Keys To Understanding What's in the Handbook The Occupational Outlook Handbook describes about 250 occupations in detail-covering about 107 million jobs, or 87 percent of all jobs in the Nation. Occupations that require lengthy education or training are given more attention. In addition, summary information on 80 occupations-accounting for another 4 percent of all jobs-is presented in the chapter beginning on page 433. The remaining 9 percent of all jobs are mainly residual categories—such as all other management support workers-for which little meaningful information could be developed. The Handbook is best used as a reference; it is not meant to be read from cover to cover. Instead, start by exploring the table of contents, where related occupations are grouped in clusters, or look in the alphabetical index at the end of the Handbook for specific occupations that interest you or sound familiar. This introductory chapter explains how the occupational descriptions, or statements, are organized. The next two chapters, Leads to More Information and Tomorrow's Jobs, tell you where to go for more information and discuss the forces that are likely to affect employment opportunities in industries and occupations through the year 2005. For any occupation that sounds interesting to you, use the Handbook to find out what the work is like; what education and training you need; what the advancement possibilities, earnings, and job outlook are; and what related occupations you might consider. Each occupational statement in the Handbook follows a standard format, making it easier for you to compare occupations. What follows is a description of each section of a Handbook statement, plus some hints to interpret the information provided. About Those Numbers at the Beginning of Each Statement The numbers in parentheses that appear just below the title of most occupational statements are the Fourth Edition Dictionary of Occupational Titles (D.O.T.), 1977, and its 1986 SupplementU.S. Department of Labor publications. Each number classifies the occupation by the type of work, required training, physical demands, and working conditions. D.O.T. numbers are used primarily by State employment service offices to classify applicants and job openings. They are included in the Handbook because some career information centers and libraries use them for filing occupational information. A Revised Fourth Edition of the D.O.T. was published in late-1991-too late for information contained in it to be incorporated in the occupational statements. An index at the back of this book beginning on page 444 cross-references the Revised Fourth Edition D.O.T. numbers to occupations covered in the Handbook. Nature of the Work This section explains what workers typically do on the job, what tools or equipment they use, how closely they are supervised, the end product of their efforts, and how much variety there is in their daily routine. Technological innovations that are changing what workers do or how they do it, as well as emerging specialties also are described here. Responsibilities of workers in the same occupation usually vary by employer, industry, and size of firm. In small organizations, for example, workers generally perform a wider range of duties because the resources for specialization simply do not exist. In addition, most occupations have several levels of skill and responsibility. Beginners or those with little formal training may start as trainees, performing routine tasks under close supervision. Experienced workers perform more difficult duties, with greater independence, while the most skilled and senior workers perform the most difficult and responsible jobs. Working Conditions This section describes work hours, the physical environment, workers' susceptibility to injury and illness, and protective clothing and safety equipment that commonly are worn. In many occupations, people usually work regular business hours-40 hours a week, mornings and afternoons, Monday through Friday. Others may work nights or weekends, or more than 40 hours-periodically or on a regular basis. Some workers have a degree of freedom in determining their hours in occupations that lend themselves to temporary work or self-employment, for example. Many jobs are performed in pleasant surroundings, while others are in dirty, noisy, dangerous, or stressful ones. Workers may move around a lot or work in a confined space, with varying degrees of physical exertion. Some jobs require outdoor work or extensive travel. A growing number of employers require drug testing. Employment This section reports how many jobs this occupation provided in 1990, and in what industries they were found. Where significant, it also discusses the geographic distribution of jobs, the proportion of workers in the occupation who worked part time (fewer than 35 hours a week), and the proportion who were self-employed. Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement You can be trained for jobs in high schools, colleges, postsecondary vocational schools (both public and private), home study courses, government training programs, the Armed Forces, apprenticeships and other formal training programs offered by employers, or informally on the job. In most occupations, there are various ways to get training. This section identifies the different ways, and indicates the most common or the type generally preferred by employers. It lists high school and college courses considered useful preparation for a job, discusses the nature and length of the training or education program, and reveals if continuing education is required to maintain the position. Remember, the amount of training you have often determines the level at which you enter an occupation and how quickly you may advance. For entry level jobs in many occupations covered in the Handbook, employers do not require specific formal training but instead look for other qualifications. They hire people with good general skills and the proven ability to learn, then give them the specific training needed to do the job. Employers want people who read, write, and speak well; compute accurately; get along with others; and have good work habits. They may require a high school diploma or college degree as evidence of good general skills. Handbook statements also list other desirable aptitudes and personal characteristics-for example, mechanical aptitude, manual dexterity, patience, accuracy, and ability to work as part of a team or without close supervision. This section also indicates whether a certificate, examination, or license is required for entry into the field or for independent practice, and if it is helpful for advancement. It also describes typical paths of advancement within the occupation and patterns of movement or advancement to other occupations. Job Outlook This section identifies the factors that will affect employment in the occupation through the year 2005. How will defense spending, tech nological advances, changing business practices, or shifting population patterns affect the demand for workers? The projections of job outlook presented in the Handbook are based on a reasonable set of assumptions about how the economy is likely to change between 1990 and 2005. After studying economic trends, how industries currently operate, and the directions in which they are moving, the number, distribution, and composition of jobs in 2005 were projected. Of course, no one can predict with certainty all the economic, political, social, and technological forces that will ultimately affect employment growth and job prospects in the future. A summary of the assumptions and methods used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in making employment projections is presented on page 440. A detailed description is presented in Outlook: 1990-2005, BLS Bulletin 2402. If an occupation grows rapidly, it obviously will provide more openings than if it grows slowly. Moreover, the strong demand for talent in a rapidly growing occupation generally improves chances for advancement and mobility. Keep in mind that slow-growing occupations, if large, also provide many job openings. The need to replace workers who transfer occupations or leave the labor force creates most job openings in many occupations, regardless of the rate of growth. Large occupations generally have more replacement openings than small ones. Those with low pay and status, few training requirements, and a high proportion of young, old, or part-time workers generally have more turnover than ones with high pay and status, lengthy training requirements, and many prime-working-age, fulltime workers. Besides describing projected employment change, this section also may discuss the degree of competition for jobs that applicants are likely to encounter. How easy or hard will it be to get a job in this field? Does the occupation attract many more jobseekers than there are openings to be filled? Do opportunities vary by industry, size of firm, or geographic location? The accompanying figure explains what key phrases used to describe projected employment change mean. It also explains the terms used to describe the relationship between the number of job openings and the number of jobseekers. Understandably, individuals might want to enter an occupation or specialty or locate in a geographic area that has fewer qualified workers than jobs because under these shortage conditions, jobseekers generally can choose from more job offers, expect higher salaries, and advance faster. Keep in mind, however, that even in occupations with a rough balance of jobseekers and openings, almost all qualified applicants can usually find jobs. On the other hand, when there are surpluses of workers, applicants may have to search for a longer time, accept a less desirable offer, find a job in another occupation, or face extended unemployment. But since job openings do exist even in overcrowded fields, good students or well-qualified individuals should not be deterred from undertaking training or seeking entry. Some statements discuss job security-workers in some occupations are more likely than workers in other occupations to keep or lose their jobs during recessions or government budget cuts, or when new technologies are introduced. Finally, it is possible that opportunities in your community or State are better or worse than those described in the Handbook, which discusses opportunities in the Nation as a whole. Therefore, it is important to check with local sources. (See the chapter on Leads to More Information beginning on page 4, and the list of State and local agencies, beginning on page 441.) Earnings This section indicates how much workers in the occupation generally earn. Earnings are based on several types of pay plans. Some workers are paid a straight annual salary. Some receive an hourly wage for the hours they work, commissions based on a percentage of what they sell, or a piece rate for each item they produce. Others receive tips for services to customers. Workers also may be paid a combination of a salary or hourly wage, plus bonus, piecework, or tips. Most workers also receive employer-paid benefits such as paid vacations and holidays, life and health insurance, and pensions. Some also get stock options, profit-sharing plans, savings plans, tuition assistance, and bonuses. Workers in many occupations also may receive discounts on merchandise, meals and housing, reduced travel $90,000 |