Career Exploration

If you are undecided about your major and career options you are in good company. 70% of students change their major at least once, most will change majors at least three times before they graduate. And that’s okay. It may be time for you to explore career options before choosing your major. Career Development is here to support you through a career exploration that will inform you of the real-world challenges and opportunities that exist in today’s workplaces and help you decide what it is you want to do,

Explore Career Options

Complete the following steps to discover potential career options that someone with your personality traits, interests and abilities might enjoy.

Step 1. Take an interest inventory.

Narrow down your focus:

• What interests you?
• What inspires you?
• Is there something you have a passion for?
• What are you good at?
• What skills do you lack?
• What do you value about work and life? Security, flexibility or independence?

Step 2. Complete a Career Assessment

Use Explore the Possibilities in The Focus2Career Program to find a career or grad school path that will work best for you. 

Think of what will be important to you:

•        Would I be happy about going to work?
•        What course of study is expected or preferred?
•        Will I need additional education – a graduate or professional degree?
•        What is the average salary?
•        What is the future job outlook?

Step 3. Explore Career Options

Use the Vault Program to find a career or grad school path that will work best for you.

Step 4. Conduct Informational Interviews

If you know someone who is in the profession you are interested in, set up a time to talk and learn more about what they do on a daily basis.  If you do not know anyone in the career you would like to pursue, Career Development can help you reach out to professionals and assist in developing questions to get the conversation started.

Step 5. Gain experience with job shadowing or internships.

One of the best ways to determine your level of interest in a career is to gain experience in that work setting. You can do this through observation or hands-on experience. You also receive academic credit for job shadowing and internship experiences.