O*NET Content Model Framework
Overview
The O*NET Content Model is a comprehensive framework for describing occupations. It identifies and integrates the most important types of information about work into six major domains, organized along two axes: worker-oriented vs. job-oriented, and cross-occupational vs. occupation-specific.
The Six Domains
Worker Characteristics (Worker-oriented, Cross-occupational) Enduring attributes that influence performance: abilities (cognitive, psychomotor, physical, sensory), interests (Holland’s RIASEC model), work values, and work styles.
Worker Requirements (Worker-oriented, Cross-occupational) Attributes developed through experience and education: basic skills (reading, math), cross-functional skills (problem solving, social skills), knowledge domains, and education.
Experience Requirements (Worker-oriented, Occupation-specific) Background needed for entry: required experience, training, licensing, and certifications.
Occupational Requirements (Job-oriented, Cross-occupational) Activities required across occupations: generalized work activities, intermediate work activities, detailed work activities, organizational context, and work context.
Workforce Characteristics (Job-oriented, Cross-occupational) Market and outlook information: labor market data and occupational projections.
Occupation-Specific Information (Job-oriented, Occupation-specific) Details unique to particular occupations: titles, descriptions, tasks, and technology skills.
Why This Works
The framework succeeds because the two axes create natural boundaries:
| Cross-Occupational | Occupation-Specific | |
|---|---|---|
| Worker-Oriented | Worker Characteristics, Worker Requirements | Experience Requirements |
| Job-Oriented | Occupational Requirements, Workforce Characteristics | Occupation-Specific Information |
This enables both comparison (using cross-occupational descriptors) and precision (using occupation-specific descriptors). Users can ask “What abilities transfer across these jobs?” and “What tasks are unique to this role?”
When to Use This Pattern
Apply this framework when you need to model any domain that involves:
- Matching people to roles (recruitment, career planning)
- Describing requirements at different levels of abstraction
- Maintaining both reusable components and specialized extensions
- Supporting comparison across entities and depth within entities
Limitations
The framework requires substantial ongoing data collection to maintain. Each of the 923 data-level occupations needs ratings on hundreds of descriptors. Without institutional commitment to maintenance, such frameworks decay quickly.
Related: 02-atom—hierarchical-faceted-descriptor-architecture, 02-atom—crosswalk-definition