Careers

Whether you are a guidance counselor working with students on their career goals or a teacher who wants to integrate some school-to-work examples into the curriculum, the Internet is a rich source of information. While most career Web sites are designed for high school or college students, we have also identified several sites designed specifically for younger students. (Wisconsin teachers may also find excellent video resources on careers for all grade levels in the ITV Database.)

High School | Middle School | Elementary

Careers Conference 2010, sponsored by the Center on Education and Work, UW-Madison, is planned for January 25-27, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. This national event is one of the leading conferences of its kind, focusing on all aspects of career development and education for work, serving levels from Kindergarten through Adult.

High School

Career Voyages from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education is designed to provide information on high-growth, high-demand occupations, and outline the skills and education needed to attain those jobs. The section on emerging and evolving fields takes a look at new fields such as nanotechnology and geospatial information. Other features include guide to the fastest growing occupations in each state, and video guides to apprenticeships, on-the-job training, 2-year colleges and other career preparation paths.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics is a massive guide to all types of careers. The Web version is searchable by keyword, and each entry describes an occupation, qualifications, salary information, and future outlook for the profession.

CareerOneStop CareerOneStop from the U.S. Department of Labor provides access to many federal career resources, including CareerInfoNet with nearly 450 career videos showing real people doing real work.

CareerForward from Microsoft and the Michigan Virtual University is a web-based careers course available to high school students nationwide. Schools may also choose to host the course on their own Blacboard or Moodle system.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Career Center The Career Center offers a wide variety of services including information on careers, job skills and assessments. Individuals can investigate details of specific occupations, career paths, and education and training needs.

The School to Careers Web site from Iowa Public Television provides access to a large database of career information that can be searched by keyword, occupation, career path, or school subject. Each entry includes a description of the career, a story about someone in that career, and a short video clip.

Working in the 21st Century features a slide show with many charts and graphs summarizing employment statistics in the US today. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides this site which serves as a nice introduction to a careers unit.

Go Global: the International Careers Web Site from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is designed for UW students interested in international careers, but information and links on the site can be useful for others interested in exploring the field.

International Career Interviews from the Asia Foundation lets students learn about careers such as Conflict Prevention, Youth Exchange, Foreign Service, Global Health and International Law.

LifeWorks™ from the National Institutes of Health Science Education Office lets middle and high school students explore more than 100 medical science and health careers by title, education required, interest area, or median salary. The "Career Finder" feature will generate a customized list of careers based on answers to questions about your skills and interests.

Careers in Biotechnology from Access Excellence describes many different careers in the growing field of biotechnology and includes interviews with biotechnology leaders.

A Guide to Careers in Agriculture and AgriFood from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture describes various fields within the industry, types of jobs available in each field, and necessary career preparation.

Dryden Flight Research Center features information about careers in aerospace at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

How to Become an Engineer from the National Society of Professional Engineers describes engineering careers and outlines educational requirements. 50 Engineers You Should Meet profiles engineers with interesting stories, and

A Sightseers Guide to Engineering shows sites all over the country that highlight "how engineers turn ideas into reality."

Environmental Careers, Internships and Scholarships from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency links to career resources in the environmental field.

Computer Science Career Guide from the Vocational Information Center has links to many different computer science job descriptions, which include information such as daily activities, skill requirements, salary and training required. Also, Careers in Computing from the IEEE Computer Society has contains information about computer-related occupations, including college preparation.

Tomorrow's Doctors: Considering a Career in Medicine from the Association of American Medical Colleges offers information on medical careers and preparing for college and medical school.

Aetna's 2005 Calendar of African American History online edition features information about African American pharmacists, the theme of the calendar.

Marine Science Careers from Sea Grant profiles and gives salary information for marine biologists, oceanographers, ocean engineers, and professionals in related fields.

Zoo and Aquarium Careers from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association describes a variety of careers and required training.

The Junior Engineering Technical Society guidance brochures help high school students understand what engineering is, what engineers do, and how to prepare for an engineering career.

Celebration of Women in Engineering includes a gallery of women engineers and career and mentoring information.

Careers in Agriculture from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services discusses a range of agricultural career choices.

Aquatic Science Career Information from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography profiles employment opportunities, job outlook, earnings, and working conditions for aquatic scientists. (Click on "Student Information" then "Aquatic Science Careers.")

Careers in Retailing from the National Retail Federation describes the retail industry and highlights occupations such as sales manager, buyer, and customer service representative.

The Revolutionaries from the Tech Museum of Innovation interviews some of Silicon Valley's technology and science pioneers, focusing on their early interests in science, advice for young people excited by technology today, and thoughts about the future.

Careers in Journalism from the American Society of Newspaper Editors describes careers in journalism and suggests high school and college preparation.

Graphic Communications Careers from Graphic Comm Central provides a wide variety of resources including descriptions of occupations and economic trends in the industry, job listings and search engines, and information on scholarships. Check out Discover Print for video interviews with people in different graphic communications careers.

Cultural Career Information explores careers in Film, Heritage, Music and Sound Recording, New Media and more. This site from the Cultural Human Resources Council of Canada includes information on how to get started in each of these careers as well as profiles of professionals.

Military Career Guide Online from the DOD (Department of Defense) Center outlines employment opportunities in the different branches of the military and gives details on 152 enlisted and officer occupations. Each branch of the military also maintains a recruiting site with career information.

• Air Force

• Army

• Army National Guard

• Coast Guard

• Marine Corps

• Navy

JobStar, created by librarians in California, provides career information and an excellent set of links to career sites on the Web.

Wisconsin Job Center from the Department of Workforce Development offers an online job search service.

Career Browser from the College Board presents detailed descriptions of many occupations including working conditions, qualifications, job prospects, salary information, and related jobs.

The Career Interests Game from Missouri University allows students to match their interests and skills with similar careers using a personality inventory developed by Dr. John L. Holland.

The Keirsey Temperament Sorter supplies a system for self-assessment of temperament that is sometimes used to help students decide on career paths.

FutureQuest is a WebQuest in which students play the role of high school career counselors.

Middle School

Careers in Aviation and Aerodynamics from The National Business Aviation Association supplies information about careers in aviation and aerodynamics.

Discover Engineering Online gives an interactive tour of the engineering profession designed for middle school students.

Engineer Girl from the National Academy of Engineering highlights engineering careers in space, medicine, environment and communications.

The Real Science Web site accompanies the public television program for students, which explores careers in science. It provides brief descriptions of many science careers and action tips for students interested in pursuing or learning more about them. (Real Science video series information and broadcast schedule for Wisconsin teachers.)

Guide to Zoological Park Careers by Sea World describes careers working with animals, includes interviews with professionals, and offers career preparation advice.

Paper University: Looking for a Great Career from the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry describes jobs in that industry.

Your Future in Transportation from the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program outlines careers in transportation.

Navy Jobs: Life Accelerator is a program that, based on activity, learning, and job interests, assigns profiles identifying the kinds of navy jobs a person would be best suited to.

Elementary

BLS Career Information from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics lets elementary students look for “Jobs for Kids Who Like…” various school subjects. The site includes a teacher guide.

Pioneers and Astronauts from the NASA Kids Web site offers information on careers in space, aeronautics, engineering, science, and math.

How to Become a Volcanologist from Volcano World tells about careers studying volcanoes.

When I Grow Up from the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program describes careers in transportation.

Want to Be a Scientist? from the USDA'a Science4Kids site describes agricultural careers such as animal scientist, soil scientist, nutritionist, microbiologist and more.

Getting Your Own Lab Coat introduces young students to health and science careers. This site from the National Institutes of Health kids pages features interviews with a wetland ecologist, a lung doctor and others.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation offers K-5 students a fun look at Jobs with the FBI.

Clear Creek Career Discovery describes one elementary school’s successful career exploration program.

The Firefighter Protective Clothing Tour from the Davis, California Fire Department lets you click on any part of a firefighter's special clothing to learn about how it helps firefighters do their job. Click on the audio button on the home page where it says "Day Uniform" to hear firefighter Emily talk about her job. There are lots of video clips and photographs of firefighters training and doing their job. The Tour of Engine 31 gives a close up tour of a fire engine, complete with the radio conversations you would hear if you were in the engine.

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