Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

Occupations

The occupational taxonomy included in O*NET products and tools differs from that used in the DOT so as to reflect the changing world of work. First, job analysts aggregated the more than 12,000 DOT occupations into a more manageable number of occupational units (OUs). The initial aggregation yielded 1,172 OUs, which have been further refined to the approximately 950 occupations that now constitute the Standard Occupational Classification System (SOC). Some DOT occupations were not aggregated and stand as SOC occupations today, whereas other SOC occupations comprise hundreds of DOT occupations. Consistent with the dynamic nature of today's world of work, new occupations continue to be added, whereas others are removed. Also contained by O*NET are crosswalks of SOC occupations to other classification systems such as the DOT and the Military Occupational Classification.

Descriptors

Second, O*NET describes occupations using an expansive set of variables drawn from a content model. The content model is a theoretical framework that specifies 21 types of occupational descriptors:

• 1.
  Training
• 2.
  Experience
• 3.
  Licensing 4. Generalized Work Activities
• 5.
  Work Context
• 6.
  Organizational Context
• 7.
  Occupational Knowledges
• 8.
  Occupational Skills
• 9.
  Tasks
• 10.
  Machines/Tools/Equipment
• 11.
  Labor Market Information
• 12.
  Occupational Outlook
• 13.
  Wages
• 14.
  Abilities
• 15.
  Interests
• 16.
  Work Values
• 17.
  Work Styles
• 18.
  Basic Skills
• 19.
  Cross-Functional Skills
• 20.
  General Knowledge
• 21.
  Education

These 21 classes of occupational information, in turn, can be placed into one of six broad categories:

• 1.
  Worker characteristics such as abilities and interests
• 2.
  Worker requirements including basic skills and education
• 3.
  Experience requirements such as training and licensing
• 4.
  Occupational characteristics including occupational outlook and wages
• 5.
  Occupational requirements such as work context and generalized work activities
• 6.
  Occupation-specific information including tasks and machines/tools/equipment

The variables of the content model can also be categorized according to whether they are worker-oriented or job-oriented and whether they apply to a specific occupation (within-occupation) or many occupations (cross-occupation). Worker-oriented variables that cross occupations include skills, abilities, and interests; those applicable within occupations include occupational skills and knowledge. Job-oriented [Page 530]variables that cross occupations include generalized work activities and organizational context; those applicable within occupations include tasks and machines/tools/equipment.

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