In both the print and online versions of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, you will find key information you need when deciding on career choices and alternatives. Do you want to expand your options in a current career, jump to a related job, or switch completely? The Occupational Outlook Handbook can help you make an informed decision. Each occupation based article has sections that describe the nature of the work; training, other qualifications, and advancement; employment opportunities; job outlook; earnings; related occupations; and sources of additional information.
The online version has much more information for the job hunter if you know where to find it. The rest of this article will show you where to look and what you will discover, On the homepage of Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) look down the left frame until you see “Special Features” (just above the search box). Click on it. The top two categories are of special interest to job seekers.
The first, “Sources of Career Information” categorizes useful sites into several subject areas. Take a look at them. Pay special attention to the State Sources heading. Here you will find the states listed in alphabetical order. On the Massachusetts site provided, please note that you do not have to register. You can skip the user name and password at the top of the screen. Choose a city or fill in a zip code at the bottom of the screen. That gives you full access to all of the site’s information.
The second option under “Special Features” is “Finding and Applying for Jobs and Evaluating Offers.” Again, take a look at the headings listed here. Under “More Information” it suggests you visit us, your local library. It also provides links to five articles from Occupational Outlook Quarterly. All in all, there is a treasure trove of information here provided at no cost from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can take the information at your own pace, checking out a little or a lot.
You can find the print copy of the 2010-11 Occupational Outlook Handbook in the reference stacks of the Newton Free Library. Look for the call number R 331.7 O15O. You can find the online version on your home computer at http://www.bls.gov/oco/.
Posted by raknapsack 
