Clergy

Overview

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Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Experience

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Education

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Job Training

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Examples

These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians.

Conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. Provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.

Yearly Salary

High: $89K
Median: $51K
Low: $28K

Demand

Career Demand by State Career Demand by State Legend

Core Tasks

  • Pray and promote spirituality.
  • Prepare and deliver sermons or other talks.
  • Read from sacred texts, such as the Bible, Torah, or Koran.
  • Organize and lead regular religious services.
  • Instruct people who seek conversion to a particular faith.
  • Administer religious rites or ordinances.
  • Counsel individuals or groups concerning their spiritual, emotional, or personal needs.
  • Share information about religious issues by writing articles, giving speeches, or teaching.
  • Prepare people for participation in religious ceremonies.
  • Train leaders of church, community, or youth groups.
  • Visit people in homes, hospitals, or prisons to provide them with comfort and support.
  • Plan or lead religious education programs.
  • Study and interpret religious laws, doctrines, or traditions.
  • Respond to requests for assistance during emergencies or crises.
  • Conduct special ceremonies, such as weddings, funerals, or confirmations.
  • Devise ways in which congregational membership can be expanded.
  • Collaborate with committees or individuals to address financial or administrative issues pertaining to congregations.
  • Organize or engage in interfaith, community, civic, educational, or recreational activities sponsored by or related to religious programs.
  • Refer people to community support services, psychologists, or doctors.
  • Participate in fundraising activities to support congregational activities or facilities.
  • Perform administrative duties, such as overseeing building management, ordering supplies, contracting for services or repairs, or supervising the work of staff members or volunteers.

Technology Skills

Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Calendar and scheduling software
Event scheduling software
Data base user interface and query software
Membership databases
Electronic mail software
Microsoft Outlook
Instant messaging software
Twitter
Internet browser software
Web browser software
Office suite software
Microsoft Office software
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Web page creation and editing software
Facebook
Word processing software
Microsoft Word

Tools Used

Tool
Example
Audio and visual presentation and composing equipment
Multimedia presentation projectors
Communications Devices and Accessories
Multiline telephone systems
Computer Equipment and Accessories
Desktop computers
Consumer electronics
Cordless microphones
Motor vehicles
Passenger vehicles

Top 10 Knowledge Required

Philosophy and Theology
94%
Importance

Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

Administration and Management
83%
Importance

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

English Language
83%
Importance

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

Customer and Personal Service
80%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Education and Training
77%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Therapy and Counseling
77%
Importance

Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Communications and Media
75%
Importance

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Psychology
74%
Importance

Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Sociology and Anthropology
73%
Importance

Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

Personnel and Human Resources
71%
Importance

Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Top 10 Skills

Speaking
95%
Importance

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening
85%
Importance

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Social Perceptiveness
83%
Importance

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Instructing
80%
Importance

Teaching others how to do something.

Service Orientation
80%
Importance

Actively looking for ways to help people.

Judgment and Decision Making
78%
Importance

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Persuasion
78%
Importance

Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Reading Comprehension
78%
Importance

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Time Management
78%
Importance

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Writing
78%
Importance

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Top 10 Abilities

Speech Clarity
98%
Importance

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Oral Expression
95%
Importance

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Oral Comprehension
83%
Importance

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Deductive Reasoning
80%
Importance

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Inductive Reasoning
80%
Importance

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Problem Sensitivity
80%
Importance

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Speech Recognition
80%
Importance

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Written Comprehension
80%
Importance

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression
80%
Importance

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Fluency of Ideas
78%
Importance

The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Top 10 Work Activities

Assisting and Caring for Others
87%
Importance

Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
87%
Importance

Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Getting Information
85%
Importance

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Developing and Building Teams
81%
Importance

Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
79%
Importance

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
77%
Importance

Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems
76%
Importance

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates
75%
Importance

Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Thinking Creatively
74%
Importance

Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Coaching and Developing Others
72%
Importance

Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Provide counsel, comfort, or encouragement to individuals or families.
  • Lead classes or community events.
  • Review professional literature to maintain professional knowledge.
  • Present information to the public.
  • Counsel clients or patients regarding personal issues.
  • Write articles, books or other original materials in area of expertise.
  • Promote products, activities, or organizations.
  • Teach classes in area of specialization.
  • Provide customers with general information or assistance.
  • Visit individuals in their homes to provide support or information.
  • Train staff members in social services skills.
  • Develop educational programs.
  • Interpret cultural or religious information for others.
  • Intervene in crisis situations to assist clients.
  • Develop promotional strategies for religious organizations.
  • Manage organizational or program finances.
  • Refer clients to community or social service programs.
  • Plan conferences, programs, or special events.
  • Direct fundraising or financing activities.

Education

Interests

Social
84%
Importance

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Enterprising
60%
Importance

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Artistic
50%
Importance

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Conventional
41%
Importance

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Investigative
31%
Importance

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Realistic
31%
Importance

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Work Values

Achievement
96%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Independence
91%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Relationships
91%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Recognition
77%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Working Conditions
72%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Support
48%
Importance

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.