Explore Career Options

Once you have assessed yourself, it's time to explore career options. A wide variety of information about industries and occupations is available. Exploring several industries and occupations will help you to discover the options that most interest you. First, it's important to think about the difference between occupations, industries, and work options. An occupation is a specific type of position within an industry (like nursing assistant or carpenter). Industry refers to the field type of business of a company or employer-such as health care, manufacturing, or real estate. Some occupations (like administrative assistant or sales representative) are available within several industries. Many work options-such as self-employment, full- or part-time employment, or temporary employment-exist across industries and occupations.

To keep from getting overwhelmed, use a notebook or portfolio to organize your research. Select a category below to get started: