AnnouncementsCareer Exploration
This section is designed to help you explore career options and majors. You can research education, career outlooks and what kind of salary you might expect among other things. You can also research what it would take to relocate to a different area. Or if you are not sure of what career you want to pursue, you can take an assessment test and get an idea where your skills and aptitudes may lead you.
Career and Major Planning Guide |
What To Do If . . . |
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Four Year Career Planning Guide
This outline is intended to help you in your career planning. Review the suggestions below and then develop your own career path that will help you make the most of your academic, personal and career growth!
Self Assessment
Start to identify your strengths, values, abilities, interests and skills.
- Explore various majors and careers through the Career Services Center website.
- Utilize career assessment tests to help you in identifying your interests, values and abilities. For more information on career assessment tests contact the Career Services Center at (320)308-2151 or go to our Career Assessment page.
- Participate in extracurricular or residence hall activities to build teamwork skills.
- Make an appointment to meet with a career specialist to discuss potential majors and careers.
- Get to know your instructors, begin building relationships and seek out an academic mentor.
- Choose part-time and summer jobs that relate to your career interests.
Career Exploration
Narrow your choices of major (and minor) and apply for admission to your major.
- Make an appointment with a career specialist for help with choosing a major and exploring careers.
- Conduct informational interviews with professionals who are working in fields that interest you.
- Declare a major and meet with your major advisor to plan coursework that meets your major requirements.
- Join a club or organization related to your major.
- Utilize the Career Services Center career information systems to explore career fields.
- Research your field’s job market in the Career Services Center Resource Area.
- Check out Study Abroad Programs for a chance to study another culture in a foreign land.
- Explore internship possibilities.
- Volunteer with an organization that will give you experience related to your major or career field.
- Choose part-time and summer jobs that relate to your major.
Gain Experience and Get Involved
Relate interests, abilities and values to possible career choices and gain experience.
- Choose your courses carefully. Enroll in classes that will compliment your major.
- Gain leadership skills by working as a teaching assistant or through a campus or professional organization.
- Continue your career research in the Career Services Center resource area: research employers, salary, employment outlook, etc.
- Attend job fairs to interview with potential employers for jobs or internships.
- Conduct informational interviews to help you focus your career goals, obtain real world information and NETWORK!!!
- Prepare your resume and have it critiqued.
- Relate course projects and papers to your career field.
- If you are considering graduate school, take steps to prepare yourself.
- Register with the Career Services Center and check-out job and internship resources.
- Connect with your major advisor to discuss how to incorporate internships into your academic plan.
Secure Employment
Identify and apply for jobs or decide on graduate work.
- Register with the Career Services Center.
- Attend job fairs to seek out employment opportunities.
- Step up your job search campaign:
- Finalize your resume and have it critiqued.
- Get letters of reference.
- Research companies utilizing the Career Services Center.
- Take advantage of on-campus interviews.
- Network, network, NETWORK!
- Attend Career Services Center workshops and seminars on interviewing, resume writing and job searching.
- Explore position openings on the Internet through the Career Services Center website:www.stcloudstate.edu/careerservices.
- Last chance to get hands on experience: Internship or volunteer.
- If you intend to go to graduate school, complete the application process.
What to do if...
You are undecided about your major...
If you have not chosen a major, you should start by identifying your interests, values and abilities. There are many resources available to assist you…
- MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR ®(MBTI)®
MBTI ® is the most widely used personality assessment in the world. It is a computerized assessment that provides you with a four-letter code based on your personality preferences. This code can ultimately help you determine a major or a career area. Contact the Career Services Center to take the inventory and to have a qualified career specialist assist you in interpreting the results - (320) 308-2151 or careerservices@stcloudstate.edu. There is a minimal fee involved.
- FOCUS is an online assessment tool that students can use for FREE. FOCUS will help you to explore your interests and skills and then suggest possible career options. Click on FOCUS to register. Use the keycode: husky
- The Career Services Center offers individual career advising appointments. Meeting with a career advisor may help to identify some potential majors or areas of interest.
FOCUS Note: You must complete all sections of this assessment prior to meeting with a Career Counselor for an interpretation. The time lengths of the individual assessments will vary, but on average, it will take 30 minutes to complete all sections.
- If you have an interest in certain majors, further explore those fields by learning more about that career field. A great place to start is the SCSU Career Services Center in Centennial Hall, Suite 215.
You have chosen a major, but are unsure about a career direction...
- The Career Services Center offers individual career advising appointments. Meeting with a career advisor may help you to develop a career path and research your major to see what type of careers people go into with your chosen major.
- You should further explore your major by learning more about that field. A great place to start is by going to our Careers by Major tip sheets and our Career Resources pages.
- Volunteering or doing an internship is a great way to gain hands on experience and insight into your field.
You are trying to learn more about careers, link majors with careers, or match your skills and interests with careers...
- The Career Services Center offers individual career advising appointments. Meeting with a career advisor may help to identify some potential majors or areas of interest.
- You can learn more about careers by utilizing the Career Services Center resource area. There are hundreds of different resources that can help you to further explore career fields, salary trends, job outlook and much, much more.
- If you have an interest in certain majors, further explore those fields by learning more about careers in that area. A great place to start is by using the Career Resources page.
