Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are Career Stories?
A. Career success stories of real people in easy-to-read, 4-6 page profiles. Read a sample Career Story and learn about its features.
Q. What is the reading level?
A. These stories are written for grade-level 7 thru 14, in a lively magazine-style profile format with colorful photos.
Q. Some of the Career Stories look like they were written recently, while many appear to be older. Are these older Career Stories still useful?
A. The Data File at the end of every Career Story is updated every two years, so the career outlook and income data will be current regardless of when the original story was published. Depending on the story and the career, some references to technology and descriptions of daily routines may not be current, however, there are bigger themes behind each individual’s personal career journey that remain timeless. You may wish to supplement your career information with other resources, but each Career Story retains value as a nonfiction literary resource for education, and as a personal profile with unique details that continue to ring true. Consider multiple approaches to using this content in your classrooms and with students.

Consider an assignment comparing and contrasting an older Career Story with a more recent description or profile of that career from another resource. What aspects of the career stayed the same over time and what changed? This analysis can be useful to students as they consider the ways in which their chosen career may change over the next 20 years and which skills will always be an asset in that career.
Q. Why should I pay for a subscription when there are so many free career resources available?
A. There are a few reasons why VocBio Career Stories stand above the rest and are worth paying for:

  • Advertising and data collection does not pay for our service. A free service has to be paid for somehow; often that money comes from advertising and sponsored posts. This could include for-profit resume services, or companies who pay for favorable coverage and promotion. Your students or clients deserve information without the marketing.
  • We care about literacy and encouraging reading at every opportunity. Most marketers and content creators will tell you that video is the future. Services that offer video interviews and job shadowing can provide really useful information! Students and clients learn a lot from videos and YouTube these days, but reading and writing are skills that takes continual practice and will never be obsolete in the job market. Educators at VocBio know that a well-written story has many advantages over a video.
  • Our Career Stories let the reader picture themselves in a role. As great as it is to really see someone at their job in a video, it can be harder to generalize that experience to what it might be like for a different person, at a different company, in a similar job. Our career stories share real experiences from real people but allow for some imagination to picture yourself in a version of that role.
  • VocBio has been helping career seekers since 1970. Our subjects and writers come from around the country, big cities and small towns. Some of our Career Stories are brand new, some are still much the same as they were twenty years ago. Our subjects don’t always have clean stories where they knew exactly what they wanted to study and do for a career, but they found their way. They found the scholarships, internships, or how to adapt their skills to something they never knew they could do. A struggle can be more inspiring than an easy answer.
  • We encourage you to supplement with other career services from The Occupational Outlook Handbook, The Muse, Glassdoor, or LinkedIn. Each company has their own strengths and weaknesses, but no one else has the breadth and depth of career profiles that VocBio does.
Q. How does a Career Story let the reader career-shadow?
A. Each Career Story  follows one person through their everyday workday. The Career Story mirrors the real-life, school-to-work path of each subject, detailing each individual’s career success story from high school to present. It also helps career information come alive and presents career facts more effectively than just job facts and statistics.
Q. What’s contained in a Career Story?
A. Each Career Story shows

  • Educational planning and background
  • Job progression
  • Current job
  • Likes and dislikes about the career
  • Lifestyle
  • Future plans

The Data File section is updated every two years and gives a universal overview of the career and shows where to go to get more information.
Q. Do you have non-traditional careers?
A. Yes. We try to do a combination of Career Stories, covering traditional and non-traditional careers, including a wide variety of small business owners and entrepreneurs, basic to advanced education requirements, urban and rural settings, and individuals who come from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
Q. Can I use these materials in my careers classes?
A. Yes. All the biographies can be used in a number of areas, including your careers class, the library, guidance office or classroom. The Career Stories go beyond facts and statistics. Because they are entertaining, down-to-earth and fun to read, Career Stories help hold students’ interest.
Q. Do you cross reference with the OOH?
A. Yes. A universal overview of each career is profiled in the DATA FILE Section of the Career Stories.  This information is similar to career information found in the OOH.
Q. Do you cross reference with the major cluster areas?
A. Yes. We use the cluster areas developed by the U.S. Office of Education. Each Career Story is labeled with DOT, O*NET, and Holland Code.
Q. Can I access Career Stories from my mobile devices?
A. Career Stories are accessible on all mobile devices such as Android or iOS.
Q. Can I access Career Stories from my screen reader (for the visually-impaired)?
A. Our website and Career Stories have been audited for accessibility for the visually impaired. All new stories are optimized for accessibility, while the entire library of stories previously published are currently being updated to improve accessibility.
Q. What is your privacy policy?
A. In short: We only collect customer info and info submitted to us through our website. Privacy Policy