O*NET, or the Occupational Information Network, is an electronic replacement for the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). Like the DOT, which was last published in 1991, O*NET provides a comprehensive database of worker attributes and job characteristics. By describing the tasks to be performed and the levels of education that must be achieved, the O*NET database can be used as a tool for training and education, career guidance, employment counseling, and for writing job descriptions.

The U.S. Department of Labor developed the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) in the mid-1930s, soon after the federal-state employment service system was established. O*NET was also developed by and is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor. The main difference between the DOT and the O*NET database is the flexibility of the new database and its depth of information. Rather than...