As a career coach, people come to me from time to time, asking what career is ‘safe’ today or what field of work is secure, pays the bills and doesn’t downsize. If I had a dime for every person who asks me that, I’d be rich. I do tell them that all fields and job titles are subject to layoffs—from attorneys to accountants, marketing researchers to paralegals, medical personnel to fashion designers, and so on. On equal playing fields, subject to the times and the economy, I suggest to people that they find their passion and what they are good at doing and go from there. For those who are uncertain or planning a change of careers, I recommend several resources.

While no one can guarantee the solvency or permanence of any specific career or field of work—especially in these times of rapidly changing company sizes and technology—there are online tasks and equipment available for in depth self assessments of one’s hard skills and temperament and detailed informative on every career and area imaginable. These online treasure troves serve as electronic reference books or textbook-type sites at your fingertips.

One such comprehensive resource I recommend is called ONET, or Occupational Information Network. It would be too complex to report all the vast attributes of this data warehouse but the following breakdown of certain key areas will get you started.

• Resource Center and Online Help—to get you started in understanding what the ONET can do for you and how to fully access and utilize this interactive system.

• Self Assessment—good for the working spirit in you.

• Career Exploration—enjoy the journey.

• In Demand Occupations—every title in work world wonderland and of the future, as well as subdivisions of every possible technical, hard and soft personality skills each occupation requires of the individual—along with testing of one’s work styles and ethics.

• Career Clusters—breakdowns and subdivisions of job titles within fields of work.

• Tools and Technology Search—research and technical reports.

• Career Ladders—for currently employed to advance in their fields.

• Toolkit for Business—employers can use ONET for human resources guidance and job planning and designing.

ONET is also available in Spanish and addresses the needs of persons with disabilities in need of certain occupational and environmental accommodations to perform their duties.

Individuals use ONET to breakdown and subdivide every skill and sub-skill necessary to succeed in a given occupation as empowerment. You might even rekindle memories of forgotten strengths and achievements in your possession from former occupations and reawaken self knowledge of transferrable skills to shift into parallel or unrelated fields of work.

ONET is a valuable aide in reinventing oneself for career change. It can help you go far in planning your next career move or maximizing resume and cover letter prowess for reemployment in your current occupation. The in depth self knowledge gained may also assist you in providing a more effective job interview simply from the knowledge and confidence gained.

Do yourself a favor and explore this vast database in planning your next career move. You may discover something long forgotten or perhaps something new about yourself and your interests that you didn’t realize before.

The internet has a wealth of information and proves time and time again to be a classroom in your own living room or wherever you are for that matter. But these career tools are often unknown and go undiscovered. Put ONET to work for you.

http://online.onetcenter.org/

-By The Job Enthusiast Who Won’t Rest Till Everyone Is Put To Work!

Read about more helpful resources from The Job Enthusiast here.