My Next Move

My Next Move is a free web tool for students and job seekers exploring career options. Its broad set of U.S. career profiles and interest based suggestions make it a strong starting point; it is not designed to guide hiring decisions.

Overview

Search by keyword, browse industries, or explore careers grouped by Bright Outlook, Career Clusters, interests, and job preparation. The catalog lists 923 careers, giving users room to compare options across fields. Career information primarily comes from the O*NET 31.0 Database, with some material from external sources.

Profiles cover tasks, skills, salaries, and career outlook. Salary figures map to the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Outlook labels reflect U.S. employment growth and job opening projections, including some new and emerging occupations. That context is useful for people weighing U.S. careers, while its geographic focus limits its value for comparing prospects elsewhere.

Key features

Interest based suggestions

The Mini Interest Profiler asks 30 questions across six Holland interest types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. It gives undecided users a structured way to generate possibilities, but the results are prompts for exploration, not evidence of job suitability or a basis for employment decisions.

Career pathways and related resources

Pathway planning and education matching help users connect career ideas with preparation options. Career overviews also link to Apprenticeship.gov and CareerOneStop, including CareerOneStop job listings. My Next Move for Veterans helps users look for civilian careers similar to their military jobs, and Mi Próximo Paso offers career information in Spanish. These extensions make the site useful to people at different stages of a transition, though outside links lead to resources the site does not control or guarantee.

Pricing

My Next Move costs nothing. The free plan includes the career exploration tool, and there is no free trial because access is already free. That makes it an easy first stop for individuals who want career profiles and interest based exploration without a subscription. It is an individual service, with no paid plan described.

Platforms

My Next Move is available on the web. Developers can register for free O*NET Web Services to incorporate many of its features into their own sites or applications. The site says its content is generally licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, with exceptions, and requires attribution to My Next Move and USDOL/ETA. The O*NET Program says it follows WCAG 2.1 AA principles and provides captions and transcripts for videos.

Who it's for

Students and job seekers who want to explore U.S. occupations, compare profiles, and connect interests with education or career pathways will get the most from My Next Move. Veterans looking to translate military experience into civilian career ideas and Spanish speaking users have dedicated routes as well. People making decisions about careers outside the United States, or employers looking for a hiring assessment, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free access to 923 career profiles makes broad exploration possible without a subscription.
• Pros: Salary percentiles, U.S. outlook projections, and links to training and job resources add practical context to career ideas.
• Pros: The interest profiler, veteran focused exploration, and Spanish language counterpart serve several distinct needs.
• Cons: U.S. projections and salary figures may be a poor fit for users comparing careers in other countries.
• Cons: Interest results cannot support hiring or employment decisions, so the tool is not a substitute for an assessment intended for those purposes.
• Cons: Some profile material comes from external sources, and the site does not guarantee linked outside information.

Alternatives

CareerOneStop is another free web resource, with online tools, information, and resources; choose it if you want that separate set of career support tools and listings. For a free readiness test with an estimated score, percentile, and personalized feedback, consider PeopleHawk; it also offers a paid Ireland plan at 4.99.

Pathly keeps student accounts free and offers a paid Solo plan at $199 a month; it may suit readers considering that different plan structure. BridgeU is free for schools, with access arranged through BridgeU and no annual license fees, per student charges, or subscription renewals. CareerExplorer offers a free assessment with an optional upgrade and an annually billed Membership plan at custom pricing.

MAPP Career Assessment offers free platform access and an Executive Package at $149.95, paid once; consider it if that package is a better fit. Orchard has a one time free tier with 50 AI credits and an annual plan at $10 a year, billed annually at $120/yr, with 500 AI credits each month. Anyway is another free web option with no subscriptions or hidden costs.

Browse the Career Guidance Software category to compare more options.

Verdict

My Next Move is an excellent first stop for students and job seekers who want a free, substantial catalog of U.S. careers alongside interest led exploration and pathway resources. Its broad occupational coverage is the main reason to choose it; its U.S. focus and the profiler's unsuitability for hiring decisions are the reasons to look elsewhere.