Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Career Information Center, 9th ed. Detroit, Mich.: Macmillan Reference USA Thomson Gale, 2007. 13 vols. 2421 p. ISBN 0-02-866047-1.

For students asked to research career information or who, for their own benefit, need career information, this is the perfect source to help them decide among choices. The 13 volumes include "Agribusiness, Environment, and Natural Resources," "Communication and the Arts," "Computers, Business, and Office," "Construction," "Consumer, Homemaking, and Personal Services; "Engineering, Science, Technology, and Social Science," "Health," "Hospitality and Recreation," "Manufacturing," "Marketing and Distribution," "Public and Community Services," "Transportation" and "Employment Trends and Master Index." The job summary chart at the beginning gives basic data for the occupations in that volume with the salary, education and training, and a prediction of the employment outlook. Students can move from this chart to the page on which they locate the actual entry. This chart puts a grey background and stars the titles of those jobs which have high growth potential. The full entries have an overview of the occupation, how to get into this profession and job summaries. These include a definition and nature of the work, the education required from no education, high school, college, advanced degree, vocational or technical school, any license or training required and how to get the job. Advancement possibilities and employment outlook is followed by working conditions, earnings and benefits. Each ends with suggestions of where to go for more information and most of the addresses have Web sites. Black and white photographs illustrate the text. A "Directory of Institutions Offering Career Training" completes the volume. Vol. 13 presents a comprehensive job summary chart including salary, education, employment outlook, volume, and page number. Students and counselors will be interested in the essays on "The American Workforce 2004-2014," "New Trends and Developments in Employment Law," "Employment Opportunities at Home," "How to Get Your First Job," and "Working in Cyberspace," among others. "Career Information for Canada," "Resources" including books and Web sites and a master index complete this volume. You might want to buy more than one copy of this volume because having the job summary chart and a master index will make it heavily used by students locating their possible occupations.