Highline College Library: Career and Job Research: Career and Job Research

Career and Job Research

The information in this research guide is designed to assist students as they research potential careers and employers.

One place to start your research is to ask yourself "Who do I want to be?" and "What do I want to do?" Then, begin by researching different career paths to see which degrees or certifications are required. When you have a sense of your career path you can brainstorm relevant companies or organizations and research their mission statement to see if their values align with yours. This is a way to see if you would like to potentially work for the company before you start applying.

TED.com: Who Are You?
"What makes you, well, you? Get to know yourself a bit better with this collection of thought-provoking talks."

Websites and Databases with Career Information

O*NET Online This link opens in a new window
Published by U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET searches over 900 occupations. For each career, it provides a comprehensive description including work activities, required knowledge and training, abilities, educational programs, job openings, salary by state or zip code, and more. There is also a tool for Veterans to enter their MOS to find related civilian careers. In addition, it provides a number of tools to help you assess your career interests and find careers which match your current education and training.
Occupational Outlook Handbook This link opens in a new window
"The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. The Handbook is revised every two years."
Washington Career Bridge This link opens in a new window
"Washington's one-stop source for career and education planning." Created by Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.
CareerOneStop (U.S. Dept. of Labor) This link opens in a new window
Your source for career exploration, training & jobs, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. A collection of videos on hundreds of different careers. details such as tasks, work settings, education needed, and more. Videos in Spanish are also available.

Learn How to Become
A one-stop, comprehensive resource that can guide individuals through each of the steps they need to take to begin, further, or change their career path. Learn how to make a difference through volunteering and careers in the non-profit sector.
K-12 Career Exploration (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
Career information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics based on what your interests are.

Highline College Resources

Highline College Career & Transfer Services
Career & Transfer Services helps you build the knowledge, skills, and abilities to make informed choices about careers, student employment, and transfer. While you are a Highline student, Career & Transfer Services can help you search for full-time, part-time, volunteer, internship or on-campus positions. Application assistance, career fairs, mock interviews, networking opportunities, resume review, transfer fairs and workshops are offered every quarter.
Highline College Degree Pathways
Use Highline College's Pathways "to find a career or program that matches your interests and skills — and provides a path to your degree and career. You can choose from more than 100 degrees and certificates within six educational and career pathways."
VitaNavis for Students
Make the most of your experience at Highline! VitaNavis is a tool provided by Highline that uses the SuperStrong assessment to match your personality and interests with educational and career pathways.
Request a Faculty Advisor
To get help choosing classes and/or a degree pathway or career, request a faculty advisor. If you are undecided, choose Exploratory in the degree field.

Association Websites

Professional associations are organizations that support members of a certain profession. An association helps members of specific field keep current, develop themselves professionally, and come together to discuss important issues in their profession.

An association's web site is a great place to learn about a potential career. Use Google to find an association web site for your profession. Search with your profession name and association (example: librarian association).