Table Of ContentMontana
Career Guide
2005
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In high school,
the single most annoying question, and the one we seemed to get
asked on a weekly basis, was “What do you want to do for a living?” The standard reply was, “How am
I supposed to know? I’m only a sophomore!” To this, the usual response was, “That’s the time to start
planning.” We didn’t know it then, but all those annoying teachers and relatives were right.
Consider this, if you wait until your senior year to decide on a career path, you may fi nd that the type of
college you want to attend requires four years of math in high school. Suppose you didn’t sign up for a
math class this semester? By not planning ahead, you’ve severely limited your options.
But don’t panic (there you go, take nice deep breaths). Now remember, you are not “deciding what you
want to do for the rest of your life.” Chances are, you’re going to change your mind several times along
the way, and that’s okay. Only through experience do we learn what kind of work we are best suited for.
That’s why it is so important to begin exploring careers early--so we have time to fi nd out what we like
and dislike about a number of jobs before committing to a certain path. And it is a commitment, of both
time and money. Most jobs that pay a decent wage require a good deal of training and education. Before
you shell out the bucks to attend a university, it’s a good idea to have set some clear goals for yourself.
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The purpose of this guide is to help you take the fi rst step in setting career goals. Whether you’ve o
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known what job you want since the second grade, or have no idea what kind of jobs are out there, this
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guide can help. Inside you’ll fi nd an interest assessment that will help you match up your interests with
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specifi c jobs. You’ll fi nd an occupations guide that describes over two hundred of the top occupations a
in Montana, tells you how fast each is growing and what level of education is required, and lists low, C
median, and high-end wages. There are also sections that will help you choose a training program, gain a
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necessary work experience, market your skills in a resume, and interview for a job. e
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Whether you are a high school sophomore considering careers for the fi rst time, a stay-at-home-parent G
re-entering the workforce after several years, or someone just looking for a new line of work, this guide u
has valuble information for you. Good luck and happy hunting! i
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What’s Inside?
Introduction: Why Use This Guide?.....................................................................page 3
Interest Assessment ................................................................................................page 5
In-Demand Job Skills ..............................................................................................page 8
Occupations Guide ...............................................................................................page 10
Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources ....................................................page 11
Architecture & Construction .........................................................................page 13
Arts, A/V Technology, & Communications ...............................................page 16
Business, Management, & Administration .................................................page 18
Education & Training .....................................................................................page 20
Finance ..............................................................................................................page 23
Government & Public Administration .........................................................page 26
Health Science..................................................................................................page 28
Hospitality & Tourism ...................................................................................page 32
Human Services...............................................................................................page 35
Information Technology ................................................................................page 37
Law, Public Safety, & Security ......................................................................page 39
Manufacturing, Installation, & Repair .........................................................page 41
Marketing, Sales, & Service ...........................................................................page 42
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics ................................page 45
Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics ................................................page 47
Investigating Careers: Gaining Experience .......................................................page 50
Education Pays ......................................................................................................page 52
College Entrance Requirements ..........................................................................page 53
Higher Education & Vocational Training ..........................................................page 54
Montana Schools ...................................................................................................page 55
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Apprenticeship Programs ....................................................................................page 56
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i Financial Aid ..........................................................................................................page 57
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G The Job Search .......................................................................................................page 59
r Job Service Workforce Center Locations ...........................................................page 60
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e Marketing Yourself ...............................................................................................page 61
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a Cover Letters ..........................................................................................................page 63
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Resumes ..................................................................................................................page 64
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n The Job Interview ..................................................................................................page 65
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t Job Seeker Resources ............................................................................................page 66
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IInntteerreesstt AAsssseessssmmeenntt
What’s Your Calling?
Some people report having had a “calling”
MCIS Assessment Resources
to their chosen profession, meaning that they
instinctively knew which job they were best
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For the rest of us, it’s not so easy.
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Even if you have no idea what career you’d
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that matches your personality and interests.
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Discovering who you are and what you want
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Unfortunately, it’s also a step many people
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Experts agree that work satisfaction depends
All located at www.mtcis.intocareers.org
on matching your personality with your work
environment. Working full-time can add up You can use your interest profi le to match
to 80,000 hours of work during your lifetime. your interests with specifi c occupations. Just
Considering the number of hours of your life at fl ip to the occupations guide (page 10) and
stake, the amount of time it takes to do a self- look in the second column. You’ll fi nd interest
assessment is negligible. profi les marked for each occupation. And
remember, you don’t have to limit yourself only
Your likes and dislikes are extremely important to occupations that match your profi le exactly.
in your career planning. They will supply you This excercise will just give you an idea of where
with ideas of what types of work will suit you to start looking.
best. The following interest assessment is based
on Holland’s Interest Inventory. Mark the circle
following each statement you agree with. When
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you are fi nished, add the number of marks in
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each column. The three letters with
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the highest scores are your t
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“interest profi le.”
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IInntteerreesstt AAsssseessssmmeenntt
I Like To...
...do puzzles O
...work on cars O
...work independently O
...work in teams O
...organize things like files, offices, or activities O
...set goals for myself O
...build things O
...read about art or music O
...have clear instructions to follow O
...influence or persuade people O
...do experiments O
...teach or train people O
...help people solve their problems O
...take care of animals O
...have my day structured O
...sell things O
...do creative writing O
...work on science projects O
...take on new responsibilities O
...heal people O
...figure out how things work O
...put things together or assemble models O
...be creative O
...pay attention to details O
...do filing or typing O
...learn about other cultures O
...analyze problems, situations, or trends O
...play instruments or sing O
...dream about starting my own business O
...cook O
...act in plays O
...think things through before making decisions O
...work with numbers or charts O
...discuss current events or politics O
...keep records of my work O
e ...be a leader O
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...work outdoors O
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G ...work on math problems O
...help people O
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...give speeches O
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Assessment exercise adapted from
Mncareers 2005 (www.mncareers.org)
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IInntteerreesstt AAsssseessssmmeenntt
What the Letters Mean:
Realistic Social
Realistic people are often good at Social people like to work directly
mechanical or athletic jobs. They like to with people rather than things. They
work with things, like machines, tools, enjoy training, instructing, counseling,
or plants, and they like to work with or curing others. They are often good
their hands. They are often practical and public speakers with helpful, empathetic
good at solving problems. personalities.
Investigative Enterprising
Investigative people like to watch, learn, Enterprising people like to work with
analyze and solve problems. They often other people. They particularly enjoy
like to work independently, tend to be infl uencing, persuading, and performing.
good at math and science, and enjoy They like to lead and tend to be assertive
analyzing data. and enthusiastic.
Artistic Conventional
Conventional people are very detail
Artistic people like to work in
oriented and like to work with data. They
unstructured situations where they can
have good organizational and numerical
use their creativity and come up with new
abilities and are good at following
ideas. They enjoy performing (theater or
instructions. Conventional people also
music) and visual arts.
like working in structured situations.
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In-Demand Job Skills
The days when a career was a lifetime commitment are long over. The U.S. Department of Labor esti-
mates that Americans will have an average of 3.5 different careers in their lives, and work for ten employ-
ers, keeping each job for 3.5 years.1 This refers not to specifi c jobs, but entire career paths. When entering
an entirely new fi eld, in which one has little to no experience, the skills acquired through unrelated jobs
and life experiences can be a major selling point on a resume. But which skills are Montana employers
looking for in applicants?
The Basics:
Unsurprisingly, basic skills top the list, since
#4 Critical Thinking
they are required for most jobs. Reading
Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Using logic and reasoning to identify the
strengths and weaknesses of alternative
Critical Thinking, and Writing occupy the top
solutions, conclusions or approaches to
5 spots. A person will acquire some skill in the problems.
basics from high school and work experience.
Postsecondary education will give an applicant
#5 Writing
a competitive edge, regardless of major. College
experience also shows a willingness to learn, Communicating eff ectively in
writing as appropriate
fulfi lling skill #6: Active Learning.
for the needs of
the audience.
#1 Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and
paragraphs in work related documents.
#2 Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people
are saying, taking time to understand #6 Active Learning
the points being made, asking questions
Understanding the implications of new
as appropriate, and not interrupting at
information for both current and future
inappropriate times.
problem-solving and decision-making.
#3 Speaking
e #7 Judgment & Decision Making
d Talking to others to convey information
i eff ectively. Considering the relative costs and benefi ts
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of potential actions to choose the most
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appropriate one.
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Mathematics and Science also rank high on the Monitoring is a skill useful for people in man-
list. Many high-wage occupations require a degree agement and analysis occupations such as Man-
in math or science. For instance, Accountants agement Analysts, Medical and Health Services
and Auditors, Financial Examiners, Chemists, Managers, Natural Science Managers, Network
Microbiologists, and Wildlife Biologists all require Systems and Data Communications Analysts, and
varying levels of postsecondary education in math Market Research Analysts. However, the ability to
and science. assess the performance of oneself and others has
applications in a wide variety of jobs. Educational,
Vocational, and School Counselors, Postsecondary
#10 Complex Problem Solving
English and Literature Teachers, and Compliance
Identifying complex problems and reviewing Offi cers all benefi t from this skill.
related information to develop and evaluate
options and implement solutions.
Operations Analysis is the only technical skill
to make the top fi fteen. High importance is
#11 Learning Strategies
placed on this skill in occupations ranging from
Selecting and using training/ Computer Software Engineers and Network
instructional methods and Systems Analysts to Natural Science Managers
procedures appropriate
and Foresters. Operations Analysis made the list
for the situation when
because it is required not only in high technology
learning or teaching
new things. occupations, but in many other management and
science fi elds. Occupations in technology tend to
require high levels of other technical skills that
#12 Instructing
did not make the list, such as Programming and
Teaching others Technology Design.
how to do
something.
#13 Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself,
other individuals, or organizations to make
Learning Strategies and Instructing skills can also
improvements or take corrective action.
be acquired in college, especially in Masters and
Doctoral programs which give the opportunity
#14 Operations Analysis
for graduate students to teach lower level courses.
Analyzing needs and product
Even if one is pursuing a career other than
requirements to create a design.
teaching, experience in a teaching assistantship
proves valuable on a resume, since many
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#15 Coordination
professional positions require employees to train
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other employees, or to instruct the public. Some Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions. n
Dieticians and Nutritionalists, for example, travel t
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to schools, workplaces, and other institutions, Who knows what new career paths the future will n
giving presentations on how to eat smart and bring? The best source of job security in the new a
stay healthy. Most employers encourage lifetime economy is the individual development of skills. C
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learning, which may include personal research. Identifying the skills valued most by employers
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Lawyers need to be highly skilled in Learning will help individuals to invest their training time e
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Strategies, since much of their work requires wisely, and allow colleges and vo-techs to develop r
research, and they must keep current with the curriculums which will best benefi t students seek- G
latest laws and legal precedents. ing employment and businesses that need a labor u
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If there’s one message to take away from this guide, it’s that getting the kind of career you want
takes planning. Whether you already know what you want to do, or have no idea what kinds of
jobs are out there, our Occupations Guide will help you make informed career decisions.
Here’s how it works:
The Occupations Guide lists Montana jobs with
signifi cant employment levels (200 jobs or more) and
breaks them into 16 “career clusters,” or groupings of
interrelated occupations.
The introduction to each cluster explains what kind
of jobs and activities are included, and what the
employment outlook is for that cluster.
Each introduction is followed by a table that breaks
down the occupations by the levels of education they
require.
Interest
Occupation Description Wages Outlook
Profile
Bachelor's Degree
Make exact measurements and determine property High-end: $45,250
3
boundaries. Provide data on land features for Median: $35,320
Surveyors IER 2
engineering, mapmaking, mining, land evaluation, Low-end: $29,850
construction, and other purposes. 1
$$00 $$220,000K0 $$440,000K0 $$660,000K0 $$880,000K0
Use the Interest Profi le Can you have the kind
Find out about the duties and Is this occupation growing?
to match your interest of lifestyle you want
activites of jobs you never even Declining? How fast? The
code (see pages 5-7) to working in your chosen
knew existed. Even if you think outlook column provides
specifi c occupations. profession? Use the
you know what you want to do, a quick visual guide to job
wages chart to fi nd out.
you may fi nd an occupation even growth. Use the key below
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d better suited to your interests to interpret the symbols.
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u and abilities
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Occupation cluster descriptions and national employment outlook created by intoCareers, a unit of the University of Oregon.
Copyright © 2005, University of Oregon. All rights reserved.
