Career Exploration & Navigation

Career Ladders

Interested in a career in a particular field, but aren't sure about what specific jobs or opportunities might be available to you? Each career ladder provides three examples of potential career paths within the larger field, an idea of the broad occupations or job titles that exist, and the level of education they typically require for employment. You can also see how many job postings there were for those jobs over the last year, and the range of salaries you might expect (although these can vary depending on the job, experience, and employer).


Other Career Exploration Resources

For even more information on the wide world of career opportunities that might be available, the links below are other great resources (note that most of the data on these sites is provided at the national level, rather than for Northern Virginia or the D.C. metro area specifically).

  • Occupation Outlook Handbook

    Occupation profiles describe typical job duties and tasks, work environments, and education or other credentials required for employment.

  • My Next Move

    Additional occupation information (skills, the technology used, etc.)—allows for exploration of occupations/careers based on current interests and skills.

  • CareerOneStop

    Connect with local workforce centers, identify state licensing/certification requirements, and locate training/education opportunities (NOTE: research any program closely to make sure the training provided is high quality and results in a recognized credential).

  • CyberSeek

    Explore opportunities specifically within the field of cybersecurity—identifies typical job titles, career paths, and necessary skills.