Part V - Good Government

     In many ways, I consider myself a libertarian.  So when I find FOUR online sites that I really like that are run by government bureaucracies, that's really saying something!  They're informative.  They're current and they're free!!!  ( Doesn't sound like government at all!)
     For years I lugged around a dozen copies of the Occupational Outlook Handbook so I could show my freshman classes how to use this invaluable tool.  Now the Bureau of Labor Statistics has put this publication and much more online.  The BLS site is http://www.bls.gov/ .  At the home page, scroll down the Publications tab to Career Guides and then click onto Occupational Outlook Handbook.  By this point you can see that the site has a wealth of useful information you might find interesting.  You can go to the A-Z index and see an alphabetical list of the careers that are covered by name or related occupations.  Each career article covers:  Nature of the Work; Training, Other Qualifications and Advancement; Employment; Job Outlook; Projections; Earnings; Wages; Related Occupations and Sources of Additional Information.  This last item can be especially helpful.  For example, if you look at this sub-heading under the Radiologic Technologists and Technicians entry, you'll find links to their national society and be able to find specific certification requirements and programs.
     On the BLS home page, if you scroll down to "Career Information for Kids", you'll be linked to a page that asks, "What Do You Like?".  I clicked the Sports balloon and the following choices came up:  Dancer; Professional Athlete; Coach; Recreation and Fitness Worker and Recreational Therapist.  I clicked  Recreational Therapist and was taken to a very easy to read short article that covers the same areas as the OOH in a shorter, simpler manner while linking to the Handbook for more in depth information.
     The Department of Labor runs the O*NET data base at http://www.onetcenter.org/. This is a successor to the DOT - Dictionary of Occupational Titles.  It also gives information about knowledge, skills, interests and general work activities specific careers demand.  You can download assessments or order them from the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO).
     The Department of Labor also runs http://www.careeronestop.org/.  When I began this blog only a month ago, if you clicked on CareerOneStop on the  Federal Department of Education's http://www.college.gov/ site, you were taken to the BLS site mentioned earlier.  Now that link takes you to the Department of Labor site. ( That's the government bureaucracy I know!)  The CareerOneStop is also a really good resource, especially for older students or work force re-entries/unemployed.  They actually have centers run by the Department of Labor to help employment seekers.  There are more than a dozen centers within 25 miles of my home!  Who knew?  Well, that's one of my reasons for doing this.  The amount of information and resources out there is almost overwhelming.  I hope that by writing this blog, I've opened them up to you as well.