Career Outlook
MICHIGAN
- Fastest-growing occupations
- Two-year/associate degree
- Four-years/bachelor's degree
- Master's degree or higher
- Occupations with the largest employment
- Two-year/associate degree
- Four-years/bachelor's degree
- Master's degree or higher
- Highest-paying occupations
- Two-year/associate degree
- Four-years/bachelor's degree
- Master's degree or higher
NATIONAL
- Fastest-growing occupations
- Two-year/associate degree
- Four-years/bachelor's degree
- Master's degree or higher
- Occupations with the largest employment
- Two-year/associate degree
- Four-years/bachelor's degree
- Master's degree or higher
- Highest-paying occupations
- Two-year/associate degree
- Four-years/bachelor's degree
- Master's degree or higher
Website - Reference from America's Career InfoNet/CareerOneStop
Exploring Career Options
Gathering accurate information about specific careers is the next step in the decision process. Career websites can help you narrow down your career selections by providing information about: work activities, national and state-based salaries, job outlook, required skills, and educational requirements.
Use this document to record your research on careers.
The internet provides a number of resources to assist you in your career exploration and job search. Check out the following:
This user-friendly career tool allows students and job seekers to explore career paths, take an interest assessment, build a resume and explore jobs locally through an online job board. Information on employment trends, salary information and career field projection estimates are also available.
This website is a resource to find wages & employment trends, occupational requirements, state labor trends and has an extensive online career resource library.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics an agency within the U.S. Department of Labor publishes the Occupational Outlook Handbook. It is a nationally recognized source of career information that describes working duties and activities, working conditions, required education or training needed, earnings, and job outlook.
Occupational Information Network O*NET Online
The O*NET program is the nation's primary source of occupational information. Central to the project is the O*NET database, containing information on hundreds of standardized and occupation-specific descriptors. The database is continually updated by surveying a broad range of workers from each occupation. Information from this freely available database forms the heart of O*NET OnLine, the interactive application for exploring and searching occupations. The database also provides the basis for our Career Exploration Tools, a set of valuable assessment instruments for workers and students looking to find or change careers.
This website provides information on colleges & universities, and graduate programs. It is an educational resource that has databases and interactive tools for U.S. accredited institutions and programs.
Job Search Tools
- Career Coach
- Skills Employers Want
- Strategic Plan Weekly Action Items
- Tracking System
- Brainstorm Support Systems
- Professional Introductions
- Quick Strategies
- Job Shadow/Informational Interview
Researching the Job Market
One of the most important steps in launching a successful career is the job search. Assistance is available every of the way. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the following services:
Resume and Cover Letter Critiquing – Students can schedule an appointment or take advantage of drop-ins to develop a resume and cover letter before approaching potential employers.
Interviewing Skills and Advice – Not sure what to say or how to say it? Be prepared for job interviews by having a practice interview with one of our career and student employment advisors.
Internships – Gain work-related experience in your specific area of study by enrolling in an internship. You will receive college credit toward your degree or certificate program while learning valuable on-the-job training. Internships can be paid or unpaid experiences.
Recruitment Events – The Kalamazoo Career Fair, one of the area's largest career fairs, is held at the Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Texas Township Campus every March. Top employers come together to meet face-to-face with applicants applying for hundreds of jobs around Michigan.
Workshops – A number of employability workshops are held throughout the year. Topics covered include: how to build a LinkedIn profile, dressing for success, developing an elevator pitch and networking.
Establishing Professional Habits
Establishing professional work habits, maintaining a positive attitude and staying current with technology are essential tools in maintaining your career longevity in the ever-changing work environment.
Top Ten Rules for Workplace Etiquette
Reflecting/Evaluating Your Future
Your career development is a lifetime process. Life transitions will dictate when and how often you will circle through this process. It is important to assess how each position is meeting your individual and professional needs in using your strengths, personality, interests and values.
Even if you are employed, we encourage you to continue taking classes at Kalamazoo Valley. It is always smart to evaluate your circumstances and determine whether additional education or training is needed. In the 21st century, the way you are going to maintain employment is through constant and continued education and training.
Career and student employment advisors are available to assist you with your re-evaluation and reflection of your career direction.
Web Resources
The internet provides a number of resources to assist you in your job search. Check out the following
employment websites: