building Trades, above.
Dentistry Careers - Information on careers & educational programs for Dentists, as well as related occupations such as Dental Assistants, Dental Hygienists, and Dental Laboratory Technicians. See also Dentistry 101 (American Dental Education Association; site includes advertisements).
Design - Careers in design, choosing a design school, guide to internships, and more. (AIGA)
Education: Explore Teaching VIDEO - Different types of teachers explore a variety of reasons for choosing a teaching career; also provides information on financial aid, certification, and related topics (Teach.org, a public-private partnership led by Microsoft, State Farm and the U.S. Department of Education). See also Library Careers, below.
Engineering: DiscoverE VIDEO - Discover engineering with career facts, activities, and more (National Engineers Week Foundation). See also Engineer Girl (National Academy of Sciences), Try Engineering (IEEE), Computers and Information Technology, above, and Environmental Careers, below.
Environmental Careers - Describes a number of different careers in environmental conservation, including park ranger, wildlife biologist, and forester; middle school and up (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources). Environmental Career Opportunities for Students provides information about internships with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Under Other Student Opportunities (on the right-hand side of the page) you will find links to info about fellowships & scholarships, student contracting and more; for high school and up (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). Earning green by working green reviews 2018 wages and outlook in careers protecting the planet, with related pages [Info in older reports is outdated]; high school and up (2001 - 2023, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). See also SEED Center Green Career Resources (Sustainability Education and Economic Development [SEED] Center, American Association of Community Colleges and ecoAmerica), Forest Service Careers UPDATED LINK VIDEO (U.S. Forest Service), Government Jobs, and Engineering links, above.
Foreign Language: Careers in Translation and Interpreting AUDIO - Information on the career outlook for translators & interpreters, an overview of what it takes to do the job, and more (American Translators Association).
Government Jobs - Explores options for working in the federal government, with pros & cons, information about internships & student jobs, Career Guides in a wide range of disciplines, and more. (Partnership for Public Service; nonprofit organization)
Graphic Design - See Design, above.
Green Careers - See Environmental Careers, above.
Health Careers - Information on a wide variety of careers in health and medical science (American Dental Education Association, Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions, et al.). See also Health Occupations (National Institutes of Health), Discover Nursing: Why Be A Nurse (Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc.), and Decoding Cancer: Career Spotlight (Val Skinner Foundation and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey). See also Psychology Careers, below, and Dentistry Careers, above.
Library Careers - Do you love books? People? Computers? A career in library service might be for you! Check out this website for more information (American Library Association). See also Archivist, above.
Marine Biology - Ocean Careers, below.
Mathematics - A basic career overview for students (American Mathematical Society). The Mathematical Association of America offers dozens of profiles on a wide variety of careers. See also Careers in Applied Mathematics (2017, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics), We Use Math: Careers in Math & We Use Math: Careers Using Math ( Brigham Young University), and Be an Actuary (Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuarial Society).
Medical Careers - See Health Careers, above.
Mental Health Careers - See Psychology Careers.
Meteorology - See Atmospheric Sciences, above.
Microbiology Careers - See Biological Sciences, above.
Military Careers VIDEO - Developed as a resource for parents, educators and young adults curious about military service, this website offers interviews with active-duty servicemembers, as well as information about career fields, training, benefits and more (U.S. Department of Defense). My Future: Military Service [NOTE: Links under the heading 'Explore an Industry' are broken] is a related site (U.S. Department of Defense). See also When Military Recruiting Goes Bad: What to Know Before You Sit down with a Recruiter [Published in 2019; some info may be outdated] (LiveAbout.com, IAC/InterActiveCorp; site includes advertisements).
Non-Profit Careers: Finding your Passion - Some advice on finding a career to love; high school and up. See also Career Planning Advice and Job Search & Career Development Guides (Idealist.org)
Nursing - Health Careers, above.
Ocean Careers VIDEO - Video profiles, interviews, biographies, career timelines, and related materials and resources help you learn about a variety of careers which involve exploring our planet's oceans. Careers profiled include Deep-sea Biologist, Marine Ecologist, Geophysicist, Marine Archaeologist, Research Scientist, and Oceanographer (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). See also Marine Careers (University of New Hampshire).
Paleontology - Brief overview of what paleontologists do and how to prepare for a paleontology career (American Geosciences Institute). Careering off Course asks successful palaeontologists career-related questions (2002 - 2016, The Palaeontological Association).
Physics Careers - Profiles dozens of physicists who have taken a variety of career paths and educational paths, plus related resources. See also Why Study Physics? NEW. (American Physical Society)
Physiology Careers - See Health Careers, above.
Psychology Careers - 'This guide provides a look at psychology as a career in many different fields, such as research, consulting, diagnosing and teaching. It includes an outlook of the current job market and testimonials from psychologists on the career paths they have chosen.' See also Psychology Careers [Link opens a PDF], Career Paths in Psychology, and Psychologist Profiles (2008 - 2023, American Psychological Association). See also Social Work, below.
Public Service - See Government Jobs and Non-Profit Careers, above.
Science and Technology; Let's Talk Science Career Exploration - Career profiles that 'showcase diverse career paths and amazing opportunities that are available to people with STEM skills.' For grades 7-12 (Let's Talk Science; Canadian non-profit organization). People Behind the Science Podcast AUDIO features interviews with top scientists about their work, sharing their successes, failures, and passions (hosted by Dr. Marie McNeely). For more resources, see Careers in Science (Science Buddies; non-profit organization), Learn About Careers in Science VIDEO (elementary school and up; Jim Metzner Productions, Inc. et al.), Atmospheric Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering, and OLogy, above.
Social Work - Explores career options in the field, how to get started on a social work career path, internships, licensing, and more (National Association of Social Workers). See also Psychology Careers.
Sports Careers: Work in Sports Career Advice AUDIO - Articles and podcasts with advice for those seeking a job in sports management (Work In Sports L.L.C.). See also Careers for Women in Sports (Women's Sports Foundation), Become a Sports Official (Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Softball, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis & more) NEW (National Association of Sports Officials), How do I become a major league baseball umpire? NEW (Major League Baseball), and How do I become a minor league baseball umpire? NEW (Minor League Baseball).
Statistics - See Mathematics, above.
Teaching Careers - See Education, above.
Theatre Careers - See American Theatre Wing links.
Veterinary Medicine - Brochures on careers in veterinary medicine and veterinary technology (American Veterinary Medical Association). See also Animal Careers [Link opens a PDF] [Archived page] (ASPCA), and Zoo Careers (Sea World).
