Careers

Whether you are a guidance counselor working with students on their career goals or a teacher who wants to integrate some school-to-work examples into the curriculum, the Web is a rich source of information. While most career websites are designed for high school or college students, we have also identified several sites designed specifically for younger students.

The Careers Conference sponsored by the Center on Education and Work at UW-Madison is held each January in Madison, Wisconsin. This national event is one of the leading conferences of its kind, focusing on all aspects of career development and education for work, serving levels from Kindergarten through Adult.

Quick LInks: High School | Middle School | Elementary School

High School

CareerOneStop from the U. S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration is designed to help students, parents and career advisors explore career and education options. The Explore Careers section includes hundreds of career videos.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics is a massive guide to all types of careers. The Web version is searchable by keyword, and each entry describes an occupation, qualifications, salary information, and future outlook for the profession.

Getting Job: Tools, Techniques, Trainings was developed for students who are deaf or hard of hearing who are transitioning to work, and the professionals who work with them. The site, from PEPNet and the U.S. Office of Special Education, features a series of videos about all aspects of the job search and employment process, as well as role model videos featuring successful individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. ASL is the source language for these videos. They are also captioned and voiced in English, and educator materials are included.

CareerForward from Microsoft and the Michigan Virtual University is a web-based careers course available to high school students nationwide. Schools may also choose to host the course on their own Blacboard or Moodle system.

The School to Careers website from Iowa Public Television provides access to a large database of career information that can be searched by keyword, occupation, career path, or school subject. Each entry includes a description of the career, a story about someone in that career, and a short video clip.

MissingMajor.com from the California Community Colleges is a lighthearted, video-based career exploration.

Working in the 21st Century features a slide show with many charts and graphs summarizing employment statistics in the US today. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides this site which serves as a nice introduction to a careers unit.

Eastern Washington University Career Wiki is a nicely designed career portal with sections such as Find the Right Career, What Can I do with a Major in..., Resume & Cover Letter, Occupations A-Z, and more. Designed for college students but many of the resources will be useful for high school juniors and seniors.

What Can I do with a Major in... from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire gives students a brief outline of possible careers made possible by a whole variety of college degrees.

Go Global: the International Careers website from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is designed for UW students interested in international careers, but information and links on the site can be useful for others interested in exploring the field.

Careers from the Asia Foundation lets students learn about careers such as Conflict Prevention, Youth Exchange, Foreign Service, Global Health and International Law through interviews with practicing professionals.

LifeWorks™ from the National Institutes of Health Science Education Office lets middle and high school students explore more than 100 medical science and health careers by title, education required, interest area, or median salary. The "Career Finder" feature will generate a customized list of careers based on answers to questions about your skills and interests.

The Career Center from Access Excellence describes many different careers in the growing field of biotechnology and includes interviews with biotechnology leaders.

Careers in Agriculture from the Agriculture Council of America briefly describes various fields within the industry. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services also highlights a range of Careers in Agriculture.

Career Information from NASA features lots of information from the National Aeronatics and Space Administration about careers in science and engineering, flight, astronomy, aeronautics, earth science and more.

Computer Science Career Guide from the Vocational Information Center has links to many different computer science job descriptions, which include information such as daily activities, skill requirements, salary and training required. Also, Build Your Career from the IEEE Computer Society has contains information about computer-related occupations, including college preparation.

Dot Diva encourages high school and college aged girls to explore the vast potential for careers and creativity in the computer science field. 

Tomorrow's Doctors: Considering a Medical Career from the Association of American Medical Colleges offers information on medical careers and preparing for college and medical school.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy provides Pharmacy Career Information.

All About Engineering from the National Society of Professional Engineers describes a variety of engineering careers and outlines educational requirements. Meet the Engineers profiles engineers with interesting stories.

A Sightseers Guide to Engineering shows sites all over the country that highlight "how engineers turn ideas into reality."

The Junior Engineering Technical Society guidance brochures help high school students understand what engineering is, what engineers do, and how to prepare for an engineering career.

Engineer Girl! from the National Academy of Engineering includes information about different engineering careers, profiles of women in engineering, and more.

The Revolutionaries from the Tech Museum of Innovation interviews some of Silicon Valley's technology and science pioneers, focusing on their early interests in science, advice for young people excited by technology today, and thoughts about the future.

Environmental Careers: Opportunities for Students from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency links to career and internship resources in the environmental field.

Working in the Aquatic Sciences from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography explains how students can prepare for careers in aquatic science.

Marine Science Careers from Sea Grant profiles and gives salary information for marine biologists, oceanographers, ocean engineers, and professionals in related fields.

Zoo and Aquarium Careers from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association describes a variety of careers and required training.

Paleontology Careers from the Paleontological Research Institution describes what it takes to study the history of life on earth. The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology also features Paleo Profiles with questions and answers from a working paleontologist.

Retail Careers Center from the National Retail Federation describes the retail industry and explores opportunities, training and resources.

Start Here, Go Places is a website about careers in accounting from the he American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Becoming a Journalist from the society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) highlights requirements and opportunities for those planning a journalism career.

Graphic Design: A Career Guide from the American Institute of Graphic Arts contains information about the field and how to find educational programs.

Careers in Culture explores careers in Cultural management, Film and Broadcasting, Heritage, Live Performing Arts, Music and Sound Recording, New Media, visual Arts and Crafts and Writing and Publishing. This site from the Cultural Human Resources Council of Canada includes information on how to get started in each of these careers as well as profiles of professionals.

A Day in the Life of a Park Ranger from the National Park service gives an idea of life in this career. The Park Service also provides a career guide and more information about permanent, seasonal, interna and volunteer positions.

Military Career Guide Online from the DOD (Department of Defense) Center outlines employment opportunities in the different branches of the military and gives details on 152 enlisted and officer occupations.

Job Center of Wisconsin from the Department of Workforce Development offers an online job search service, as well as a library of career videos.

JobStar, created by librarians in California, provides career information and an excellent set of links to career sites on the Web.

Major and Career Profiles from the College Board presents detailed descriptions of many occupations including working conditions, qualifications, job prospects, salary information, and related jobs.

The University of Missouri Career Center offers resources for students, parents and career educators, including the Career Interests Game that helps students match their interests and skills with posible careers.

The Keirsey Temperament Sorter supplies a system for self-assessment of temperament that is sometimes used to help students decide on career paths.

Middle School

The Fun Works helps middle school students explore ways to link interests to exciting future careers.The site from the Educational Development Center is designed to help you discover who you are, what you like to do, and what you do best, and it provides lots of interesting details about a variety of careers.

Astro-Ventruer Career Fact Sheets and Trading Cards from NASA include job titles and descriptions, areas of expertise, interests and abilities, suggested school subjects and courses, education needed, and more.

Careers in Aviation and Aerodynamics from The National Business Aviation Association supplies information about careers in aviation and aerodynamics.

Discover Engineering from the National Engineers Week Foundation gives an interactive tour of the engineering profession designed for middle school students.

Engineer Girl! from the National Academy of Engineering highlights engineering careers in space, medicine, environment and communications.

Guide to Zoological Park Careers by Sea World describes careers working with animals, includes interviews with professionals, and offers career preparation advice.

Paper University: Looking for a Great Career from the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry describes jobs in that industry.

Drive of Your Life from the Indiana Youth Institute is an online career exploration tool for middle school students. Users must register to use the tool.

Careers from the Kids.gov website links to site with information about careers from archeology to zookeeping.

Elementary

What Do You Like? from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics lets elementary students look for “Jobs for Kids Who Like…” various school subjects. The site includes a teacher guide.

Kids Work! from the South Carolina Educational ETV features a virtual town with information, history and activities about different careers.

Get a Job from Wisconsin DNR's EEK website for kids profiles careers in natural resource fields.

Space Place Live from NASA features cartoon video interviews designed to help kids understand what NASA scientists do.

Cool Careers from the USDA'a Science4Kids site describes agricultural careers such as animal scientist, soil scientist, entomologist, microbiologist and more.

Wearing a Lab Coat to Work introduces young students to environmental health and science careers. This site from the National Institutes of Health kids pages features interviews with a wetland ecologist, a lung doctor and others.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Teen and Kids page offers students a look at careers with the FBI through FBI Agent Avatars, and an interactive look at Tools of the Trade.

The Firefighter Protective Clothing Tour from the Davis, California Fire Department lets you click on any part of a firefighter's special clothing to learn about how it helps firefighters do their job. Click on the audio button on the home page where it says "Day Uniform" to hear firefighter Emily talk about her job. There are lots of video clips and photographs of firefighters training and doing their job. The Tour of Engine 31 gives a close up tour of a fire engine, complete with the radio conversations you would hear if you were in the engine.

Created 06/2005
Last updated 02/22/2011