What kind of jobs are in the work world?

Information about the world of work can be overwhelming. My advice is to move from general to more specific sources of career information and from written information to talking with people. That way you don't embarrass yourself by using the wrong language, and you won't waste other people's time by asking them for common knowledge.

Two excellent sources of general career information are available online, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor: The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) and the O*Net. A similarly useful hard copy reference book is the Enhanced Guide for Occupational Exploration (EGOE), available at your local library.

If you'd like an overview of awesome creative jobs, my Career Guide for Creative and Unconventional People has the best information. Look in the Career Reference Section of the third edition for an organized list of 270 creative occupations, each containing a job description, salary and employers. You'll find creative occupations that the common person in the street has never even heard of!

Once you've narrowed your search down to certain fields or occupations, your librarian can help you find more specific career resources. For example, if you love music, you might read a book with a title such as Careers in Music. Both the OOH website and your friendly librarian can help you locate professional associations on the internet, where you may be able to post your questions electronically.

When you have learned what you can by reading, talk to people. For example, if you're interested in working as a music therapist, talk to employed music therapists. Ask them your still-unanswered questions. Sections on informational interviewing in self-help books like What Color is Your Parachute? or The PIE Method for Career Success can help you with that process.

It may sound like a lot of work, but once you get started, you'll find that it is fun to learn more about yourself and about exciting real world possibilities! And the time you'll spend learning about yourself and the work world is actually not much time at all when you compare it to the tens of thousands of hours you'll spend on the job once you are employed.