Career Pathways

Help students be more focused and team-oriented, and become the true drivers of their own learning by centering learning and planning around one of several broad career avenues.

"Major changes have occurred in the workplace during the last several decades that have transformed the nature of work, and our preparation for work. In recent years, we have seen the globalization of thousands of companies and most industries, organizational downsizing and restructuring, greater use of information technology at work, changes in work contracts, and the growth of various alternative education and work strategies and schedules"--

Organizational life has become less predictable in today’s rapidly changing workplace. Workers must make career decisions within an increasingly uncertain organizational, societal, and global environment. Businesses face the same evolving landscape, making it difficult for them to anticipate their employees’ needs, desires, and likely career directions. Career pathways systems can provide the structure that is vital for career progression, helping people develop competencies designed to increase employability while helping organizations develop employees strategically, build engagement, and improve retention. In our focus on the workplace, we underscore the need for more holistic, data-driven individual and organizational perspectives on career growth and success; we describe how a career pathways framework can contribute to these goals. We offer directions for future research to promote career growth and success for individuals, and to help employers create or strengthen career pathways systems that will reduce bias and enhance organizational performance by supporting the advancement of their employees.

Most of the content in the Career Pathways Handbook is based on a series of career profiles - each one packed with four pages of valuable information, including the latest U.S. employment statistics and wage information, career dialogues with "real people" who work in the occupations, and extensive information for identifying and comparing related occupations. Each profile uses a consistent format to allow for easy reading and useful comparisons between occupations. While this book is based on a foundation of 154 different occupations, it also includes valuable information on several hundred occupations via the career path and related occupations tables. It is important to me that the information in this book will not only be useful to readers, but also be as current and reliable as possible. Therefore I have included the most recent information from reliable Government sources, as well as my own proprietary information from 20 years of extensive occupational research. The Government sources are U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) programs. For example, I have incorporated information from DOL's new O*NET Database, which includes the occupation titles and definitions, common job tasks, key skills and abilities, and related occupations. I have added the most recent employment statistics and wage information from DOL's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Finally, from our own research, I have added career path and "real people" career dialogue elements, and have enhanced and expanded the DOL information throughout. For example, the O*NET Related Occupations lists were significantly expanded and education/training information, along with growth and wage data, were added to make occupational comparisons more meaningful. The Job Tasks have been expanded to make them more useful. The education and training information is based on DOL's Typical Education Levels, but has also been expanded for this book. I have also written or rewritten many of the job outlook and analysis statements that are incorporated into the Employment Outlook sections. Finally, I have included a number of resource guides to help job seekers and career explorers reach their goals. Beginning on page 617, there are guides on Planning Your Career, Researching Occupations, Education & Training Options, Looking for a Job, Competing for a Job, Writing a Resume, Writing a Cover Letter, Completing the Application, Preparing for the Interview, and Common Interview Questions. There are countless numbers of books (both good and bad ones) on all of these subjects, so I've included a list of my favorite books on my website under Readers' Resources (see www.cassio.com). Also included on this website is an online guide to "State Training & Postsecondary Education Directories" and a list of my "Favorite Job Websites." Best regards, Jim Cassio www.cassio.com An absolutely essential career reference for finding comprehensive job information spanning a total of 150+ occupations. This is the all-inclusive guide to helping a job seeker go from planning a career to looking for a job. The career profiles offer extensive statistical research on employment and job skills for each career path. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. Regina Jimenez, Research Librarian, Folsom Lake College This book is a wonderful and powerful tool for guidance counselors and individuals who are looking to start, change, or enhance their careers. The Career Pathways Handbook provides useful and insightful job skills information in a clear and reasoned manner. The personal point-of-view provided by the career professionals in each career gives the user an inside perspective on making career decisions that is refreshing! David Owens, Retired Research Manager, California Employment Development Department “/p>

Career Pathways in Adult Education showcases the wide-ranging possibilities for a satisfying career in the field of adult education. Along with practical advice for launching and advancing a career in adult education, this book includes personal stories and insights from adult education professionals which focus on the research, practices, programs, and services within multiple industries. Divided into two parts, the book begins by examining transferable skills that adult educators need to be successful in any adult education career. Chapters in the second part focus on specific career opportunities for those with adult education backgrounds, including discussions around career lifecycle from entry to advancement, career development, and future trends. Written by active practitioners in adult education, chapters are designed to be practical, informative, and thought-provoking regarding career entry, progression, development, and advancement. A truly one-of-a-kind text, Career Pathways in Adult Education is the ideal companion for students and professionals looking to transition into adult education as well as graduate program administrators who wish to share the importance of their programs.

Engineering skills and knowledge are foundational to technological innovation and development that drive long-term economic growth and help solve societal challenges. Therefore, to ensure national competitiveness and quality of life it is important to understand and to continuously adapt and improve the educational and career pathways of engineers in the United States. To gather this understanding it is necessary to study the people with the engineering skills and knowledge as well as the evolving system of institutions, policies, markets, people, and other resources that together prepare, deploy, and replenish the nation's engineering workforce. This report explores the characteristics and career choices of engineering graduates, particularly those with a BS or MS degree, who constitute the vast majority of degreed engineers, as well as the characteristics of those with non-engineering degrees who are employed as engineers in the United States. It provides insight into their educational and career pathways and related decision making, the forces that influence their decisions, and the implications for major elements of engineering education-to-workforce pathways.

The reverberations of an unparalleled labor shortage echo through service-based industries, leaving the hospitality, tourism, and food and beverage sectors grappling with a critical challenge. The fallout from the 2020-2021 global health crisis has laid bare a systemic flaw: the absence of sustainable career pathways for front-line workers. From airlines to cruise ships, theme parks to restaurants, and bars, the shortage of front-line workers has reached a critical level, preventing organizations from operating at full capacity even as public health restrictions are lifted. This crisis stems not only from the economic aftermath of the pandemic but also from the longstanding neglect within these industries to cultivate a resilient front-line workforce. Front-line positions, often considered transient and unskilled, lack the structured development pipelines that other professional industries utilize successfully. As organizations struggle to address these workforce challenges, Career Pathways and Professional Identities for Front-Line Workers in the Service Industries serves as a guide filled with solutions in the face of industry-wide adversity. Career Pathways and Professional Identities for Front-Line Workers in the Service Industries responds to the urgency within the hospitality, restaurant, and tourism industries, by applying the dynamics of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the Gig Economy, to propose innovative solutions to engineer sustainable career pathways and foster professional identities. Ideal for employers, educators, and researchers involved in these industries, the book aims to guide organizations in optimizing operations, implementing leadership-focused succession planning, and minimizing the impact of labor fluctuations. From an academic perspective, it harmonizes industry-focused programs, offering a distinct element for hospitality, restaurant, and tourism management curricula. Additionally, it opens avenues for research on transitioning low-pay roles into meaningful, long-term careers with a focus on continuous improvement.