Essentials of Writing
2002-2003
Rita Ranck

My Chosen Occupation

Class Guide to Your Research Assignment

 

Getting Started

Begin your research project by taking some online career surveys.
These may help you identify some of your hidden talents and interests. 

SIGI-Plus or e-Choices are two such career survey tools.  
These surveys can be found on the Facts.org website (http://www.facts.org)

 Choosing a Topic

Now you have an idea about what you might like to research.  

You may need to broaden or narrow your topic to make it work for you.  For example: If you know you want to do something in the Arts field that would be pretty broad.  You could then focus your topic a little more to perhaps a graphic artist or theatre set design.  

On the other hand, if your dream is to start your own business re-fabricating ptac air conditioning units for the hotel/motel industry in Georgia, then you may find that you will need to broaden your topic to something like air conditioner/refrigeration technician.

 
UCLA has some nice tutorials and help screens - there is a nice one on Broadening and Narrowing topics.

Suggested Resources 
Books

Start with...
The Career Information Center
REF HF5382.5 .U5C32 1993

* This resource is available on the Winter Haven Campus 

Where is it?  You will find this handy 13 volume set of books in the Reference Collection of the library. You can use the Online Catalog to locate this and other resources in the library - feel free to ask the librarian for assistance.

How do you use it? Start by looking up your chosen occupation in the index (volume 13).  You will be referred to a volume and page number where you will find information about your occupation.  

What information will you find?  Each entry provides information about the education or training required, salary range, and trends in hiring for the future.

 

 

 

Use the Online Catalog to find more books on your career.

LINCCSearch is the Online Catalog for PCC
CD ROM Database

Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance
CD ROM Database

Where is it? You will find this resource in the library on any of the CDROM/Internet access computers.  Double click on the desk top icon for "Encyclopedia of Careers"

How do you use it? You can get started by choosing "Careers A-Z". Job titles are arranged alphabetically within this area.  There are a lot of screens and it can be a little confusing to use at first - if you would like assistance, please, just ask the librarian.

What information will you find? Description of careers with an overview of industries, training, and employment potential.
Internet - Web Sites

You can find anything on the "Net" -  right?   Well... maybe not.

Be very choosy about resources you find on the Internet.
One of the great things about the Internet is that anyone - ANYONE - can post information to the Web -
your sister, my sister (very scary), PHD's, very talented pet...anyone.

How do you know what's good stuff and what's your next door neighbor's 2nd grade science project?
Guess what? There's a web page for that too, its' called
"How Do You Find Reliable Information on the Internet?"

 Suggested Web Site for this assignment...

Occupational Outlook Handbook 2000 - 01 Edition
(Internet Web Version of the book)

A great resource for career information comes from the US Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics.  It is called the "Occupational Outlooks Handbook" .  
It is available via the Internet. 

Where is it?  You will find this resource at http://www.bls.gov/oco/

How do you use it? Click on the link above to go to the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2000 - 01 Edition online.  At the top of the page is a "search" box - type your chosen occupation into this box and click on "go".  You should get a list of possible matches to choose from.  If your search does not return any matches, try changing your search to or ask the librarian for assistance.

What information will you find? You will receive and outline of your career that will include heading like: Nature of the Work, Working Conditions, Employment, Training, Other Qualifications, Job Outlook, Earnings, Related
Occupations, and Sources of Additional Information

You also might try:

 

Still looking? Try searching directories for more career information
These resources are reviewed by real live people for content and accuracy, usefulness... 

  • AlphaSearch
    Directory of "gateway" sites that collect and organize web sites that focus on a particular subject
  • Infomine
    Scholarly Internet resource collections
  • Librarians Index to the Internet
    Searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 7,500 Internet resources
  • Yahoo
    Popular site; useful subject category searching ability.

 
Library & Research Assistance


You can stop by the library and ask the Librarian for assistance - they live for that. Library Hours
You can call the librarian at the library and get assistance over the phone. (WH 297-1040 or LK 297-1042)
You can e-mail the librarians. Staff Directory
You can use the TLCC tutors for writing assistance and Internet Access
You can use any of the many tutorials and help screens available from our college or others.

We are all here to assist you - so please ask!

 

 Please send comments, complaints, and suggestions to cfullerton@polk.cc.fl.us

Last updated 9/2002