Clarifying Your Career Direction
Career Services can help you identify your interests, skills, strengths, abilities, preferences and values. Whether you are exploring majors or career fields, the following tools can provide options for further investigation.
It isn’t unusual for students to be uncertain about their major. Choose your major based on your interests, aptitudes, and values—not those of other people.
Although in most cases the sooner you declare a major the better, you’re always able to change it later. Keep in mind that your major doesn’t necessarily determine what path your career will take.
Depending on your interests, you might benefit by choosing a second major or a minor; this makes you far more marketable.
How Do You Pick a Major and Find a Career?
- Examine your interests, abilities, and values. FOCUS 2, a self-directed, interactive computer program is designed to help you explore career options and make informed decisions based on your interests, skills, and values (use access code kccareer, when setting up an account).
- Research potential occupations by using FOCUS 2, reading the Occupational Outlook Handbook, shadowing professionals, conducting informational interviews, and using the Center for Experiential Learning’s Career Resource Library.
- Meet with a career counselor who can help you explore your options:
- Strong Interest Inventory — This survey matches your interests with those of people working in various career fields. It also matches you up with several careers to begin exploring further.
- MBTI — The MBTI is a personality preference assessment designed to identify your unique strengths and help you to use these strengths during your career exploration.
Other Tips
- Take a variety of classes – general education requirements allow you to diversify
- Join clubs, organizations, and teams
- Check out the Step Into Your Career Fit handout
- Begin networking
- Volunteer and intern for experience
- Work part-time and get summer jobs for experience
