Career Exploration: Selected Resources from Hunter Library

Finding Reference Sources

Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance - A multivolume set with entries for individual careers arranged alphabetically.  Includes professional organizations.
REF HF 5381 .E52 2005

Institute for Research - Use the index to locate individually-numbered, topical booklets, which provide detailed information about specific careers, including professional organizations and journals. 
REF HF 5381 .I5

Occupational Outlook Handbook - Published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the definitive guide to hundreds of types of jobs.  Entries include training, education, earnings, working conditions and job outlook.
REF DESK and Online

Professional Careers Sourcebook - Profiles of 126 professional and technical occupations, including several categories of information, such as job descriptions, professional associations and professional/trade journals.
REF HF 5382.5 .U5 P76

To find books, try a keyword search for your topic and the term “vocational guidance.”

Examples:

Architecture and “vocational guidance”

Athletes and “vocational guidance”

Forensics and “vocational guidance”

Series - There are two series in the collection that might be particularly helpful – many of the titles are in E-book form:
VGM Opportunities Series
VGM Professional Careers Series

When exploring careers, it can be helpful to look at examples of professional journals related to your topic.  A reference librarian can help you locate leading journals for your field, or explore the Electronic Journals A-Z list by subject.

Professional organizations are a rich source of information about careers.  Most professional organizations have websites that can be easily located using a search engine such as Google.  To locate the names of professional organizations related to your topic, refer to the “Finding Reference Sources” section above, and/or consult:

Encyclopedia of Associations
REF DESK AS 22 .E5

Other Useful Resources

• WCU Career Services
• WCU Costs and Financial Aid
• National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates - from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Cost of Living Statistical Resources - from the University of Michigan Library
• Loan Payment Calculator with Salary Requirements - from FinAid.org