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Montana career guide 2005 PDF

2005·2.4 MB·English
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Montana Career Guide 2005 MMoonnttaannaa CCaarreeeerr GGuuiiddee 22000055 BBrriiaann SScchhwweeiittzzeerr,, GGoovveerrnnoorr MMoonnttaannaa DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt ooff LLaabboorr aanndd IInndduussttrryy KKeeiitthh KKeellllyy,, CCoommmmiissssiioonneerr CCrreeaatteedd bbyy tthhee RReesseeaarrcchh && AAnnaallyyssiiss BBuurreeaauu PP..OO.. BBooxx 11772288 HHeelleennaa,, MMTT 5599662244--11772288 ((440066)) 444444--22443300 wwwwww..oouurrffaaccttssyyoouurrffuuttuurree..oorrgg EEddiittoorr:: RRoobbeerrtt CC.. MMaarrvviinn CCoonnttrriibbuuttoorrss:: AAnnnneettttee MMiilllleerr JJooee RRuubbyy IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn:: WWhhyy UUssee TThhiiss GGuuiiddee?? In high school, the single most annoying question, and the one we seemed to get asked on a weekly basis, was “What do you want to do for a living?” The standard reply was, “How am I supposed to know? I’m only a sophomore!” To this, the usual response was, “That’s the time to start planning.” We didn’t know it then, but all those annoying teachers and relatives were right. Consider this, if you wait until your senior year to decide on a career path, you may fi nd that the type of college you want to attend requires four years of math in high school. Suppose you didn’t sign up for a math class this semester? By not planning ahead, you’ve severely limited your options. But don’t panic (there you go, take nice deep breaths). Now remember, you are not “deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life.” Chances are, you’re going to change your mind several times along the way, and that’s okay. Only through experience do we learn what kind of work we are best suited for. That’s why it is so important to begin exploring careers early--so we have time to fi nd out what we like and dislike about a number of jobs before committing to a certain path. And it is a commitment, of both time and money. Most jobs that pay a decent wage require a good deal of training and education. Before you shell out the bucks to attend a university, it’s a good idea to have set some clear goals for yourself. M The purpose of this guide is to help you take the fi rst step in setting career goals. Whether you’ve o n known what job you want since the second grade, or have no idea what kind of jobs are out there, this t a guide can help. Inside you’ll fi nd an interest assessment that will help you match up your interests with n specifi c jobs. You’ll fi nd an occupations guide that describes over two hundred of the top occupations a in Montana, tells you how fast each is growing and what level of education is required, and lists low, C median, and high-end wages. There are also sections that will help you choose a training program, gain a r necessary work experience, market your skills in a resume, and interview for a job. e e r Whether you are a high school sophomore considering careers for the fi rst time, a stay-at-home-parent G re-entering the workforce after several years, or someone just looking for a new line of work, this guide u has valuble information for you. Good luck and happy hunting! i d e 3 TTaabbllee ooff CCoonntteennttss What’s Inside? Introduction: Why Use This Guide?.....................................................................page 3 Interest Assessment ................................................................................................page 5 In-Demand Job Skills ..............................................................................................page 8 Occupations Guide ...............................................................................................page 10 Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources ....................................................page 11 Architecture & Construction .........................................................................page 13 Arts, A/V Technology, & Communications ...............................................page 16 Business, Management, & Administration .................................................page 18 Education & Training .....................................................................................page 20 Finance ..............................................................................................................page 23 Government & Public Administration .........................................................page 26 Health Science..................................................................................................page 28 Hospitality & Tourism ...................................................................................page 32 Human Services...............................................................................................page 35 Information Technology ................................................................................page 37 Law, Public Safety, & Security ......................................................................page 39 Manufacturing, Installation, & Repair .........................................................page 41 Marketing, Sales, & Service ...........................................................................page 42 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ................................page 45 Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics ................................................page 47 Investigating Careers: Gaining Experience .......................................................page 50 Education Pays ......................................................................................................page 52 College Entrance Requirements ..........................................................................page 53 Higher Education & Vocational Training ..........................................................page 54 Montana Schools ...................................................................................................page 55 e Apprenticeship Programs ....................................................................................page 56 d i Financial Aid ..........................................................................................................page 57 u G The Job Search .......................................................................................................page 59 r Job Service Workforce Center Locations ...........................................................page 60 e e Marketing Yourself ...............................................................................................page 61 r a Cover Letters ..........................................................................................................page 63 C Resumes ..................................................................................................................page 64 a n The Job Interview ..................................................................................................page 65 a t Job Seeker Resources ............................................................................................page 66 n o M 4 IInntteerreesstt AAsssseessssmmeenntt What’s Your Calling? Some people report having had a “calling” MCIS Assessment Resources to their chosen profession, meaning that they instinctively knew which job they were best TThhee MMoonnttaannaa CCaarreeeerr IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn SSyysstteemm ((MMCCIISS)) suited to do. iiss aavvaaiillaabbllee tthhrroouugghh mmoosstt MMoonnttaannaa hhiigghh sscchhoooollss,, aanndd tthhrroouugghh aallll MMoonnttaannaa JJoobb SSeerrvviiccee WWoorrkkffoorrccee CCeenntteerrss.. For the rest of us, it’s not so easy. IIDDEEAASS AAsssseessssmmeenntt LLeeaarrnn wwhhiicchh ooccccuuppaattiioonnss mmaattcchh yyoouurr iinntteerreessttss Even if you have no idea what career you’d like to pursue, you know that you’ll want a job MMiiccrroo SSKKIILLLLSS AAsssseessssmmeenntt AAlllloowwss yyoouu ttoo mmaattcchh yyoouurr sskkiillllss that matches your personality and interests. wwiitthh ssppeecciififi cc ooccccuuppaattiioonnss Discovering who you are and what you want out of life is probably the most important OO**NNeett IInntteerreesstt PPrrooffiilleerr step in the career decision-making process. IIddeennttiiffyy yyoouurr ssttrroonnggeesstt wwoorrkk--rreellaatteedd iinntteerreessttss Unfortunately, it’s also a step many people WWoorrkk IImmppoorrttaannccee LLooccaattoorr neglect when making major life decisions. FFiinndd oouutt wwhhiicchh wwoorrkk vvaalluueess aarree mmoosstt iimmppoorrttaanntt ttoo yyoouu,, tthheenn eexxpplloorree Experts agree that work satisfaction depends All located at www.mtcis.intocareers.org on matching your personality with your work environment. Working full-time can add up You can use your interest profi le to match to 80,000 hours of work during your lifetime. your interests with specifi c occupations. Just Considering the number of hours of your life at fl ip to the occupations guide (page 10) and stake, the amount of time it takes to do a self- look in the second column. You’ll fi nd interest assessment is negligible. profi les marked for each occupation. And remember, you don’t have to limit yourself only Your likes and dislikes are extremely important to occupations that match your profi le exactly. in your career planning. They will supply you This excercise will just give you an idea of where with ideas of what types of work will suit you to start looking. best. The following interest assessment is based on Holland’s Interest Inventory. Mark the circle following each statement you agree with. When M you are fi nished, add the number of marks in o each column. The three letters with n the highest scores are your t a “interest profi le.” n a C a r e e r G u i d e 55 IInntteerreesstt AAsssseessssmmeenntt I Like To... ...do puzzles O ...work on cars O ...work independently O ...work in teams O ...organize things like files, offices, or activities O ...set goals for myself O ...build things O ...read about art or music O ...have clear instructions to follow O ...influence or persuade people O ...do experiments O ...teach or train people O ...help people solve their problems O ...take care of animals O ...have my day structured O ...sell things O ...do creative writing O ...work on science projects O ...take on new responsibilities O ...heal people O ...figure out how things work O ...put things together or assemble models O ...be creative O ...pay attention to details O ...do filing or typing O ...learn about other cultures O ...analyze problems, situations, or trends O ...play instruments or sing O ...dream about starting my own business O ...cook O ...act in plays O ...think things through before making decisions O ...work with numbers or charts O ...discuss current events or politics O ...keep records of my work O e ...be a leader O d ...work outdoors O i u ...work in an office O G ...work on math problems O ...help people O r e ...draw O e ...give speeches O r a C Add R I A S E C Each a Your Interest Profile is: Column n a t Write your top n three totals here o M Assessment exercise adapted from Mncareers 2005 (www.mncareers.org) 6 IInntteerreesstt AAsssseessssmmeenntt What the Letters Mean: Realistic Social Realistic people are often good at Social people like to work directly mechanical or athletic jobs. They like to with people rather than things. They work with things, like machines, tools, enjoy training, instructing, counseling, or plants, and they like to work with or curing others. They are often good their hands. They are often practical and public speakers with helpful, empathetic good at solving problems. personalities. Investigative Enterprising Investigative people like to watch, learn, Enterprising people like to work with analyze and solve problems. They often other people. They particularly enjoy like to work independently, tend to be infl uencing, persuading, and performing. good at math and science, and enjoy They like to lead and tend to be assertive analyzing data. and enthusiastic. Artistic Conventional Conventional people are very detail Artistic people like to work in oriented and like to work with data. They unstructured situations where they can have good organizational and numerical use their creativity and come up with new abilities and are good at following ideas. They enjoy performing (theater or instructions. Conventional people also music) and visual arts. like working in structured situations. M o n t a n a C a r e e r G u i d e 7 SSkkiillllss In-Demand Job Skills The days when a career was a lifetime commitment are long over. The U.S. Department of Labor esti- mates that Americans will have an average of 3.5 different careers in their lives, and work for ten employ- ers, keeping each job for 3.5 years.1 This refers not to specifi c jobs, but entire career paths. When entering an entirely new fi eld, in which one has little to no experience, the skills acquired through unrelated jobs and life experiences can be a major selling point on a resume. But which skills are Montana employers looking for in applicants? The Basics: Unsurprisingly, basic skills top the list, since #4 Critical Thinking they are required for most jobs. Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative Critical Thinking, and Writing occupy the top solutions, conclusions or approaches to 5 spots. A person will acquire some skill in the problems. basics from high school and work experience. Postsecondary education will give an applicant #5 Writing a competitive edge, regardless of major. College experience also shows a willingness to learn, Communicating eff ectively in writing as appropriate fulfi lling skill #6: Active Learning. for the needs of the audience. #1 Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. #2 Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand #6 Active Learning the points being made, asking questions Understanding the implications of new as appropriate, and not interrupting at information for both current and future inappropriate times. problem-solving and decision-making. #3 Speaking e #7 Judgment & Decision Making d Talking to others to convey information i eff ectively. Considering the relative costs and benefi ts u of potential actions to choose the most G appropriate one. r e e r #8 Mathematics a C Using mathematics to solve problems. a n a #9 Science t n Using scientifi c rules and methods to o solve problems. M 8 SSkkiillllss Mathematics and Science also rank high on the Monitoring is a skill useful for people in man- list. Many high-wage occupations require a degree agement and analysis occupations such as Man- in math or science. For instance, Accountants agement Analysts, Medical and Health Services and Auditors, Financial Examiners, Chemists, Managers, Natural Science Managers, Network Microbiologists, and Wildlife Biologists all require Systems and Data Communications Analysts, and varying levels of postsecondary education in math Market Research Analysts. However, the ability to and science. assess the performance of oneself and others has applications in a wide variety of jobs. Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors, Postsecondary #10 Complex Problem Solving English and Literature Teachers, and Compliance Identifying complex problems and reviewing Offi cers all benefi t from this skill. related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. Operations Analysis is the only technical skill to make the top fi fteen. High importance is #11 Learning Strategies placed on this skill in occupations ranging from Selecting and using training/ Computer Software Engineers and Network instructional methods and Systems Analysts to Natural Science Managers procedures appropriate and Foresters. Operations Analysis made the list for the situation when because it is required not only in high technology learning or teaching new things. occupations, but in many other management and science fi elds. Occupations in technology tend to require high levels of other technical skills that #12 Instructing did not make the list, such as Programming and Teaching others Technology Design. how to do something. #13 Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make Learning Strategies and Instructing skills can also improvements or take corrective action. be acquired in college, especially in Masters and Doctoral programs which give the opportunity #14 Operations Analysis for graduate students to teach lower level courses. Analyzing needs and product Even if one is pursuing a career other than requirements to create a design. teaching, experience in a teaching assistantship proves valuable on a resume, since many M #15 Coordination professional positions require employees to train o other employees, or to instruct the public. Some Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions. n Dieticians and Nutritionalists, for example, travel t a to schools, workplaces, and other institutions, Who knows what new career paths the future will n giving presentations on how to eat smart and bring? The best source of job security in the new a stay healthy. Most employers encourage lifetime economy is the individual development of skills. C a learning, which may include personal research. Identifying the skills valued most by employers r Lawyers need to be highly skilled in Learning will help individuals to invest their training time e e Strategies, since much of their work requires wisely, and allow colleges and vo-techs to develop r research, and they must keep current with the curriculums which will best benefi t students seek- G latest laws and legal precedents. ing employment and businesses that need a labor u i force trained in the most applicable skills. d e 9 OOccccuuppaattiioonnss GGuuiiddee If there’s one message to take away from this guide, it’s that getting the kind of career you want takes planning. Whether you already know what you want to do, or have no idea what kinds of jobs are out there, our Occupations Guide will help you make informed career decisions. Here’s how it works: The Occupations Guide lists Montana jobs with signifi cant employment levels (200 jobs or more) and breaks them into 16 “career clusters,” or groupings of interrelated occupations. The introduction to each cluster explains what kind of jobs and activities are included, and what the employment outlook is for that cluster. Each introduction is followed by a table that breaks down the occupations by the levels of education they require. Interest Occupation Description Wages Outlook Profile Bachelor's Degree Make exact measurements and determine property High-end: $45,250 3 boundaries. Provide data on land features for Median: $35,320 Surveyors IER 2 engineering, mapmaking, mining, land evaluation, Low-end: $29,850 construction, and other purposes. 1 $$00 $$220,000K0 $$440,000K0 $$660,000K0 $$880,000K0 Use the Interest Profi le Can you have the kind Find out about the duties and Is this occupation growing? to match your interest of lifestyle you want activites of jobs you never even Declining? How fast? The code (see pages 5-7) to working in your chosen knew existed. Even if you think outlook column provides specifi c occupations. profession? Use the you know what you want to do, a quick visual guide to job wages chart to fi nd out. you may fi nd an occupation even growth. Use the key below e d better suited to your interests to interpret the symbols. i u and abilities G OOuuttllooookk KKeeyy r e e r MMuucchh FFaasstteerr GGrroowwtthh SSlloowweerr GGrroowwtthh tthhaann a tthhaann tthhee SSttaattee AAvveerraaggee tthhee SSttaattee AAvveerraaggee C a FFaasstteerr GGrroowwtthh tthhaann MMuucchh SSlloowweerr GGrroowwtthh n tthhee SSttaattee AAvveerraaggee tthhaann tthhee SSttaattee AAvveerraaggee a t n SSaammee GGrroowwtthh RRaattee DDeecclliinniinngg o aass tthhee SSttaattee AAvveerraaggee OOccccuuppaattiioonn M 10 Occupation cluster descriptions and national employment outlook created by intoCareers, a unit of the University of Oregon. Copyright © 2005, University of Oregon. All rights reserved.

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