ASSESS YOURSELF

One of the most important factors in defining your career options or choosing your major (or minor) is knowing yourself. Career Services has many tools for students to use to help assess their interests.

• The Strong Self-Assessment
  Visit our office to learn more, and to take this assessment.
• Materials and Handouts
  A variety of books and handouts are available in our office for student use.
• Online Resources
  Our Self-Assessment section has a list of popular online resources.
• Individual Appointment
  Schedule an appointment with an advisor to discuss your self-assessment and how they connect to majors/minors and careers of interest.

DISCOVER AN AREA OF STUDY

Career Services works with the  Undeclared Advising Program to provide resources and programs that help students make sound academic and/or career development decisions. We help students:

• Understand that academic success is an important element for self-development.
• Select a major, minor, electives and related projects that will enhance your resume.
• Begin to develop career goals based on research and information learned from networking.
• Obtain internships and participate in other experiences to gain career experiences.

DEVELOP CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

As you research careers, consider how well specific fields will satisfy your interests, skills, aptitude and values. Remember that career decision-making is a complex process that will change and develop over time.

With the changing nature of the workplace it is likely you will change jobs and career directions multiple times throughout your life. Don't limit your options by thinking you are choosing a career for life at this point. As you begin to fine-tune your career interests, be sure to include the following steps in your discovery:

• Attend Career Panels and Guest Presentations
  These events are a great way to find out what it's really like to work in a specific career field and get tips on how to break into the field.
• Network
  Speak with professionals in order to learn what skills are needed in a particular career field, what career paths are possible, what steps you should take to develop your career plan, navigate your internship or job search or plan for post-graduate education. CLICK HERE to learn more about networking. (Remember, networking includes conversations, informational interviews and shadowing experiences!)
• Gain Experience
  Internships and related experiences can help you develop the required skills and abilities and enhance your future employability.

LAUNCH YOUR CAREER OR POST-GRADUATE PLANS

Create an action plan for your job search or graduate school plans. To begin:

• Perform career, industry and employer research online, at career fairs and networking events.
• Visit Career Services for helpful handouts, books and other resources.
• Consult with an Advisor, Faculty and online to learn about requirements and application deadlines for Fellowships & Service, Graduate and Professional Programs.
• Participate in the on-campus recruiting program for entry-level job opportunities.
• If you plan on pursuing graduate or professional school, research programs of interest and begin the application process.