Glencoe Keyboarding with Computer Applications

Create a Career Spreadsheet

Introduction
Learn about different careers and create a spreadsheet summarizing the information.

Directions
Read the information below and apply what you learn to answer the questions. Key your answers into the spaces below. After you finish keying, check your work carefully and click Submit.

Use your answers and the information below to create a spreadsheet about three careers, as described in your textbook on page 513. Include a description of the work, the salary range, and the training and qualifications.

Compare Careers
When you deciding on a career, you need to consider your interests, values, strengths and weaknesses, as well as the amount of training and education that you would be willing to put into the career goal.

Career Clusters You can start thinking about your career interests by studying 16 career clusters developed by the U.S. Department of Education. Career clusters group similar occupations and industries together from major segments of the economy. Each career cluster is divided into career pathways, which contain groups of jobs that require similar interests, skills, and education. Some occupations fall into more than one career cluster.

Below are the 16 clusters with examples of jobs. For more information about the jobs listed below or other careers, go to CareerInfoNet at www.acinet.org/acinet. There you will find job descriptions, salary ranges, and training/education requirements.

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Occupations that involve growing crops, raising animals, working with food, or working with natural resources such as oil, water, minerals, or soil (farmer, park ranger, animal trainer, food inspector, veterinarian, geologist).

Architecture and Construction Occupations involve designing, planning, managing, building, and maintaining buildings or constructions (building inspector, surveyor, contractor, architect, electrician, civil engineer, plumber).

Arts, Audio/Video Technology, and Communications Occupations include just about every discipline in multimedia, writing, and the visual and performing arts (actor, computer animator, musician, photographer, audio/video technician, writer, dancer).

Business, Management, and Administration Occupations are involved with business functions essential to efficient and productive business operations (accountant, receptionist, manager, human resources specialist, marketing specialists, CEO, secretary, payroll clerk).

Education and Training Occupations provide education and training services, as well as related learning support services (teacher, coach, librarian, school principal, guidance counselor, corporate trainer, professor).

Finance Occupations involve personal and business finance management, banking, and insurance (stockbroker, bank teller, insurance agent, accountant, economist, auditor, tax preparer, loan officer).

Government and Public Administration Occupations unique to government and not contained in other career clusters (elected/appointed legislator, military officer, CIA agent, city manager, postal worker, sanitation worker, customs official, urban planner).

Health Science Occupations include planning, managing, diagnosing, researching, teaching, and providing health services (paramedic, physician, nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, dietician, dentist, home health aide, health educator).

Hospitality and Tourism Occupations related to marketing, operations, and managements or restaurants, hotels, recreation attractions, and travel-related services (hotel manager, travel agent, housekeeper, cook, caterer, lifeguard, tour guide, waiter).

Human Services Occupations provide services that improve people’s quality of life and promote safe, healthy communities (child care worker, social worker, psychologist, counselor, hairstylist, wedding consultant, product safety tester, clergyman).

Information Technology Occupations involve the design, development, support, and management of hardware, software, multimedia and systems integration services (computer programmer, e-commerce specialist, webmaster, network administrator, technical writer, help-desk technician, computer hardware engineer).

Law, Public Safety, and Security Occupations involved in legal and protective services, public safety, and homeland security (firefighter, police officer, attorney, judge, crime lab technician, security guard, parole officer).

Manufacturing Occupations involved in the process of making products by hand or machine (machinist, electrical engineer, industrial designer, production manager, baker, clothing designer).

Marketing, Sales, and Service Occupations involve developing, promoting, and providing goods and services to consumers (retail salesperson, store manager, advertising copywriter, telemarketer, buyer, public relations manager, real estate broker).

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Occupations involved in researching or applying scientific or mathematical concepts for theoretical or practical purposes (chemist, engineer, astronomer, oceanographer, mathematician, aerospace scientist, lab technician).

Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics Occupations involve moving people, goods, and services (air traffic controller, flight attendant, pilot, bus driver, truck driver, vehicle mechanic, shipping clerk).

Find Information on a Web Site If the link above is no longer active or you need to find out more about this topic, get your teacher’s permission to use a search engine. You can also find information at Glencoe’s Career Clusters Series at www.glencoe.com/sec/careers/cclusters/student/introclusters.shtml.

1			What personal traits should you consider when deciding on a career?
2			What are career clusters?
3			If you liked outdoor work, which career clusters might have jobs that would interest you?
4			Identify three outdoor jobs that you might choose from the clusters you chose in Question 3.
5			In which career cluster do you think you are most likely to find a job? Which jobs in that cluster interest you most?