The O*NET® Content Model
The Content Model is the conceptual foundation of O*NET. The Content Model provides a framework that identifies the most important types of information about work and integrates them into a theoretically and empirically sound system.
The Content Model was developed using research on job and organizational analysis. It embodies a view that reflects the character of occupations (via job-oriented descriptors) and people (via worker-oriented descriptors). The Content Model also allows occupational information to be applied across jobs, sectors, or industries (cross-occupational descriptors) and within occupations (occupational-specific descriptors). These descriptors are organized into six major domains, which enable the user to focus on areas of information that specify the key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Content Model Outline — Summary (PDF - 69 KB)
Content Model Outline — Detailed (PDF - 210 KB)
Content Model Outline — Detailed including descriptions (PDF - 277 KB)
Worker Characteristics — enduring characteristics that may influence both performance and the capacity to acquire knowledge and skills required for effective work performance. Worker characteristics comprise enduring qualities of individuals that may influence how they approach tasks and how they acquire work-relevant knowledges and skills. Traditionally, analyzing abilities has been the most common technique for comparing jobs in terms of these worker characteristics. However, recent research supports the inclusion of other types of worker characteristics. In particular, interests, values, and work styles have received support in the organizational literature. Interests and values reflect preferences for work environments and outcomes. Work style variables represent typical procedural differences in the way work is performed.
Abilities — Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Occupational Interests — Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments.
Work Values — Global aspects of work composed of specific needs that are important to a person's satisfaction. Occupational Reinforcer Patterns (ORPs) are based on the Theory of Work Adjustment (Dawis & Lofquist, 1984).
Work Styles — Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job.
Worker Requirements — descriptors referring to work-related attributes acquired and/or developed through experience and education. Worker requirements represent developed or acquired attributes of an individual that may be related to work performance such as work-related knowledge and skill. Knowledge represents the acquisition of facts and principles about a domain of information. Experience lays the foundation for establishing procedures to work with given knowledge. These procedures are more commonly known as skills. Skills may be further divided into basic skills and cross-functional skills. Basic skills, such as reading, facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge. Cross-functional skills, such as problem solving, extend across several domains of activities.
Basic Skills — Developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge
Cross-Functional Skills — Developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Knowledge — Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Education — Prior educational experience required to perform in a job
Experience Requirements — requirements related to previous work activities and explicitly linked to certain types of work activities. This domain includes information about the typical experiential backgrounds of workers in an occupation or group of occupations including certification, licensure, and training data. For example, information about the professional or organizational certifications required for entry and advancement in an occupation, preferred education or training, and required apprenticeships will be documented by this part of the model.
Experience and Training — If someone were being hired to perform this job, how much of the following would be required?
Basic Skills - Entry Requirement — Entry requirement for developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge
Cross-Functional Skills - Entry Requirement — Entry requirement for developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Licensing — Licenses, certificates, or registrations that are awarded to show that a job holder has gained certain skills. This includes requirements for obtaining these credentials, and the organization or agency requiring their possession.
Occupation-Specific Information — variables or other Content Model elements of selected or specific occupations. Occupation-specific information details a comprehensive set of elements that apply to a single occupation or a narrowly defined job family. This domain parallels other Content Model domains because it includes requirements such as work-related knowledge, skills, and tasks in addition to the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology workers may use in their workplace. Labor market information defined by the industry or occupation is also provided here. This domain is particularly important when developing specific applications of O*NET information. For example, it is necessary to refer to occupation-specific descriptive information to specify training, develop position descriptions, or redesign jobs.
Tasks — Occupation-Specific Tasks
Tools and Technology — Machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology workers may use for optimal functioning in a high performance workplace.
Workforce Characteristics — variables that define and describe the general characteristics of occupations that may influence occupational requirements. Organizations do not exist in isolation. They must operate within a broader social and economic structure. To be useful, an occupational classification system must incorporate global contextual characteristics. O*NET provides this information by linking descriptive occupational information to statistical labor market information. This includes compensation and wage data, employment outlook, and industry size information. Much of this information is collected outside of the O*NET program's immediate scope. Collaborative efforts with organizations such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, Career One Stop, the U.S. Bureau of the Census, and the Employment and Training Administration facilitate these labor market information linkages.
Labor Market Information — Current labor force characteristics of occupations
Occupational Outlook — Future labor force characteristics of occupations
Occupational Requirements — a comprehensive set of variables or detailed elements that describe what various occupations require. This domain includes information about typical activities required across occupations. Task information is often too specific to describe an occupation or occupational group. The O*NET approach is to identify generalized work activities (GWAs) and detailed work activities (DWAs) to summarize the broad and more specific types of job behaviors and tasks that may be performed within multiple occupations. Using this framework makes it possible to use a single set of descriptors to describe many occupations. Contextual variables such as the physical, social, or structural context of work that may impose specific demands on the worker or activities are also included in this section.
Generalized Work Activities — General types of job behaviors occurring on multiple jobs
Information Input
— Where and how are the information and data gained that are needed to perform this job?- Looking for and Receiving Job-Related Information
— How is information obtained to perform this job?
Getting Information
— Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.- Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
— Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Identify and Evaluating Job-Relevant Information
— How is information interpreted to perform this job?
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
— Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
— Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
— Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
- Mental Processes
— What processing, planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and innovating activities are performed with job-relevant information?
- Information and Data Processing
— How is information processed to perform this job?
- Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People
— Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
- Processing Information
— Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
— Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Analyzing Data or Information
— Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
- Reasoning and Decision Making
— What decisions are made and problems solved in performing this job?
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
— Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Thinking Creatively
— Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
— Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Developing Objectives and Strategies
— Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
- Scheduling Work and Activities
— Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
— Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Work Output
— What physical activities are performed, what equipment and vehicles are operated/controlled, and what complex/technical activities are accomplished as job outputs?
- Performing Physical and Manual Work Activities
— What activities using the body and hands are done to perform this job?
- Performing General Physical Activities
— Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
- Handling and Moving Objects
— Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Controlling Machines and Processes
— Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
— Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
- Performing Complex and Technical Activities
— What skilled activities using coordinated movements are done to perform this job?
- Interacting With Computers
— Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
— Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
— Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
- Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment
— Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
- Documenting/Recording Information
— Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Interacting With Others
— What interactions with other persons or supervisory activities occur while performing this job?
- Communicating and Interacting
— What interactions with other people occur while performing this job?
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
— Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
— Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
— Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
— Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Assisting and Caring for Others
— Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Selling or Influencing Others
— Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
— Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
— Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Coordinating, Developing, Managing, and Advising
— What coordinating, managerial, or advisory activities are done while performing this job?
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
— Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
- Developing and Building Teams
— Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
- Training and Teaching Others
— Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
- Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
— Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
- Coaching and Developing Others
— Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
- Provide Consultation and Advice to Others
— Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
- Administering
— What administrative, staffing, monitoring, or controlling activities are done while performing this job?
- Performing Administrative Activities
— Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
- Staffing Organizational Units
— Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
- Monitoring and Controlling Resources
— Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Detailed Work Activities — Detailed types of job behaviors occurring on multiple jobs
Organizational Context — Characteristics of the organization that influence how people do their work
Work Context — Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Primary occupational information source for Content Model items:
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U.S. Department of Labor O*NET Data Collection Program |
Supplemental sources of information:
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U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics  |
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U.S. Department of Labor America's Career InfoNet |
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U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship |
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U.S. Department of Education Classification of Instructional Programs |
Other indicators:
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Data not currently available |