Career research

How to Use the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) to Pick the Right Career

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a free U.S. government resource that helps you research careers, compare pay, and see which jobs are growing.

4 min read
For new grads and recent immigrants

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What is the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)?

If you are a recent university graduate or a new immigrant trying to understand which jobs exist in the U.S. and whether they pay well, the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is one of the best free tools to start with.

The OOH is a government-maintained guide that describes hundreds of U.S. occupations. For every job, it tells you:

What the job does (day-to-day tasks)
How to become one (education, certifications, licenses)
Pay (median pay in the U.S.)
Job outlook (will this job grow or shrink?)
Similar occupations (other jobs that are close)

Official source

Because it is published by the U.S. government, it is trustworthy and updated regularly. Official OOH website: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

Why it’s useful for new grads and recent immigrants

Search by field

For example “Business and Financial”, “Computer and Information Technology”, or “Arts and Design”.

Check pay before choosing a path

Helpful if you need a minimum income.

See if the job is growing

Useful for long-term career and visa planning.

Map your foreign degree to a U.S. occupation

So you use the right U.S. job title on your resume.

How to use the OOH in 5 steps

Go to the official siteOpen the Occupational Outlook Handbook on bls.gov.
Pick an interest areaAt the top you will see categories like “Business and Financial”, “Computer and Information Technology”, “Management”, “Sales”, “Healthcare”, and “Education”.
Open an occupation pageFor example: “Management analysts”, “Software developers”, or “Market research analysts”.
Look at 3 sections first“What They Do”, “Pay”, and “Job Outlook”. If Job Outlook says “much faster than average”, that is a good sign.
Tailor your resumeUse the OOH job title and tasks as a starting point, then match the keywords from real job descriptions. Only include what is true for you.

Example: you like data or business

In the Occupational Outlook Handbook, look at:

Management analysts (similar to a Business Analyst)
Operations research analysts
Market research analysts
Data scientists

After you find the job in the OOH, use one of our role-based resume guides:

Found a job that fits?Check a real job post for the same title and compare its keywords with the OOH tasks. Then open the matching role guide.

Business analyst resume guide

What to do after you pick a job in the OOH

Copy the key tasksNote the main tasks and responsibilities from the OOH page.
Check real job postsSearch for a real job on LinkedIn or Indeed to see the actual keywords employers use.
Match your resume to the postPut the job description next to your resume and mark the skills and keywords you really have.
Polish your resumeFix your grammar, use the job’s keywords where they are true, and ask someone to proofread it (great for non-native speakers).

Tip for non-native English speakers

Language tip

The OOH is written in formal U.S. government English. If you don’t know how to turn it into strong resume language, try rewriting each task in your own simple words, then check it against real job posts.

How this helps new immigrants and international students

Many people who move to the United States are not sure what the “official” U.S. job title is for the work they did before. The Occupational Outlook Handbook shows the common U.S. name for the job, the education level that is expected, and the typical pay. This makes it easier to match your experience to the U.S. market.

After you find the right U.S. job title in the OOH, rewrite your resume so it uses the same language as U.S. job descriptions. This is very useful for non-native English speakers because it helps you match the grammar, tone, and keywords used in U.S. job posts.

Important

Always check the latest version

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is an official information source. Pay and outlook figures are updated over time, so always check the most recent version on the official BLS website linked above.

Keep building your resume

Use the job’s tasks as a starting point, then put in your own tools, numbers and results. Only include what is true, and read it aloud before you send it.