The O*NET program is the nation's primary source of occupational information. Central to the project is the O*NET database, containing information on hundreds of standardized and occupation-specific descriptors. The database, which is available to the public at no cost, is continually updated by surveying a broad range of workers from each occupation.
Every occupation requires a different mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and is performed using a variety of activities and tasks. These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described by the O*NET Content Model, which defines the key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". This hierarchical model starts with six domains, describing the day-to-day aspects of the job and the qualifications and interests of the typical worker. The model expands to 277 descriptors collected by the O*NET program, with more collected by other federal agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The O*NET (TM) team has designed a set of self-directed career exploration/assessment tools to help workers consider and plan career options, preparation, and transitions more effectively. They also are designed for use by students who are exploring the school-to-work transition. The assessment instruments, which are based on a "whole-person" concept, include:
- O*NET Ability Profiler
- O*NET Interest Profiler
- O*NET Computerized Interest Profiler
- O*NET Interest Profiler Short Form
- O*NET Work Importance Locator
- O*NET Work Importance Profiler
These instruments will help individuals identify their work-related interests, what they consider important on the job, and their abilities in order to explore those occupations that relate most closely to those attributes. Users of the tools may link to the more than 800 occupations described by the O*NET database, as well as to occupational information in CareerOneStop. This allows individuals to make a seamless transition from assessing their interests, work values, and abilities to matching their job skills with the requirements of occupations in their local labor market.
We celebrate the Inauguration of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden with this collection of official portraits, tributes and presidential papers.
Explore the wonders and challenges of the world's oceans, seas and bays with these government books, from pollution to navigation to studies and statistics.
The GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications was split into two separate offices in mid-2010: the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies and the Office of Communications and Marketing.
