Career Development Center

Career Planning

Industry Preference Exercise

When considering work options, it is important to research occupations of interest (i.e., editor, sales representative, graphic designer, etc.). Consideration of occupations alone, however, offers only a partial view of the world of work, whereas it is also important to think about industries of interest and how a given occupation fits into one industry versus another. For example, if people had an interest in personal counseling, they could explore the field of counseling in general and then they could explore counseling options in a number of industry settings including the education industry, the social services industry, and the health care industry. Given a choice, we all have our preferences as to industries of interest. Before you start this exercise, make a copy of this page as a reference. Review the list of major industries below and circle all industries that are of interest to you. Next, out of those industries you circled, pick your top five industries of interest (with number one being your first choice, number two your second, and so on). List these top five industries in the space provided at the bottom of this page.

*The "WetFeet" website career/industries page is currently under construction. The links below to that site will connect when work is complete.

INDUSTRY	INDUSTRY PROFILE INFORMATION
Accounting	Vault	WetFeet
Advertising & Public Relations	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Aerospace & Defense	Vault	WetFeet
Agriculture	Occupational Outlook Handbook	United States Department of Agriculture
Airlines	Vault	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Alternative Health Care	American Association of Oriental Medicine	American Holistic Nurses Association	American Holistic Health Association
Animals	American Zoo and Aquarium Association	American Veterinary Medical Association	American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Automotives	Vault	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Architecture & Interior Design	Vault	American Institute of Architects	American Society of Interior Designers
Banking	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Biology	Occupational Outlook Handbook	Career Zone
Book Publishing	Occupational Outlook Handbook	WetFeet
Biotech	Vault	WetFeet
Broadcasting	Occupational Outlook Handbook	National Association of Broadcasters
Business	International Franchise Association	U.S. Small Business Administration
Chemicals	Vault	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Computer Hardware	Vault	WetFeet
Computer Software	Vault	WetFeet
Computers	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Construction	Vault	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Consulting	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Cosmetology	National Cosmetology Association	Cosmetology Advancement Foundation
Dance	Dance USA	American Dance Guild
Dental Care	American Dental Association	American Dental Hygienists' Association
Earth Sciences	American Geological Institute	American Institute of Professional Geologists
Education	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Electronics	American Electronics Association	Vault
Energy	Vault	WetFeet
Engineering	Vault	National Society of Professional Engineers
Entrepreneurs	American Home Business Association	United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship
The Environment	Ecological Society of America	Environmental Careers Organization	The Nature Conservancy
Fashion	Vault	American Apparel and Footwear Association
Film	Occupational Outlook Handbook	American Film Institute
Fire Fighting	International Association of Fire Fighters
Food Processing	Occupational Outlook Handbook	Grocery Manufacturers Association
Foreign Trade	Federation of International Trade Associations	National Foreign Trade Council
Government		WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Grocery Stores	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Health Care	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Home Furnishings	National Home Furnishings Association	Home Furnishings International Association
Hospitality	Vault	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Human Resources	WetFeet	Society for Human Resource Management
Information Services	American Society for Information Science	American Library Association	Association of Independent Information Professionals
Insurance	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
The Internet	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Journalism	Vault	WetFeet	Journalism.org
Law	Vault	WetFeet
Letter & Package Delivery	Vault	National Association of Letter Carriers
Literary Arts	The Author's Guild	Writer's Guild of America (East Chapter)
Machining & Machinery	Occupational Outlook Handbook	National Tooling and Machining Association	New Hampshire Machining Association
Manufacturing	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Mathematics & Physics	American Mathematical Society	International Association of Mathematical Physics	American Physical Society
Metals	American Iron and Steel Institute	ASM International
Military Services	Vault	Military Officers Association of America	Today's Military: Military Careers
Mining	Occupational Outlook Handbook	National Mining Association
Museums & Cultural Centers	American Alliance of Museums	Archives & Museum Informatics
Music & Recording Industry	American Federation of Musicians	Recording Industry Association of America
Newspapers & Magazines	Newspaper Association of America	Magazine Publishers of America
Nuclear Energy	International Atomic Energy Agency	American Nuclear Society
Packaging	Institute of Packaging Professionals	National Institute of Packaging, Handling, and Logistic Engineers
Parks & Public Lands	National Recreation and Park Association	National Parks Conservation Association	National Park Service
Petroleum	American Petroleum Institute	Society of Petroleum Engineers
Pharmaceuticals	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Photography	Professional Photographers of America	National Press Photographers Association
Plastics	The Society of the Plastics Industry	American Plastics Council
Printing	National Association for Printing Leadership	Specialty Graphic Imaging Association
Public Safety	American Correctional Association	American Jail Association
Publishing	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Pulp & Paper	Technical Association for the Pulp, Paper, and Converting Industry	American Forest & Paper Association
Radio	National Association of Broadcasters	Radio Advertising Bureau
Railroads	Association of American Railroads	American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association
Real Estate	Vault	WetFeet
Recreation	American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation	National Recreation and Park Association	American Gaming Association
Religious Ministries	National Council of Churches	Rabbinical Council of America
Restaurant & Food Service	Vault	National Restaurant Association	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Rubber	Rubber Manufacturers Association	International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers
Sales	Sales and Marketing Executives International	National Retail Federation	National Association of Sales Professionals
Shipping	Vault	American Society of Transportation and Logistics	International Chamber of Shipping and International Shipping Federation
Social Sciences	American Sociological Association	American Anthropological Association	Humanities and Social Sciences Online
Social Services	Occupational Outlook Handbook	National Association of Social Workers	American Counseling Association
Space Exploration	National Aeronautics and Space Administration	American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Sports	Vault	WetFeet	National Association for Sport and Physical Education
Stone/Concrete/Ceramics/Glass	Minerals, Metals & Materials Society	American Ceramic Society	National Glass Association
Telecommunications	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Television	National Cable & Television Association	National Association of Broadcasters
Textiles	Occupational Outlook Handbook	International Textile and Apparel Association
Theater	Dramatists Guild of America	National Association of Schools of Theater
Toys & Games	Toy Industry Association
Transportation	Vault	WetFeet	Occupational Outlook Handbook
Travel & Tourism	Vault	American Society of Travel Agents
Trucking	Occupational Outlook Handbook	American Trucking Associations	Professional Truck Driver Institute of America
Visual Arts	American Institute of Graphic Arts	American Federation of Arts
Waste Management	Air and Waste Management Association	National Recycling Coalition
Wood	International Wood Products Association	Society of American Foresters

This list of industries is taken from a variety of resources, including the Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance (Volume 1, 12th edition, 2003). You can ask to see this reference book in our career library in order to get an overview of any industry listed. A number of internet sites also contain information about various industries and you can access this information by clicking on the links that correspond to the industry of interest that you are researching above. More information about these industries and careers associated with them can also be accessed through our Career Exploration link.
TOP FIVE INDUSTRIES OF INTEREST
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