Web Exercise: Understanding Job Analysis. The ONET Occupational Database - Assignment Example

? Web Exercise: Understanding Job Analysis AFFILIATION: Web Exercise: Understanding Job Analysis Question #1: How easy was it to find the specific occupation you were looking for, and how comprehensive was the information provided about that occupation? Answer #1: O*Net is the leading website on occupations that provides access to the most reliable and accurate information which has been gathered from reliable sources. The website’s interface is user-friendly and it allows easy navigation for the users. On the website, visitors who are browsing it for the first time will have to find a way to arrive at the occupational database. Although browsing on the website is easy but the visitors will have to get acquainted with different sections so that they can know where to find their relevant information. Since I want to make a career in marketing field either as a sales manager or advertising manager, I typed the occupations in search section. I was given a long list of occupations that matched the criteria specified by me. The job descriptions of both positions were too much detailed that provided complete information from job requirements to job salary packages. In the job description, the key areas were covered under the headings of Tasks, Knowledge, Abilities, Skills, Experience, Qualification, Tools and Technology, Work Context, Work Values, Work Activities, Education, Job Zone, Interests, Related Occupations, Wages and Employment, Work Styles and Additional Information (Onetonline, 2012). The information provided about the occupation is too comprehensive and all complete details about the job are given. On the website, there is a tool that allows visitors to develop their career ladder which can help them in identifying the path that they need to follow along with alternative options available for them so that they can easily switch among different jobs with same job requirements. Hence, the website is an ideal choice for those who are considering options for their occupation selection as it will assist them in making wise decisions. Question #2: What did you think of the occupations O*NET suggested as matching your skills? Was the occupation you are in or preparing for among those listed? Answer #2: There are many websites available on Internet that are providing sufficient information about various occupations but O*Net is among the best available options. The website has a huge database of unlimited number of occupations and allows the visitors of the website to make wise decision about their occupation which can help them in moving in the right direction (Maisin, 2008). It also has a building block tool that helps people in designing their career path and assists them in making wise career choices as they move up the ladder. In addition to providing details about various occupations, it even allows visitors to find the careers that match their skills, capabilities, competencies, abilities and family of occupation. Skills Search link generates a comprehensive list of occupations that are compatible with the person’s skill set; the skills are organized into various categories such as social, technical and basic. The person who is looking for occupation has to first do self-analysis to identify the skills possessed or intends to acquire. When Go button is clicked, a list of relevant careers will be shown and best matches will be shown on top of the list. When any of the occupation is clicked, summary of tasks along with other important aspects such as personality traits, work activities and wages and employment of job will be depicted. When skills such as speaking, critical thinking, active learning, coordination, persuasion, negotiation, instructing, complex problem solving, quality control analysis, judgment and decision making, systems evaluation, time management and Management of Personnel Resources were selected, a long list was displayed that started with Industrial Safety and Health Engineers and jobs of Sales Manager and Advertising and Promotions Manager was in the list in which twelve of identified skills matched with them (Skills, 2012). Question #3: As an HR professional, how could O*NET be useful in conducting a job analysis? Explain specifically how you would use the data from this site to assist your organization. Answer #3: For every Human Resource (HR) professional, job analysis is one of the crucial tasks of their job as they have to ensure that their recruitment and selection process is perfect from every aspect. Job description is an investment by organizations as it acts as a supporting instrument for other functions of HR such as orientation, training, recruitment, work plans, performance reviews, compensation and package and legal requirements. The main purpose of job analysis is to identify the key responsibilities, tasks and duties to be performed by individual employed at a particular position (Whetta, 2012). With the help of O*Net, job analysis process becomes easier as it provides access to information that has been collected from various reliable sources. Since it’s a governmental source, information available on the database will be accurate and trustworthy. Almost all the data provided on website will be available after doing careful market research so that everyone who accesses the website will be provided most accurate information. The information obtained from the website’s database can help an organization to design job descriptions in accordance with job analysis done by government authorities and research agencies. Job analysis will help in gathering information about tasks, duties, responsibilities, work environment, work activities, working hours, wages and employment along with other tools and technology. For instance, with the help of job analysis for lawyer such as commercial property lawyer from website, law firm can design job description that is compatible both with firm’s requirements and job demands. Likewise, organization needs to design job descriptions for all available positions present in it such as Chief Executive Officer, Marketing manager, Financial Manager, Auditor, Human Resource Manager, Information Technology Manager and many more. Question #4: As a director of human resources, would you have your staffs use this site? Why or why not? Answer #4: Since O*Net is among the most useful and authentic websites that is providing easy access to complete details about various occupations along with guidance on building career ladder, staff of the organization should be allowed to use the site. The main reason being that people need to be aware of various occupations available in the market and it will even help them in developing their career path that can allow them to take advantage for making successful progression in their organization. It will help employees to review job descriptions of their relevant jobs and compare it with the tasks that they are asked to perform within the organization. Since employees these days are willing to take initiatives on their own for moving up in their careers, they need to have quick access to data about their jobs along with alternatives to which they can switch to for moving ahead in their career. With the help of having access to this website, staff will be able to suggest some changes in the job descriptions if they feel that there are some loopholes in them. When staff’s input will be taken, they will feel valued and will be motivated to enhance their performance which will ultimately help the organization to prosper successfully in its respective industry. Hence, staff should be encouraged to visit the website and explore various options available for them to make successful career and they can even learn the skills that need to be acquired so that they are eligible to get their desired positions in organizations. References Maisin, P. (2008, August 7). The ONET Occupational Database – The Best Job Descriptions on the Internet. Articlesbase.com. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/the-onet-occupational-database-the-best-job-descriptions-on-the-internet-513186.html Onetonline (2012). Summary Report for: 11-2022.00 Sales Manager. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-2022.00 Skills (2012). Skills Search. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from http://www.onetonline.org/skills/result?s=2.A.2.b&s=2.A.2.a&s=2.A.1.d&s=2.B.2.i&s=2.B.5.d&s=2.B.5.a&s=2.B.1.b&s=2.B.1.e&s=2.B.1.d&s=2.B.1.c&s=2.B.4.e&s=2.B.4.h&s=2.B.3.m&g=Go Wheatt, D. (2012). Career Exploration through O*NET OnLine: Match your abilities and interests with job-related information. Retrieved September 18, 2012 from http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/career-exploration-through-o-net-online Read More