Choosing right career path vital to graduates

You are a high school graduate who doesn't quite know what career path you want to take. You know what field you are interested in but don't know what positions are available. Choosing a career can be a difficult decision, but armed with the proper knowledge, you can make an intelligent, informed decision. Career cruising, now available at many counseling centers, is a career guide specifically designed to expand the understanding of career options that in the past has been very limited at best.

What exactly is career cruising? Career cruising is a fantastic new resource, offering detailed career descriptions, a career matchmaking service and an education guide to colleges and universities across the country. Extremely user friendly and packed with information about almost every job under the sun, it is the latest tool used by career counselors and students alike.

Users can browse by subject of interest or type a specific job title into the search window to access career profiles or job descriptions. Depending on their choice, users will either see a list of positions pertaining to that field or the specific position requested. One of the most useful areas of the career description feature is the structure used. Each job description features a section called, "Suitable for You," in which users can read about specific characteristics necessary for the position. Also included for each job are segments describing the working conditions users can expect, detailed earnings potential, the educational path and experience they should pursue to achieve the position, and the career path most often taken by professionals in the field.

Additionally, many of the careers include interviews with those already in the field. The interview includes a section describing "a day in the life of…," explaining what a typical day may be like on an hourly basis. Video or sound clips may include advice to those interested in that career path. Also included in the interview section are professionals' likes and dislikes about their jobs and a chart calculating how much time is spent on different work activities, such as brainstorming with others, being creative and calling clients. If, after reading all this, users don't feel the position is right for them, they can click on the link to related jobs where a list of other positions within the field will appear. They can then explore the information for each of these positions.

Career cruising's career matchmaking service asks users 39 questions to help pinpoint their likes and dislikes concerning employment. For example, questions may pertain to whether or not they like working with children, if they enjoy explaining ideas and information to people, if they like keeping accurate records or if they like speaking in front of groups. At the end of this short quiz, users will receive a list of potential careers that will let them explore further career options.