The Career Chronicles: An Insider's Guide to What Jobs Are Really Like - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from Over 750 Professionals

From School Library Journal Adult/High School-An introduction to 23 jobs in health care, architecture, the law, financial services, education, the social sciences, information technology, sales, media, and more. Gregory dedicates a separate chapter to each one, opening with its history and background and describing the current status of the field (including statistics on employment levels, education required, and average salaries). The most revealing portions of each chapter are the direct quotes from surveys. Workers are asked to compare the reality of the profession to expectations developed in school, describe the biggest surprise, say whether they would choose that position again, and answer practical questions about hours and advancement, as well as best and worst aspects of and changes in the profession. The honest, insightful answers given by the survey responders, combined with the wide-ranging fields and professions covered, offer teens an opportunity to learn about "the real world" before committing to a specific career path. The concluding chapter features a table of data comparing current careers and dream professions from 50 survey responders and encourages readers to consider factors beyond salary and status when choosing a profession. This book belongs in every high school library and guidance office.-Sondra VanderPloeg, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH Copyright (c) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.