How To Use

Look Ahead, Get Ahead provides you with up-to-date information on a variety of careers in technology. There are 60 different technology occupations featured in the Profiles section. If you're not sure which careers are suited to you, use the Interest Toolkit to do an inventory of your interests and aptitudes.

Or, if you want to get a general idea about what careers in technology can offer, check out the Feature Article by Perry Greenbaum, and the In Focus articles.

If you take the time to explore Look Ahead, Get Ahead in detail, you'll be better prepared to make informed decisions about your academic pursuits, and your career choices.

The Introduction presents 7 articles that focus on different aspects of today’s technology job market.

To access the articles in this section, click on their title in the Menu. You can also use your scroll bar to move from one article to another.

You want links? Well, the Resource Section has a ton of them! There are links to colleges and other educational outlets across the country, career information sites, professional associations, and a bunch of other interesting stuff.

So, when you find an occupational Profile (or two or three...) that interests you, head over to the Resources Section and look around at the different schools and associations that can help you decide on your education options and career paths.

go to: Resource Section

To start the Whodunit! game, click Whodunit on the Global Bar. This will open the Whodunit! Introduction screen where you will be given the instructions you need to successfully solve the Mystery Profiles.

There are 6 Mystery Profiles to solve, one in each Section of occupational Profiles (i.e one in Naturally Inclined, one in Earth's Treasure's, etc.). You can try to solve the Mystery Profiles right away by clicking Solve on the Introduction screen. If you want to access the Clues you need, click Clue from the sub-menu on any Profile Screen. When you are ready to identify the Mystery Profile, click Solve from the Clue Screen.

The Solve screen presents the list of all the occupational Profiles in the Section you are exploring. When you have successfully solved the Mystery Profile for that Section, you can try to solve the clues in any of the other Sections by clicking on the five Section icons that appear on the Solve screen. If you have not successfully solved the Mystery Profile, you can click Return to go back to the Profile you were exploring to continue to access more clues.

In Focus contains 4 articles that focus specifically on individuals who have chosen a career as a technologist or technician.

To access the articles in this section, click on their title in the Menu. You can also use your scroll bar to move from one article to another.

This section presents 6 scenarios dealing with ethics in the workplace. Try out all the questions and see what the experts have to say about your ethics.

After reading the scenario and a question, you can select an answer from those provided. You will get immediate feedback from the experts on what to do in the situation presented. You can click Close and choose another answer or click Next to access the next question.

go to: Professionalism in Practice

This Toolkit is designed to help you explore occupations that are suited to your interests. It contains a survey of 30 questions for you to complete. After you have completed the survey, you will be sent to the Results screen where all of the occupational Profiles in this program that best match your interests will be listed by Section.

You can scroll down the list of recommended Profiles on the right of the screen or jump directly to a Section of recommended Profiles by clicking on the Section title on the left. To explore a Profile, click its title. When you have reviewed a Profile, you can return to the Results screen to evaluate whether or not you think it is of interest to you.

go to: Interest Toolkit

This program provides information on 60 careers in technology, presented through a series of individual Profiles of people working in various technician and technologist occupations. Please note that these profiles are just a small sampling of the hundreds of possible career opportunities available for technicians and technologists.

Profiles are structured into 6 different Sections and are accessed from the Profile Section screens. Each occupational Profile presents information on a specific career in technology. The Profile describes a day in the life of an individual who has chosen to pursue the career that is featured. You’ll also find important and up-to-date information on that occupation including salary range, career path and the type of technology being used. Most of the Profiles also have visual presentations of the work environment. These can be found in the Workday section of the Profiles, and they offer a glimpse of what the work settings and tools are like for that occupation.

Review the information presented in each Profile and you’ll get a good idea of whether or not a particular occupation interests you.