Career Voyages (continued)

You can start in a several different places-it's up to you to pick your route:

• Dive right into one of the industries. Start learning about the kinds of jobs that are in demand

• Under other stuff, also on the upper left-hand side of your screen, you can sample the Career Videos, featuring real people doing real work.
• Also under other stuff, you can find out what careers are growing in your state and what education and training level these careers require.
• America's Career Resource Network (ACRN) consists of state and federal organizations that provide information, resources and training on career and education exploration. The network is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and operates in every state and territory. Some resources you might find useful are below:
  
  
  • Help Your Child Identify Interests (PDF, 3.1 MB)
  • Help Your Child Make Career Decisions (PDF, 2.6 MB)
  • Why Should My Child Explore Careers? (PDF, 3.0 MB)
  • Work Experience Options for High School Students (PDF, 2.7 MB)
  • Financial Aid Resources for Post-High School Education (PDF, 2.8 MB)
• You can also try our Career Compass to get a sense of which careers might fit your child's interests.

How to Qualify for and Get a Job

As you probably know, preparation, persistence, and enthusiasm are important keys to finding a job. Education and training also play a vital role. Remember:

The more you learn, the more you can earn.

If your student is still in high school, the first step is to encourage them to complete a rigorous program of study. It should give them the knowledge and skills suitable to get started in any career they select. It should also get them ready for future programs of study they might wish to pursue.

If your student is out of high school and looking for new opportunities, they should find out how their skills match up with employer requirements in their area of interest. If they need more training or education, they'll want to identify institutions or programs that have what they're seeking and check their eligibility requirements, training costs, and available financial assistance.

How Do They Get Started?

• If they're in high school, you should learn about Career Clusters and how they might help determine the best course of study.
• To find information on the knowledge, skills and abilities that are in demand with employers, select any of our featured industries on the left side of your screen and then select any of the occupations that are in the in-demand list. You can then learn about what is required for that occupation as well as the employment and wage trends in most states.
• To see how current set of skills matches the requirements of a particular occupation, try the Skills Profiler on our sister site, America's CareerInfoNet (ACINet). ACINet also has contact information for millions of employers in the Employer Locator tool.
• Finally, a great selection of jobs are at America's Job Bank (AJB). AJB is one of the biggest and busiest job markets in cyberspace. Job seekers can post resumes where thousands of employers search every day.

My Child Would Like Some Personal Assistance. Where Can They Go?

There is a lot to consider when job hunting. It's helpful to talk with someone who can help guide you in the right direction. Your local One-Stop Career Center has counselors ready to give you valuable guidance for making the right career decisions. Find a local One-Stop Career Center in your area or call our Toll-Free Help Line for help with employment and training questions.