Career Center
Career Center
Career Center
1. Take courses in it
(um, not required)
An introductory course usually will NOT give you a
good idea of what the major is like it is often too
general
Sometimes you cant get into major courses until
your junior year
If you use this technique, your process of elimination will take too long
- - - - - Look through the required textbooks, read the course
description, ask questions of the department
5. My major my life
(probably not)
The typical American has at least 3 different careers in
his/her lifetime (and 15 +jobs!) It is likely that not all
of those careers or jobs necessarily relate directly to
the college major.
Some majors (Philosophy and Theatre come to mind)
dont relate to many careers per se, BUT the skills
acquired (critical thinking, effective communication)
can be applied to many career fields
- - - - - Choosing your major is an important decision, but it is
not absolutely crucial to your future success.
Self-Analysis
Interests
Personality
Skills
Values
Interests
(those things you love doing)
The Strong Interest Inventory (SSI) test
divides workers into 6 categories,
called the
RIASEC
scale.
Interests
(those things you love doing)
Enterprising people are
persuaders who enjoy
influencing, managing & leading
others, often for economic gain.
Energetic, ambitious: often into
status & power.
Conventional people are the
organizers who like working
with data & details; have clerical
& numerical abilities, are efficient
& dependable.
Personality
(the way youve always been since birth!)
The Myers-Briggs test (MBTI
-available to all students)
categorizes test-takers into
one of 16 personality types.
The major components of
personality include these
dynamics:
Skills
(those things youre good at)
Skills & interests may
overlap, because things you
are good at are usually
enjoyable.
Skills are talents. They are
not necessarily innate.
They can be learned,
acquired or improved with
practice.
More on skills
Types of skills
1. Self-management skills. These are
personal traits or qualities, like:
how you get along w/others
how you adapt to an environment
how you respond to authority
how you manage & maintain
yourself
2.
3.
Career Research
Research Resources
Informational
Interviews
Job Shadowing,
Volunteering, Practical
Work Experience
Research Resources
Books
Available in the CDC library, as well
as local libraries:
The Encyclopedia of Careers &
Vocational Guidance (4 volumes)
Guide to College Majors
Book of College Majors
Various major-specific titles
Online
What can I do with this
major? is on the CDC
website main page
www.bls.gov/oco awesome site for info on
hundreds of careers
Choices available on the
desktops in the CDC
Informational Interviews
Who knows careers better
than the people working in
them?
Interview
those people!
www.calstatela.edu/univ/cdc/doc/infointer
views.pdf
Q&A
WHY?
If nothing else, it might tell you
what kind of work youd never want
to do professionally. But more
importantly, it gets you in a real
work environment in which you can
observe your bosses, study the
business, and show personal
responsibilityIts also something
to put on your resume!
SUMMARY
www.calstatela.edu/careercenter