Undergraduates and adults seeking to move into a new career may know that they want to work in a particular industry but not which particular profession to pursue. The 6-volume Survey of American Industry and Careers (S.A.I.C.) includes overviews of 112 industries, based loosely on the NAICS coding system. Each survey, which is fifteen to eighteen pages in length, includes many parts that are well-defined in the publisher's note at the beginning of volume 1. A survey starts with an industry snapshot identifying its associated NAICS codes, related industries, and annual revenues. The industry is then explicitly defined, and its history and current status is outlined in two to three pages. It is then profiled from three market segments: small, medium, and large-sized businesses. Content in these subsections includes the typical number of employees, the nature of employees’ interactions with customers, the physical work environment, the pros and cons of the particular work environment, and the segment's financial costs (payroll, benefits, supplies, etc.). The next section describes the functions of several departments within a typical company in the industry (such as customer service, sales, marketing, production, and facilities). Finally, an industry outlook predicts the future of the industry, including employment advantages and annual earnings. Each profile includes a short biography of the author, as well as “Related Resources” and “Further Reading.”

In addition to these standard sections, some surveys also include profiles of careers and tables demonstrating the value of an industry to the national economy in financial and employment terms. Among the industries surveyed are Batteries and Fuel Cells; Casinos; Corporate Education Services; Dental and Orthodontics; Funerary (Industry); Hand Tools and Instruments; Libraries and Archives; National and International Security; Political Advocacy; Residential Medical Care; Shipbuilding, Submarines, and Navel Transport; and Water Supply. The credentials of the authors vary, but all appear to have either a master's degree in their area of focus or prior writing experience in edited books or magazines. Following the last profile in volume 6 are appendixes with employment by industries (identified by 3 or 4-digit NAICS code) for 2008, projections for 2018, an industry-organized listing of 2009’s Fortune 500 companies, and a bibliography and listing of helpful websites for each survey. Volume 6 also has indexes of specific jobs and careers and a subject index. Overall, quibbles with this resource are minor: the “Related Resources” and “Further Reading” sections in the profiles could have been combined, a “Career Cluster” organization scheme (and associated index) seems unnecessary, and the typeface of the profiles’ subheadings should have varied more to denote them more clearly. Though S.A.I.C. could be used by high school seniors because of its fairly sophisticated presentation describing industries from several size vantage points, discussing departments within industries, it is probably most appropriate for a college-level or adult audience. Macmillan's Career Information Center (2007) and Ferguson's Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance (2011) also each include industry profiles. In fact, a significant portion of one of the Ferguson set's five volumes has ninety-five industry profiles, each around five pages. Although the industry information in these other sets is very good, that in S.A.I.C. is more extensive. Its purchase price includes complementary online access via the Salem History database. This set would be useful for job-seeking college students and members of the general public who want to work in a particular industry but have not yet chosen a specific career. It would also be helpful for entrepreneurs needing industry information for a business plan.