The “Career Fields” section provides overviews of 93 career fields. The first section of each article, “Background,” covers general information and historical background. The historical information enables the reader to understand how that industry or field has developed over time. Although historical notes on each job are included in the career information articles, the career field histories paint a broader picture of development. Also included in the “Background” section are statistics on current employment, production, and a brief discussion on the current status of the industry or field.
In order for readers to understand how a particular job or career fits into a field or industry, they should have some understanding of that industry or field. The next section, “Structure,” provides an overview of how that industry or field works. The section describes the industry or field from the beginning of the process through the completion of the end product—be it an actual product or a service. As it describes the process, this section discusses specific careers and their role in the process.
The next section, “Outlook,” assembles information from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Career Guide to Industries, statistics from various associations and agencies, and other evaluative data to provide the best estimate of future performance and success of the industry or field.
Following the “Outlook” section is “For More Information,” a listing of organizations that can provide career information on training, education, internships, scholarships, and job placement.
