LThe Life Starter
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Lesson 2 of 6
Work · Guided lesson

Research three real occupations

Compare daily tasks, work context, entry routes, local openings, pay ranges, growth, and mobility using current evidence.

About 38 minutes Finish with a concrete deliverable
Crash CourseTo College or Not to CollegeYouTube
Course primer

To College or Not to College

From Crash Course. Watch here or open it on YouTube .

During the course primer, listen for ideas that change how you approach “Research three real occupations.” Pause once to capture a useful point, then apply it while producing a three-occupation comparison with cited data, thirty coded postings, local demand signals, requirements, and uncertainties.
Before you begin

What this lesson is really solving.

Compare daily tasks, work context, entry routes, local openings, pay ranges, growth, and mobility using current evidence. This is lesson 2 because later decisions depend on a three-occupation comparison with cited data, thirty coded postings, local demand signals, requirements, and uncertainties. National averages start the search; local postings and worker evidence make it real. Use your own numbers, files, environment, and constraints so the result survives outside the course.

Why this works

Understand the idea before touching the steps.

National averages start the search; local postings and worker evidence make it real.

Do this

Follow these steps in order.

Take the action in each step; then use the deliverable below to prove the lesson is finished.

  1. 1

    Use O*NET, My Next Move, and CareerOneStop to identify tasks, skills, knowledge, preparation, context, and related roles.

  2. 2

    Sample at least ten current local or remote postings per option and code required versus preferred qualifications, pay transparency, schedule, and recurring tasks.

  3. 3

    Check licensing, physical, background, travel, technology, and geographic requirements through authoritative sources.

Worked example

See the standard in context.

Riley learns that two similarly named analyst roles use different tools and adds a short spreadsheet test before deciding. The learner saves a three-occupation comparison with cited data, thirty coded postings, local demand signals, requirements, and uncertainties and notes the evidence or assumption behind the choice so it can be reviewed and improved later.

Quality check

Inspect before you move on.

  • The finished work visibly includes a three-occupation comparison with cited data, thirty coded postings, local demand signals, requirements, and uncertainties.
  • You tested the work against this common failure: Choosing from a national salary headline or one influencer's day-in-the-life video without checking entry requirements and local work.
  • Another person could verify this mastery standard: You can describe what each occupation actually does, how people enter, what local employers request, and what remains unknown.
Make it real

Your deliverable

A three-occupation comparison with cited data, thirty coded postings, local demand signals, requirements, and uncertainties.

Common mistake

Watch for this

Choosing from a national salary headline or one influencer's day-in-the-life video without checking entry requirements and local work.

You’re ready when

Prove it—don’t just recognize it.

You can describe what each occupation actually does, how people enter, what local employers request, and what remains unknown.

Objective evidence · 3 questions

Quick knowledge check

Answer from the lesson—not from confidence alone. Score at least 2 of 3 to unlock completion.

Not yet passed

This curriculum-aligned check is scored automatically and stored with your account when signed in. It is an objective learning signal, but it has not yet been independently validated as a standardized assessment.

1Which action belongs in the recommended process for “Research three real occupations”?
2Which result is the clearest evidence that this lesson’s work is complete?
3Which choice matches the failure this lesson specifically warns against?
0 of 3 answeredEach question measures the action, evidence, or failure condition taught above.
Useful for this course

Tools, templates, and references

The Life Starter toolkitReusable planners and trackers for practical projects.
Check current detailsReferences reviewed September 9, 2026. Lesson exercises are editorial synthesis; official rules come from the linked sources.
U.S. Department of Labor — My Next MoveO*NET OnLine — Occupation dataCareerOneStop — Explore careers
2
One check remains

Pass the knowledge check above first.

Completion unlocks after a score of 2 out of 3. Then confirm that you produced the lesson deliverable.

Go to the knowledge check