September 17, 2008
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United States Department of Labor Office of
Administrative Law Judges Law Library
DICTIONARY OF OCCUPATIONAL TITLES (4th Ed., Rev. 1991) --
APPENDIX D
APPENDIX D
HOW TO USE THE DOT FOR JOB PLACEMENT
Within the public Employment Service system the primary purpose for
assigning a DOT code and title to a job applicant or employer job order is to
facilitate the process of "finding people for jobs and jobs for
people". The occupational code is a method of searching files to locate
qualified applicants and to match their qualifications with available job
orders. In some Employment Service offices, the Employment Service automated
system provides on-line computerized access to job openings arranged in terms
of DOT occupational codes making it possible for applicants to match their
background and experience to job openings related to their interests.
Proper classification of both job openings and job applicants is vital to
the efficient operation of the Employment Service system, and to maintain the
accuracy of statistical reporting systems which are based on the DOT coding
structure. The coding structure of the DOT is specifically designed to
facilitate this process. The unique 9-digit code shown for each occupation
allows job interviewers to perform file searches providing the linkage between
an applicant's work experience and employer job orders.
The section entitled "How to Find an Occupational Title and Code"
describes how to use the Occupational Group Arrangement, the Industry
Arrangement, the Alphabetical Index and other DOT components to assure proper
occupational coding of jobs and applicants. The occupational classification
system in the revised fourth edition of the DOT arranges occupational titles
within a given technology in order of work-performance complexity. It can
assist in identifying occupational progression and skill transfers vertically
within a technology or horizontally among closely related technologies. Each
occupational definition also provides essential job placement information by
indicating the industry or industries in which a given occupation is found and
by describing job tasks and task variables.
The use of the DOT for job placement is summarized here in relation to the
following Employment Service operations: Classifying Job Applications;
Classifying Job Orders; Matching Workers to Orders; and Assisting Special
Applicant Groups.
(1) Classifying Job Applicants
Job interviewers will find it useful to structure the applicant interview
in accordance with the way information is provided in a DOT occupational
definition. By framing specific questions to elicit detailed information
concerning the jobseeker's training, experience and preferences, a job
interviewer can assess the individual in terms of fields of work, job content
and worker requirements for an individual occupation in the Dictionary.
An appropriate code number and job title can then be assigned to complete the
interview process. (See "How to Find an Occupational Title and
Code".)
To ensure the correct occupational code and title is assigned to each
application, the following steps should be followed:
(a) Using information obtained from the job seeker, make a tentative
selection of an occupational code and title.
(b) Review the requirements of the particular occupation selected, and
match them against past experience, training, job preferences, job interests
and any test or assessment results of the applicant to verify that the
occupation best fits the applicant for purposes of job placement.
(c) Supplement the data with labor market information reflecting job
opportunities in the local area. Review all the information obtained and
assign a final primary occupational code and title to the applicant. Be sure
the assigned code reflects the jobseeker's highest level of achievement and
ability.
(d) Additional codes and titles should be assigned as appropriate by
repeating the steps outlined above to identify the applicant's related skills
and training.
(2) Classifying Job Orders
Assigning appropriate classification codes and titles to job openings is a
process complementary to that of classifying job applicants.
The order taker should review the structure content of job definitions in
the Dictionary to assure that all of the required information needed
for proper classification is obtained. The information needed is that
contained in the lead statement and task element statements of each
occupational definition. (See "Parts of the Occupational
Definition".)
Occupational definitions in the DOT are written to reflect the most typical
characteristics of a job as it occurs in the American economy. Task element
statements in the definitions may not always coincide with the way work is
performed in particular establishments or localities.
If the occupational code and title is not easily determined, the DOT
definition finally selected should be reviewed carefully. If alternate
methods of performing a job are described in the DOT definition, the order
taker should review the definition with the employer to determine which
description fits the firm's operation. After determining which methods
described in the DOT definition are actually used in the particular
establishment involved, the order taker may assign an appropriate DOT code.
Only part of the jobs contained in the DOT are found in any given labor
market area. In some instances, carefully developed desk aids containing
titles, codes and definitions may be useful in assigning DOT codes and titles.
However, a person or job should never be forced into a code simply because it
is common in the local labor market.
(3) Matching Workers to Orders
The DOT occupational definitions are the bridge in the job-matching
process, linking qualified applicants with suitable job openings. Whether a
placement office operates under a manual or computerized system, or is in
transition, a successful job match is critically dependent upon correct input
into the system.
The importance of correct input is more crucial, and reliance on the DOT
classification system may be even greater, in the case of computer-assisted
placement systems which include job matching.
Keep in mind that it is generally easier to find a good match when you know
the following information:
Job tasks workers are required to perform
The purpose of the work
Machines, tools, equipment or work aids used
Materials, products, subject matter (academic discipline) or
services involved
Instructions received and the independent judgment that a worker
exercises during job performance
Where the work is located (outdoors: on a farm, a forest tract, on
water, etc.; indoors: an office, a factory, school, etc.).
Computerized Job Service matching can improve the efficiency of placement
activities in a system by allowing interviewers to use the DOT to:
(a) verify the accuracy and completeness of applications and job
orders and ensure appropriate classifications are assigned;
(b) verify data on intake forms at the point of data entry and monitor
the output of program or labor market information; and
(c) provide alternate search strategies using the DOT classification
system within the capabilities of the computerized system.
(4) Assisting Special Applicant Groups
Entry Level Workers
Entry workers often have little or no training, education or job experience
geared to specific occupational requirements. They may also lack the
necessary licenses or certification for certain jobs in which they express
interest. In one way or another, they may not be fully competitive with more
experienced jobseekers.
An effective method of classifying such workers is to review the
individual's educational background, interests, hobbies, casual or leisure
time work experience, worker traits, and other indicators of potential
occupational abilities and skills. For example, if the applicant had an
interest in science activities in school, they might be considered for a
laboratory job if such openings are available in the area. The final code
assigned should allow the individual the greatest possible exposure to work or
training opportunities in relation to interests, skills and abilities.
In a manual matching system, it is not usually possible to assign a 9-digit
code to an entry worker, but every effort should be made to assign an
appropriate 6-digit code and generalized title. One method of indicating that
the individual is an entry worker is to replace the period after the third
digit in the occupational code with an (x). For example, if an entry worker is
assigned the job title LABORATORY TESTER (any industry), the 6-digit code
assigned would be 029x261. In a computerized matching system, there is no
standard method of recording entry classifications, since the recording
procedures can vary from state to state.
Veterans
U.S. veterans seeking civilian jobs are usually given preference in file
search and referral activities by public employment service offices. To give
veterans the maximum opportunity to qualify for openings, both their civilian
experience and the occupational training they received during their military
careers must be fully reflected in their occupational classification and code.
The inclusion of significant military occupations in the DOT assists in
providing correct input and increases the chances of finding a job match.
The Department of Defense Military Career Guide 1988-1989, prepared
in cooperation with the Department of Labor and published in 1987, is an
important reference document in this area. It consolidates occupational
information from all branches of the Armed Services and related military-to-DOT occupations.
Disabled Workers
The procedure for coding entry workers may also be applied to disabled or
differently-abled workers and applicants with limited or nonrelevant work
experience registering under various assistance or human resource development
programs. The interviewer must not assume that a disability automatically
precludes a worker from performing a particular job. Companies will often make
special accommodations to employ disabled persons (in fact, some
accommodations are legally required).
If a person has strong or special physical capabilities which would allow
them to accommodate to certain tasks, these also should be taken into account.
The interviewer may refer to the Handbook for Analyzing Jobs or his or
her regional Occupational Analysis Field Center if he or she has any questions
regarding the physical demands listed for a specific occupation in the DOT.
Remember that additional information from testing and reinterviewing
applicants may be used to review and/or revise an individual's assigned
occupational classification.
Other Special Applicants
Persons in certain life situations may, based on the stressful nature of
these situations, be considered in the category of special applicant. In
addition to the applicant groups cited above, interviewers may be called upon
to assist applicants who are difficult to place such as low-skilled youth,
older workers, ex-offenders, drug abusers, seasonal or displaced reentrants to
the labor market and others who need to work but challenge a counselor's
placement skills. To most effectively place clients in available local jobs,
interviewers must sometimes evaluate the broader needs and values of
applicants including their work attitudes, personality and need for
transitional support such as remedial education, medical or mental health
care, transportation and day care.
The employment interviewer, to respond to this challenge, must try to
determine the applicant's work resources including abilities, interests,
physical capabilities, work history and experience, education and leisure
activities. Use of support material such as the Guide for Occupational
Exploration and the Occupational Outlook Handbook (available at
most libraries) is usually advisable. These easy-to-read books, published by
the Department of Labor, provide information on several job factors including
specific work duties, training and education, earnings, working conditions and
future opportunities.
The important thing is not the job title, but the skills and abilities
required by the job. An applicant whose experience and aptitudes are matched
to an occupation never considered before is a real success story. The
interviewer, with effective use of the DOT, can play a pivotal role in that
process.