Video Summary - Using the Occupational Outlook Handbook for Your Career Search

Main ideas / lessons

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a resource for learning about hundreds of occupations.
Each occupation’s profile can include:
- Typical education requirements
- Pay information
- What workers do (job duties/tasks)
- The future outlook for the occupation
- Other related details
The OOH can support different career situations:
- Switching careers
- Entering the workforce for the first time
The video emphasizes multiple ways to search and navigate the OOH to find relevant information.

Start with the OOH homepage
- Explore careers by browsing the site’s available career information.
Use the Occupation Finder to match requirements to roles
- Input criteria such as education level.
- Example: If you have a high school diploma, the tool can return a list of occupations that typically require a high school diploma or equivalent.
Use the A to Z index to find specific occupation profiles
- Useful when a job you want may be known by a different name.
- Example: If you want to be an eye doctor, the A to Z index indicates it falls under the optometrist occupational profile.
Use industry-occupation tables to explore where you can work
- Look beyond one job title to see different industries for an occupation.
- Purpose: broaden career options and identify additional opportunities.
- Example scenario: If you already work in an occupation but want other opportunities, checking different industries may help you continue working in the field in another capacity.
Download the Career Info mobile app
- Available in the App Store and Google Play.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — source of the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)
Occupational Outlook Handbook / Career Info resources (including the Occupation Finder, A to Z index, industry-occupation tables, and the Career Info mobile app)