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Direct activities such as autopsies, pathological and toxicological analyses, and inquests relating to the investigation of deaths occurring within a legal jurisdiction to determine cause of death or to fix responsibility for accidental, violent, or unexplained deaths.

tasks jobzones knowledge skills abilities work_activities work_context interests work_styles work_values

Tasks

  • Witness and certify deaths that are the result of a judicial order.

  • Collect wills, burial instructions, and other documentation needed for investigations and for handling of the remains.

  • Record the disposition of minor children, as well as details of arrangements made for their care.

  • Coordinate the release of personal effects to authorized persons, and facilitate the disposition of unclaimed corpses and personal effects.

  • Inventory personal effects, such as jewelry or wallets, that are recovered from bodies.

  • Confer with officials of public health and law enforcement agencies in order to coordinate interdepartmental activities.

  • Locate and document information regarding the next of kin, including their relationship to the deceased and the status of notification attempts.

  • Provide information concerning the circumstances of death to relatives of the deceased.

  • Interview persons present at death scenes to obtain information useful in determining the manner of death.

  • Testify at inquests, hearings, and court trials.

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Job Zone

  • Name: 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: A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also 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 librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, physicists, school psychologists, and surgeons.

  • Svp range: (8.0 and above)

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Knowledge

Browse Knowledge
  • Medicine and Dentistry
    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

  • Biology
    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

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

  • Psychology
    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.

  • Customer and Personal Service
    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.

  • Law and Government
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

  • Clerical
    Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

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

  • Administration and Management
    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.

  • Chemistry
    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

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Skills

Browse Skills
  • Reading Comprehension
    Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

  • Critical Thinking
    Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

  • Speaking
    Talking to others to convey information effectively.

  • Active Listening
    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.

  • Active Learning
    Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

  • Instructing
    Teaching others how to do something.

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

  • Science
    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

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

  • Time Management
    Managing one's own time and the time of others.

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Abilities

Browse Abilities
  • Oral Comprehension
    The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

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

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

  • Information Ordering
    The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

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

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

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

  • Near Vision
    The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

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

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

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Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Telephone
    How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
    How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

  • Face-to-Face Discussions
    How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
    How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

  • Electronic Mail
    How often do you use electronic mail in this job?

  • Deal With External Customers
    How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

  • Freedom to Make Decisions
    How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

  • Contact With Others
    How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

  • Exposed to Disease or Infections
    How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?

  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
    How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company?

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Interests

Browse Interests
  • Investigative
    Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

  • Conventional
    Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

  • Realistic
    Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

  • Enterprising
    Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • Social
    Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

  • Artistic
    Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

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Work Styles

  • Integrity
    Job requires being honest and ethical.

  • Attention to Detail
    Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

  • Stress Tolerance
    Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

  • Dependability
    Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

  • Analytical Thinking
    Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

  • Self Control
    Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

  • Initiative
    Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

  • Cooperation
    Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

  • Concern for Others
    Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

  • Persistence
    Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

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Work Values

Browse Work Values
  • Security
    Workers on this job have steady employment.

  • Autonomy
    Workers on this job plan their work with little supervision.

  • Responsibility
    Workers on this job make decisions on their own.

  • Ability Utilization
    Workers on this job make use of their individual abilities.

  • Authority
    Workers on this job give directions and instructions to others.

  • Independence-Mean Extent
    Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

  • Achievement-Mean Extent
    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.

  • Achievement
    Workers on this job get a feeling of accomplishment.

  • Activity
    Workers on this job are busy all the time.

  • Compensation
    Workers on this job are paid well in comparison with other workers.

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