My Next Move

My Next Move is a free browser tool for students, job seekers, and anyone comparing possible occupations. It combines a large U.S.-focused career catalog with several ways to discover options. Its strongest use is informed exploration; it is the wrong choice when a result must serve as a hiring judgment.

Overview

Career discovery starts with keyword search, industry browsing, or recommendations from the O*NET Interest Profiler. The All Careers directory contains 923 occupations, and users can also browse Bright Outlook entries, Career Clusters, interest groupings, and job-preparation categories. That range supports both a focused search and open-ended exploration.

Profiles explain work tasks, required skills, salary levels, and employment outlook. Salary displays use the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles, while outlook labels reflect U.S. employment-growth and job-opening projections and identify some emerging occupations. Those conventions make comparisons more concrete, but the emphasis on U.S. projections limits its relevance for readers planning careers elsewhere.

Occupational information primarily comes from the O*NET 31.0 Database, supplemented by external material. Career overviews can point to Apprenticeship.gov and CareerOneStop, including CareerOneStop job listings. My Next Move does not guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of linked outside sites, so those links are useful launch points rather than a single controlled information source.

Key features

Interest-led discovery

The Mini Interest Profiler uses 30 questions to measure six Holland types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. For someone who has no target occupation, this is a practical way to turn broad preferences into a shortlist. The result is an exploration aid, not evidence of job suitability; the site expressly says not to use it for employment or hiring decisions.

Structured career comparisons

Tasks, skills, pay percentiles, and outlook appear together, giving students and career changers a consistent basis for comparing occupations. Pathway planning and education matching are included, which helps connect an appealing job to preparation choices rather than stopping at a job title.

Audience-specific routes

My Next Move for Veterans helps translate a military job into a similar civilian career. Spanish-speaking users can follow the link to Mi Próximo Paso, with career tasks, skills, salary information, and more than 900 careers in Spanish. Developers can register for free O*NET Web Services to incorporate many of the tool's capabilities into their own sites or applications.

Pricing

My Next Move costs nothing. The free plan is the product: an individual career-exploration tool with interest assessment, pathway planning, and education matching. There is no free trial because access is already free, and no paid tier, seat charge, usage quota, or renewal term is stated. That makes it suitable for a student or individual job seeker who needs broad orientation without a budget, but it does not provide a paid level that could add premium guidance or expanded support.

Platforms

It runs on the web, so users need a browser rather than a dedicated desktop or mobile installation. The O*NET program says it follows WCAG 2.1 AA principles and provides captions and transcripts for videos, supporting users who need those accessibility features.

Who it's for

Students choosing courses or first careers, adults changing direction, and job seekers comparing U.S. occupations are the best fit. Veterans get a dedicated civilian-career path, and Spanish-speaking users get a translated counterpart. Counselors, educators, and developers may also benefit from the structured occupational data and free web-service registration. It is not appropriate as a hiring screen or employment decision instrument, and readers seeking country-specific outlooks outside the United States should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad coverage: 923 careers and multiple browsing routes give undecided users plenty of starting points.
• Useful comparison data: Tasks, skills, percentile salaries, and projected outlook sit within the same career exploration flow.
• Free access: Individuals can use the full stated tool without a subscription, trial clock, or renewal commitment.
• Inclusive pathways: Veteran and Spanish-language options extend the service beyond a single generic audience.
• Developer access: Free registration for O*NET Web Services can help organizations build these capabilities into another product.

Cons

• U.S.-centric outlook: Employment projections and salary benchmarks are most meaningful for U.S. decisions.
• Exploration, not validation: Interest results cannot support hiring decisions, so employers need a different assessment approach.
• External-link caveat: Information on linked sites is outside the service's control and guarantee.

Alternatives

Choose Career Guidance Software when you want a broader category comparison. PeopleHawk suits readers wanting Android, iOS, and web access plus optional paid offerings. BridgeU is the better fit for schools arranging access through the provider without annual licence fees or per-student charges. Pick CareerExplorer if you want a free assessment with an option to upgrade to an annually billed membership. CareerOneStop is a comparable free web and API resource for career information and tools. MAPP Career Assessment is worth considering if a paid, long-form assessment report is the priority. myfuture fits readers seeking a free service with an account for personalized features. Orchard offers AI-credit-based guidance, including a paid annual tier. Pathly is aimed at students and also offers counselor-oriented plans.

Verdict

Choose My Next Move if you want a no-cost, structured way to investigate U.S. careers, connect interests with occupations, and review education pathways. Its breadth, percentile-based pay data, and specialized veteran and Spanish routes are the main reasons to start here. Look elsewhere if you need a hiring assessment, non-U.S. labor-market emphasis, or a paid service with a deeper guidance package.