Discover Your Path: Comprehensive Career Guides and Resources Online

Planning your career or considering a career change? Navigating the vast landscape of career options can be overwhelming. Whether you are just starting out or seeking a new direction, reliable information is crucial for making informed decisions about your future. JobStar.org offers a curated collection of online resources designed to guide you through every step of your career journey.

Your Gateway to Career Exploration

JobStar.org serves as a central hub, providing categorized access to a wealth of career-related websites. These resources offer in-depth information on diverse professions, helping you understand the requirements, necessary training, future outlook, and typical work environments associated with various fields. Explore the guides to gain insights into what’s currently trending, what’s evolving, and what might be the perfect fit for your aspirations. Many of these external sites also feature personal stories from professionals, offering valuable first-hand accounts of career paths, experiences, and advice for newcomers.

Explore Career Fields: From Accounting to Zoology

JobStar.org organizes career resources by industry, making it easy to pinpoint information relevant to your interests. Below is a categorized guide to various career fields with direct links to external websites offering detailed information.

Business and Finance Careers

• Accounting:
  • A Guide to Becoming a C.P.A.: An excellent resource from the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, tailored for high school students, college students, and recent graduates interested in pursuing a career as a Certified Public Accountant.
  • Start Here, Go Places in Business and Accounting: Developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, this guide is designed for high school and college students exploring career opportunities within the broader fields of business and accounting.

Humanities and Social Sciences

• Anthropology:
  • Careers in Anthropology: The American Anthropological Association provides this guide for individuals interested in starting a career in anthropology, outlining potential paths and necessary qualifications.
• Archeology:
  • Careers in Archeology: This resource, compiled by David L. Carlson, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Texas A&M University, answers frequently asked questions about careers in archeology, including education, resources, and career prospects.
• Art History:
  • Careers for Art History Majors: Rutgers University Career Services offers insights into career paths for Art History majors, listing potential employers, related occupations, and valuable career resources.
• English:
  • English: What Can I Do with this Degree?: Oregon State University provides this guide outlining job titles and various career paths accessible with an English degree, demonstrating the versatility of this field of study.
• Sociology:
  • Careers in Sociology: Excerpts from “Careers in Sociology” by W. Richard Stephens, Jr., offering a concise overview of career options for sociology graduates.
• Psychology:
  • Careers in Psychology: Dr. Margaret Lloyd from Georgia Southern University provides this guide to careers for psychology majors, covering both undergraduate and graduate-level opportunities.
  • Pursuing Psychology Career Page : The University of Northern Iowa offers a curated collection of links related to psychology careers, providing a broad spectrum of resources for aspiring psychologists.

Creative and Performing Arts

• Architecture & Planning:
  • Do You Want to Be an Architect?: A comprehensive guide from the American Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Architecture Students, covering education, internships, licensing, and other essential aspects of becoming an architect.
  • Job Hunting for Planners: The Environmental Design Library at UC Berkeley presents this annotated guide for job seekers in city and regional planning, architecture, and landscape architecture, offering curated resources for career advancement.
• Arts & Entertainment:
  • Arts & Entertainment Careers: UC Berkeley Career Center provides an excellent outline of topics and resources for individuals exploring careers in the arts and entertainment industry, offering a broad overview of this dynamic sector.
• Culinary Arts:
  • Culinary and Hospitality Career Outlook: This resource covers job titles, training requirements, and career outlooks for various culinary and hospitality professions, including cooking, hotel management, restaurant management, and food service.
• Entertainment:
  • WetFeet – Career Profiles – Performing Arts: WetFeet.com offers a general guide to performing arts careers, including links to relevant associations, requirements, job outlook, and compensation information, providing a comprehensive look at this competitive field.
• Music Therapy:
  • About the Music Therapy Profession: The American Music Therapy Association provides information on the practice, training, and career outlook for music therapists, offering insights into this rewarding healthcare profession.

Technology and Engineering Fields

• Computers & Multimedia:
  • Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Partnered with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, this site offers information on a wide range of career paths for electrical engineers and computer scientists, providing valuable resources for STEM professionals.
  • Computerworld IT Careers: Access articles and features from Computerworld’s career pages, including skills and salary surveys, offering current insights into the IT job market.
  • So You Want to be a Computer Game Developer: Diana Gruber’s guide provides excellent insights into the computer game development field, covering various aspects of this exciting industry.
• Engineering – General:
  • Discover Engineering Online: National Engineers Week presents this fun and informative guide to various engineering careers for high school and college students, aiming to inspire the next generation of engineers.

Alt text: JobStar Central navigation button, linking to the homepage, for career resources.

• Engineering – Aeronautical:
  • Aviation & Space Careers : The Federal Aviation Administration provides links to resources for individuals interested in aviation and space careers, offering pathways into these specialized fields.
• Engineering – Civil:
  • Thinking of a Career in Civil Engineering?: The American Society of Civil Engineers offers insights into the past, present, and future of civil engineering, exploring career options in this foundational engineering discipline.
• Engineering – Electrical:
  • Your Career in the Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Engineering Fields: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers provides basic information and resources for individuals pursuing careers in electrical, electronics, and computer engineering.
• Engineering – Mining:
  • Geology & Mining Jobs: Michigan Tech’s guide to career information, government agencies, and societies related to geology and mining jobs, offering resources for those interested in earth science careers.

Health and Medical Professions

• Health – General:
  • ExploreHealthCareers.Org: The Association of Academic Health Centers offers this comprehensive site covering a wide range of health careers, from allied health to dentistry and medicine, including career selection, schools, scholarships, and insights from professionals.
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook: The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ handbook provides detailed outlooks for health diagnosing and treating occupations, health technologists and technicians, and healthcare support occupations, offering essential labor market information.
• Allied Health:
  • Allied Health Descriptions & Certification Information: The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs offers a guide to job titles and certification information in 21 health science occupations, including athletic trainers, medical assistants, and respiratory therapists.
• Chiropractic:
  • Chiropractic as a Career: The American Chiropractic Association outlines education, future prospects, and opportunities within the field of chiropractic, providing a career overview for prospective chiropractors.
• Dentistry:
  • Become a Dental Professional: The California Dental Association outlines various careers in dentistry, providing information for those interested in oral health professions.
  • Career in Dentistry: The American Dental Association offers information on training, careers, and job outlook for dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental laboratory technicians, covering a spectrum of dental careers.
• Gerontology:
  • Careers in Aging Project: This project highlights the diverse field of aging, outlining entry points at various educational levels across disciplines such as social work, nursing, medicine, and public policy.
• Health Administration:
  • What do Health Administrators Do?: Auburn University provides career information for health administrators in hospital and non-hospital settings, detailing the roles and responsibilities within health administration.
• Laboratory:
  • Medical Lab Careers: The American Society of Clinical Pathologists guides individuals toward laboratory careers, such as histologic technicians and cytotechnologists, outlining opportunities in medical laboratories.
• Massage:
  • Becoming a Massage Therapist: The American Massage Therapy Association offers a guide to careers, training, and certification for aspiring massage therapists, detailing the steps to enter this profession.
• Medical Transcription:
  • Becoming a Medical Transcirptionist: The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) provides guidance for those interested in becoming medical transcriptionists, outlining training and career paths in healthcare documentation.
• Nursing:
  • Planning Your Nursing Career: The National Student Nurses’ Association offers resources on training, work environments, job titles, and job hunting for nurses, providing comprehensive career planning tools.
  • Nursing Organications: Nurse.org offers an extensive list of specialty associations for nurses, providing links to in-depth career information within specific nursing fields.
• Physical Therapy:
  • Interested in becoming a PT or PTA?: The American Physical Therapy Association provides career information and links to programs for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, outlining paths in physical therapy.
• Physician Assistant:
  • Becoming a Physician Assistant: The American Academy of Physician Assistants offers career basics for those interested in becoming physician assistants, detailing the fundamentals of this growing healthcare profession.
• Veterinary:
  • Careers in Veterinary Medicine: The American Association of Veterinary Medicine provides information on training, employment outlook, and settings for veterinarians and veterinary technicians, covering diverse veterinary careers.

Legal and Public Service Careers

• Law:
  • Career Profile – Law: WetFeet.com’s guide to legal careers covers requirements, job outlook, career tracks, and compensation, including insights from legal professionals.
  • What is a Paralegal?: The National Federation of Paralegal Associations outlines career paths and training for paralegals and legal assistants, clarifying the role of paralegals in the legal field.
  • California Courts – Court Interpreters: FAQ: The Judicial Council of California offers a guide to training, examinations, and job outlook for court interpreters, focusing on careers within the California court system.
• Law Enforcement:
  • Police & Firefighter Positions: The City of Los Angeles Police Department offers a comprehensive guide to selection, testing, and employment in police and firefighter positions, detailing career paths in law enforcement and public safety.
• Military:
  • Military Career Guide Online: The DoD Center, Monterey Bay, provides an excellent guide to military careers in all branches of service, covering both enlisted and officer paths.

Information and Library Sciences

• Library:
  • Careers in Libraries: The American Library Association offers a guide to professional and para-professional positions in various library types, outlining diverse roles within library science.
  • American Society of Indexers FAQ: This resource provides frequently asked questions about indexing as a profession or business, offering insights into the field of information indexing.

Media and Communication Careers

• Media:
  • Broadcast Employment Services: TVJobs.com offers job listings, resume services, salary information, and career advice for individuals in television and related broadcasting fields, providing resources for media professionals.
  • Careers in Journalism: Boston College provides links to career information, fellowships, and industry guides for journalism careers, offering pathways into media and reporting.

Retail and Service Industries

• Retail:
  • Retail Career Profiles: The National Retail Federation provides a guide to various retail careers, including profiles of individuals working in the retail sector, offering real-world perspectives.
  • Industry Report: Retailing: Black Collegian Magazine offers insights into settings, training, opportunities, and resources for retail careers, focusing on career paths in the retail industry.
• Travel Agents:
  • Becoming a Travel Agent: The American Society of Travel Agents provides a career guide for becoming a travel agent, including job descriptions, benefits, and training resources for starting a career or agency in travel.

Science and Research Careers

• Science – General:
  • Science Careers: The American Association for the Advancement of Science offers information on traditional and alternative science careers, providing a broad overview of scientific professions.
  • Careers for Biology Majors: Furman University provides an extensive list of links to career information in biology-related fields, from agriculture to zoology, showcasing the breadth of biology careers.
  • Careers in Science & Engineering: The National Academy of Sciences provides a guide to determining career goals, planning education, job hunting, and profiles of scientists and engineers with diverse career paths.
• Biotechnology:
  • Biotech Career Center: This resource offers industry information and position descriptions for various functions within biotechnology, outlining career opportunities in biotech.
  • Careers in Genetics and Biotechnology: The Human Genome Project outlines current and future careers in biotechnology, focusing on the growing field of genetics and biotech.
• Chemistry:
  • Chemistry as a Career : The University of Illinois, School of Chemical Sciences, provides a career guide for entry-level chemists, offering pathways into chemistry careers.
  • Careers in Chemistry: The American Chemical Society offers career descriptions for specialties and settings within chemistry, detailing diverse career paths for chemists.
• Earth Sciences:
  • Careers in the Geoscineces: The American Geological Institute offers articles, profiles, and career information related to geoscience careers, highlighting opportunities in earth sciences.
  • How to become a Volcanologist?: Oregon State University offers a guide on becoming a volcanologist, providing a unique look into this specialized earth science career.
• Ecology & Environment:
  • Ecology as a Career: The Ecological Society of America provides career information, pathways, education resources, and job listings in ecology, outlining careers focused on environmental science.
  • Environmental Career Guide: The Vocational Information Center offers career descriptions and links related to environmental careers, providing resources for those interested in environmental professions.
  • Outdoor Environmental Careers Guide: Princeton University provides a guide to settings, organizations, and associations related to outdoor environmental careers, focusing on careers in outdoor and environmental fields.
• Forestry:
  • Urban Forestry: 50 Careers in Trees: This site offers comprehensive information on careers related to trees and urban forestry, detailing a wide range of opportunities in arboriculture.
• Genetics:
  • Careers in the Genetics Field: The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology provides training and outlook information for career growth in genetics, including interviews with geneticists.
• Marine Science & Oceanography:
  • SeaGrant Marine Careers: MarineCareers.net offers profiles, salary information, and resources for marine biology, oceanography, and ocean engineering, detailing careers in ocean-related sciences.
  • Careers in Oceanography, Marine Science and Marine Biology: Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library lists career guides for oceanography, marine science, and marine biology, providing resources for ocean science careers.
• Mathematics:
  • Mathematics Careers Bulletin Board: The American Mathematical Society offers profiles of mathematicians working in industry and government, including career information and employer insights.
• Microbiology:
  • Careers in the Microbiological Sciences: The American Society for Microbiology provides career outlook, training, and salary information for various positions in microbiology, outlining careers in microbial sciences.
• Physics:
  • Careers for Physicists: The American Institute of Physics site covers education, career profiles of working physicists, and more, detailing career pathways for physicists.
• Statistics:
  • Careers in Statistics: The American Statistical Association offers resources for careers in statistics, highlighting opportunities in statistical professions.
• Zoological Parks:
  • Guide to Zoological Park Careers: SeaWorld provides career information for positions in zoological parks, including animal services, training, research, and veterinary care, outlining careers in zoological fields.

Trades and Transportation

• Trades:
  • Construction Trades Occupations: The Occupational Outlook Handbook outlines construction trades occupations, including training, earnings, and job outlook information for skilled trades.
  • Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers : The Occupational Outlook Handbook provides outlines of occupations, training, earnings, and outlook for mechanics, installers, and repairers, detailing careers in mechanical trades.
• Transportation:
  • Careers in Trucking: The American Trucking Association outlines qualifications, training, and career tips for trucking careers, providing pathways into the transportation industry.

Alt text: Career Guides logo from JobStar, indicating resources for career planning and exploration.

Charting Your Course

JobStar.org serves as an invaluable starting point in your career exploration. By providing a structured and categorized directory of external resources, it empowers you to delve deeper into professions that pique your interest. Remember to explore the linked websites thoroughly, taking advantage of the detailed information, personal accounts, and expert advice available. Whether you’re drawn to the technical fields of engineering, the caring professions in healthcare, or the creative realms of the arts, JobStar.org helps you access the resources needed to plan your next career move with confidence. Start your journey today and discover the career path that awaits you.