ABSTRACT
The selection of an occupation and job represent an important class of decisions that have profound consequences. At the individual level, such decisions determine how people spend much of their time, their standards of living, where they live, and to a large extent, their networks of friends and acquaintances. In the aggregate, these decisions influence local and regional economies through their effects on wages, unemployment, and business relocation decisions. Despite the importance of these decisions, much remains unknown about how people seek and process information about occupations, organizations, and job opportunities. Given the changing nature of jobs in an increasingly global economy (Hammonds, 1994), an improved understanding of these processes is essential for effectively counseling workers displaced by economic change and new labor market entrants.
