When thinking about what career field to go into, there are many things that can be helpful to consider, such as your career interests, skills, values, and personality characteristics. One thing that is certain is that a major does not equal a career. This means that just because you are majoring in a specific field does not necessarily mean you have to take the path of becoming an expert in that field. For example, a student majoring in psychology may become a Psychologist or they may seek out jobs in related fields like community service, health education, human resources, teaching, guidance counseling, social work, etc. This is the case for any major you come upon.
Ultimately……
Major + GPA + Work experience + Leadership + Study abroad + Organization involvement + Skills + …… = A JOB
Job 1 + Job 2 + Job 3 + ….. = Your CAREER
It is important to recognize that career exploration is a cyclical, rather than a linear, process. It involves knowing yourself, exploring your options, choosing directions, making plans, and taking action. You might find yourself going through these steps in order, or jumping around a bit. Any way you go through these steps is okay and a normal part of the process!
The following are questions you might ask yourself to begin reflecting on yourself:
- What classes have you really enjoyed in the past (high school and/or college)?
- What topics tend to catch your eye when scrolling through the news, looking for a new book to read, or finding a new TV show/movie to watch?
- What skills do you find you are good at? Not so good at?
- How do you spend your free time?
- What type of work experience (paid or volunteer) do you have? What did you like/not like about each job?
- What career fields have you considered in the past? Why did you consider these particular career fields?
- What characteristics would an ideal job have? (i.e., working with people, working for self, level of structure, project oriented, working inside/outside, stability, etc.)
- What do your family members do for a living? How have their experiences influenced your thoughts on career?
