Chapter 20 Preparing for Your Career 581 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. More recently, there has been a movement toward careers in information and communication technology (ICT). The variety of careers available in the fi eld of ICT is almost endless. They include programmers, database administrators, web designers, and network systems analysts. As our world becomes more closely tied to new technologies, many more new careers will become available. In this chapter, you will learn what is necessary to prepare yourself for the career of your choice. Even if you have not made up your mind about what career you want to pursue, you can take steps now that will lead you toward your future career. To start, look at careers that may be of interest to you. The National Career Clusters® Framework groups into 16 career clusters (Figure 20-2). An explanation of these clusters can be found in the Appendix at the end this text. You can also examine career clusters on the Internet. Examining these clusters may help you to decide which careers you would like to explore. The Future of Work in a Digital Economy Our economy is evolving into a digital economy. A digital economy is based on digital computing technologies. In Chapter 17, you learned that computers rely on the binary numbering system. All information can be coded into this binary form. Using this system, a digital computer can control tasks such as analyzing large amounts of business data or controlling the operation of industrial machines. Digital computer technologies can lower the costs of analyzing, sharing, and storing data, allowing business owners to do things differently. For example, retailers once simply sold items to customers who came to their stores. Now some retailers can sell products online. Another difference is the emphasis placed by retailers on retaining customers. This is achieved by collecting and analyzing sales data to understand what customers may buy in the future. However, there are limits placed on what a retailer can do with this data. Pause for Thought What career is most appealing to you at this time and why? National Career Clusters® Agriculture, food, and natural resources Hospitality and tourism Architecture and construction Human services Arts, A/V technology, and communications Information technology Business management and administration Law, public safety, corrections, and security Education and training Manufacturing Finance Marketing Government and public administration Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Health science Transportation, distribution, and logistics Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 20-2. The National Career Clusters can help you determine your interest in various fields of work.