Remember when you were a child and wanting to be this or that when you grew up? It may have been a fireman or a scientist or (fill in your own blank here).
What often happens when we do grow up is that those initial career choices are altered depending on changes in interests, influence of parents, and even life’s circumstances. With so many jobs to choose from, it can be challenging to know which path to pick. What job provides the best pay? Which one is the most stressful? How much competition is there? Or even which career will offer the most satisfaction?
The folks at ResumeSamples.net have created an interactive information graph that they have titled, “What Job Should I Choose,” that should be very useful to those seeking out a career path by providing them easy-to-digest information on the U.S. job market, in a visual format.
By default, the graph shows a variation of colored dots, each of which represent a job and are arranged by median annual salary as well total number of people employed.
For example, mousing over the $150k+ median annual salary reveals a majority of these jobs are in the healthcare profession (i.e., surgeons, medical specialists, etc.). On the other end of the graph, you will see that the General Office Clerks profession comprises the largest number of people employed.
I love the fact that I can narrow jobs down by categories. For example, when I select Marketing, the graph changes to highlight only those jobs in that specific category. I can learn that the highest paying job is for Marketing Managers of which the median annual salary is $123,220 and that there are currently 174,010 people employed in this profession. I see that the projected growth for this job is 12.7 percent by 2022, and that it carries an above average stress level as well as competition and satisfaction.
I also like the fact that I can select a variety of categories at the same time.
For example, maybe I’m thinking of a career that revolves around the Internet but am not sure whether I want a job in creative design such as web site development or information technology. With this tool, I can select both categories and then get information on the types of jobs that are available in each.
With extensive information on the U.S. job market, all compiled in a visual manner, this nifty resource helps in the process of selecting the best career. It may also prove to be a beneficial tool to companies and human resource professionals who are actually offering the jobs.
Choosing a Path Photo via Shutterstock
Aira Bongco
This is a nice add-on to a website that deals with resumes and hiring people. It helps their users know what’s best for them and what path they should take.