1. Section 3.2 What to Research
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2. Key questions to ask while researching careers
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Key questions to ask while researching careers
Important characteristics that make up a career profile

3. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
Asking the right questions about jobs that interest you will make your career search more productive.

4. KEY TERMS
work environment
flextime
benefits

5. Values
When you research a career, ask yourself if your values match the values that will help you in that career.
continued

6. Values
What do you really care about? What do people in that career really care about?
Justice?
Art?
Money?
Health?
Fame?

7. Tasks and Responsibilities
Find out what you will be doing at work each day by asking these questions:
What specific tasks do workers in this career perform?
Are the workdays repetitive or full of new experiences?
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8. Tasks and Responsibilities
Is the pace easy, or is the career a high-pressure one?
Is the work primarily physical or mental?

9. Working with Data-People-Things
Many careers involve working with data and people and things.
Dental hygienists, for example, work with all three.

10. Data
Dental hygienists use data—information learned in training, along with personal knowledge of patients’ dental histories.

11. People Dental hygienists spend most of their days working with people.
A hygienist with a friendly manner will help patients feel comfortable.

12. Things
Dental hygienists also work with things—the tools used to clean teeth.
Hygienists use dental tools carefully and keep all equipment organized and sanitary.

13. Work Environment
Because you’ll spend about 40 hours a week at work, be sure to carefully consider your work environment.
Your work environment, your physical and social surroundings at work, can affect your well-being.

14. Work Environment Visualize your ideal work environment.
As you research careers, try to find those that match your ideal.

15. Working Hours Not all careers are 9-to-5 careers.
Are you a night owl or a morning person?

16. Working Hours
With flextime, workers construct their schedules to suit their lives.
Many employers that offer flextime require workers to be on-site during certain core hours.

17. Working Hours Some people telecommute.
Telecommuters work at home and communicate with clients and colleagues by phone, fax, and computer.

18. Aptitudes and Abilities
Find out which aptitudes and abilities are needed for each career.
Match your natural talents with careers that require those same abilities.

19. Education and Training
Careers demand different kinds of training such as a
two-year associate degree,
four-year bachelor’s degree, or
technical or business school license or certificate.

20. Education and Training
How much time and effort will it take to get the necessary education and training for the careers that interest you?

21. CAREER CHECKLIST Imagine yourself in a variety of different careers.
Identify a Career Path…
Imagine yourself in a variety of different careers.
Make your own personal satisfaction a priority.
Be realistic about job requirements and necessary skills.
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22. CAREER CHECKLIST Have confidence in your own abilities and talents.
Identify a Career Path…
Have confidence in your own abilities and talents.
Keep an open mind about careers that seem difficult or require a lot of education or training.
Base career decisions on your interests, not a high salary or others’ expectations.

23. Salary and Benefits
Occupational directories often include information on what jobs pay.
They list an hourly rate or a weekly or annual salary, as well as ranges based on national averages.

24. Salary and Benefits Benefits may include: health insurance,
paid vacation and holiday time,
retirement plan,
regular bonuses,
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25. Salary and Benefits employee discounts, and
low-interest loans on homes and autos.

26. Career Outlook
Examine what your career area will be like in ten years.
Formal research can tell you about industry prospects and help you make important career decisions.

27. International Career Outlook
With growth in the global economy, more and more careers involve working internationally.
You can find international jobs using library resources and the Internet.

28. Finding the Right Career
Graphic Organizer
3.2
Finding the Right Career
WHO AM I?
Aptitude and Abilities
Data - People -Things
WHAT ABOUT THE
FUTURE?
WHAT DO I WANT?
Work Environment
Working Hours
Salary and Benefits
Career Outlook
International Outlook
WHAT DOES THE JOB
REQUIRE?
Education and Training
Tasks and Responsibilities
Chapter 3 • Researching Careers
Succeeding in the World of Work

29. Key Concept Checkpoint
SECTION 3.2 REVIEW
Key Concept Checkpoint
Comprehension
What aspects of the work environment are important when evaluating a potential career?
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30. Key Concept Checkpoint
SECTION 3.2 REVIEW
Key Concept Checkpoint
Comprehension
Why should you consider a career’s outlook?
continued

31. Key Concept Checkpoint
SECTION 3.2 REVIEW
Key Concept Checkpoint
Critical Thinking
What are some skills, abilities, or personality traits that would be important for a person interested in working abroad?

32. End of Section 3.2 What to Research
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