Insight's of Chapter 8

When reading chapter eight, the portion on O*NET stuck out to me. O*NET is an online database with information about 906 careers (Brown, 2012, p.181). The information includes occupation characteristics, worker characteristics, worker requirements, experience requirements, occupational requirements, and occupation specific requirements. O*NET is extremely user friendly and allows individuals to roam the sit as they please. They can look for the values or characteristics that stand out to them in their prospective occupations.

I have previously used O*NET in my undergraduate career. Using O*NET helped me form a plan for after graduation because I became educated on all aspects of being a clinical psychologist. Before I used O*NET I was not aware of all the tasks clinical psychologists need to perform and everything that is expected of them. By using my resources, I was able to understand what is expected of me in the future. During my previous search I found that in order to become a clinical psychologist, I need to go for my master’s degree. I knew this information before I used O*NET but I now know what specific classes I should focus on. This allowed me to plan my career path and look to where I was headed. I was then knowledgeable on the characteristics I needed to become a clinical psychologist and the academics I needed to complete in order to become a clinical psychologist. O*NET allowed me to explore the occupation and decide if it was the right fit for me.

O*NET was particularly beneficial for me with my research of clinical psychology and I can see where it can be useful in practice with career development.  O*NET highlights important factors to the individual when seeking out an occupation. This database could be used with clients who are undecided, currently looking for a career, or those who have found their career. When working with an undecided client, the counselor could use O*NET after investigating their personal characteristics, possibly through the Holland code. This would allow the client to focus in on meshing both personal and work environments together. The same can be said for a client who is actively seeking a position. O*NET permits individuals to freely investigate all aspects of a potential occupation. This allows the individual to see if they are qualified for the job and if they can see themselves working in this position. For those who already have a job, it allows them to validate their choice and show that they are fulfilling the characteristics of the specific position.

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York: Pearson.