A Spotlight reason for being is to inspire new O*NET users to best practices in leveraging the power of a terrific tool.
Most Spotlight profiles feature people who have had the opportunity to use O*NET for years, and have come to incorporate
it in their processes, work flows, and standard operating procedures, whether in Labor Market Information systems,
One-Stop Center operations, small business practices, economic region development, or other endeavors. For a change,
this Spotlight shines on a new O*NET user. Surely a novice can inspire other new users as well as a veteran user can.
Dana Barber is a Specialist of Professional Placement Services for Blind and Visually Impaired consumers. Dana accesses
and navigates O*NET using the screen reader JAWS. Her blind and low-vision clients use either JAWS or Window-Eyes,
both of which have audio components that read computer screen content. Some visually impaired people use ZoomText,
which greatly enlarges screen content and offers speech capability as well. "Our objective is to help consumers make
the best-informed career choice, a choice with a future. We have to start with what people think they want to do, and
go where interests lead them. Working via O*NET, people can explore potential occupations, and perhaps learn that they
are not in demand. Or, they might realize that an occupational field won't be lucrative enough for them until they
gain greater knowledge, skills, and experience within the given field."
Dana explains how she is comfortable using O*NET from the start: "One-on-one, with consumers, I can show them how to
use O*NET. The tool is already highly developed. They can use a screen reader, or ZoomText, and easily use O*NET on
their own. They can explore, save information, return to it, and add to it. I can train my consumers to use O*NET;
then they can go off on their own. With a high school kid, an older student, or a post-school consumer trying to move
into the workforce-regardless of who the user is-they can use O*NET to get so much information about many different
occupations. I will show them how to use it as an exploratory tool. See where your interests lead you. Then develop
a training plan to fit a wide array of occupations. Using O*NET, you can learn what skills you need to break into
various occupational fields. Then you see what skills you already have, which you need to gain. You make a training
plan, and discover where you go to learn-to close your skills and knowledge gaps.
Dana thinks that pursuing Related Occupations in O*NET has great potential. "If someone sees that an occupation that
uses his interests and skills doesn't allow him to make enough money, perhaps he can consider the other occupations
that do, and make a more appropriate choice."
When Dana isn't helping blind and vision-impaired clients plan and develop rewarding careers, she enjoys camping,
skiing on Logan Martin Lake, or reading. She uses the VictorReader® Stream to download books from the National Library
Service for the Blind. "The memory card can hold a whole library!" Dana exclaims. She also enjoys spending time
with her daughters April and Heidi." Undoubtedly, as Dana puts O*NET to good use, others will benefit from her motivations.
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