The O*NET Taxonomy - Assignment Example

Occupational information network, i.e. O’NET has two major advantages. One advantage is that it makes changes to the DOT systems that are able to reflect on the latest research about a job position (Nightingale, 2008). It achieves these objectives through identification and description of key components that make up a modern occupation. Because of these changes to the DOT system, O NET is able to supply up-dated and important information that is useful for effective counseling, training, education, and employment of workers.

Another advantage of the O’NET system is that it contains information that describes more than 1,100 occupations, or job profiles. This is advantageous to a searcher mainly because they would know the requirement and qualifications of the job under consideration. In profiling these jobs, O’NET identifies what they are about. The advantages that the position analysis questionnaire (PAQ) has, is not similar to that of O’NET. The PAQ is designed and completed by a professional job analyst who carries out an interview of workers and their supervisors (Nightingale, 2008).

This is a major advantage of PAQ, mainly because the analyst will get to know the capability and views that people have towards a certain job, and hence provide accurate information about it. Furthermore, it identifies the skills required for a particular job and occupation. O’NET does not identify the traits of workers and their attributes (Resource Center., 2014). For example, O’NET does not identify attributes such as the disability status of a worker. This is a concept that PAQ effectively does (Nightingale, 2008).

Furthermore, the O’NET system does not establish the competency standards of employees. This is an issue that PAQ effectively covers. One major disadvantage of the PAQ system is that it does not contain a large number of job databases. O’NET contains more than 1000 occupations, while PAQ does not. Another disadvantage is that the PAQ is designed and only used by job analyst experts, as compared to the O’NET system which can be used by everybody (Nightingale, 2008). Two major issues may cause the analysis of a job system to be outdated.

One important issue is changes in technology. O’NET relies on the use of information technology, and any change in it, will also impact a change in the O’NET system (Resource Center., 2014). Another issue is a change in the manner in which employers advertise their job positions. The channels of advertisements will reflect on how an individual carries out a job analysis. If companies use magazines and newspapers to advertise their vacancies, then chances are high that there will be a need of changing the job analysis system.

References:Nightingale, D. S. (2008). Implementation analysis of High Growth Job Training Initiative (HGJTI) programs. Washington, DC: [U.S. Dept. of Labor, Employment and Training Administration] :. Resource Center. (n.d.). O*NET Resource Center - Content Model. O*NET Resource Center – Content Model. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.onetcenter.org/content.html