When you choose a major or a career it is important to think of it as a process, not just a decision. Start with a list of possible options and narrow down the list at every step.
Step 1: Understand what you want and choose which options work the best for you.
Step 2: Do some research on those options
Step 3: Try out one or two of them to learn more about yourself and what options work for you.
Keep learning researching and trying options till you find a good choice that might work for you.
Remember
You will have several careers during your life. You are just picking the first one.
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Knowing what you want/Self Assessment
When you start to think about choosing a major or career, you need to know what you want. Things to think about include;
- What do you like to do?
- What are you good at?
- What is important to you (your values)
- Where do you want to work – the environment and the geographic location
- What would match your personality
Focus 2 is an on-line self-assessment tool you can use to discover your interests, skills, values, and personality type. Based on your results, Focus 2 will recommend careers and provide information about those careers. You can also assess your career readiness and get suggestions on how to improve. After you take one or more of the assessments, make an appointment to help you understand the results.
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Exploring MajorsWhen choosing a major, you should consider what you are interested in and what you think you can do well in. Many careers do not require a particular major, but if you have already chosen a career you should meet with a Career advisor to see which majors might help you prepare best for that career. You can also use our Career Exploration resources to find that information as well. Meet with your academic advisor to discuss all of the majors that you are considering to ensure you can meet all of the requirements.
Here are some other resources that may help; Munch with the Majors and Four Year Plans -
Exploring Careers
There are several different ways to learn more about a specific career. You can get a lot of information by looking online using our Career Exploration resources.
You can also learn from people who are currently in that career. UCAN is a great way to connect to alumni in different career fields.
Sometimes the best way to find out about a career is to try it out. Internships, volunteer work and student organizations are all ways to try something out to see if you like it. It also helps you build experience or your resume and your LinkedIn profile.
