Career Development offers a number of resources to assist with your Major and Career Exploration.
Career Assessments
What Can I do with a Major in...?
WOIS/The Career Information Network
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Psychology 113: Career & Education Planning
Informational Interviewing
Job Shadowing
Internships
Career Assessments
To
take a Career Assessment, contact Career Development at 535-7459 to set
up an appointment with a career counselor. Click here to link to the Skills One website.
|
Personality Style Preference (MBTI)
MBTI is the world's most used indicator of adult personality patterns.
Based on the theories of Carl Jung, it describes 16 different preferred
styles of dealing with the world. The MBTI is extensively researched,
non-judgmental and easily understood. The questionnaire assesses how
one acts and feels in certain situations. There are no "right" or
"wrong" answers. The responses help show how a person likes to look at
things and how he/she likes to go about deciding things. This
instrument is widely used to understand people in terms of their
decision-making styles, preferences for communication and work
environments, and for career development and exploration.
|
|
Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
The Strong Interest Inventory was developed by E.K. Strong Jr. and is
based on John Holland's theory of vocational choice. Published in 1927,
the SII has the longest history of any psychological test. It is one of
the most thoroughly researched and highly respected instruments in use
today. It compares a person's interests with the interests of people
happily employed in a wide variety of occupations. When a person's
interests are similar to the interests of the people in the sampling,
some general prediction can be made about what careers seem most
compatible with the person's career interests. The profile can also
help a person to organize interests into patterns (e.g., types of
environments and people with whom he/she is comfortable). It measures
interests not aptitude or intelligence, and it is used best as a tool
to assist individuals in making curricular or occupational choices.
*Text about the MBTI and SII was borrowed from the University of Puget Sound Career & Employment services website.
|
If you are taking the MBTI or the SII,
click here to link to the Skills One website. You will need to meet
with a Career Counselor to receive results for the MBTI and/or SII. If
you have not already done so, then call 535-7459 to schedule your
follow-up appointment.
What Can I Do with a Major In…
We
have all heard the stories (academic legends instead of urban legends)
- an English major who has made a fortune making gourmet cookies, a
college dropout who made his first million before thirty as a software
developer, or a philosophy major who now heads a Fortune 500 company.
But what about the rest of the liberal arts folks? These web resources
allow you to explore the options open to all majors.
WOIS/The Career Information System
Contact Career Development for the login and password.
WOIS/The Career Information System is a private, nonprofit organization
that researches and distributes information about Washington careers,
schools and training programs.
Once logged in you can research academic programs and occupations in
Washington state and take inventories that will help you match your
skills to an occupation.
Click here to login to WOIS.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Published by the Department of Labor, The Dictionary of
Occupational Titles and Occupational Outlook Handbook will provide you
concrete information about thousands of jobs: the outlook of specific
professions, salary, degrees required, typical work and complementary
careers to explore.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Psychology 113: Career & Education Planning
This is a one-credit course offered by staff members in Career Development and Academic Advising office each fall semester.
Course Objectives:
- complete self-assessment and identify your values, interests, personal style, and skills
- research
and consider an array of educational alternatives, careers, and work
settings that align with the results of your self-assessment
- become
familiar with on-campus resources that can help you in your academic
pursuits and provide support in developing a long-term career plan
Informational Interviewing
Informational
Interviewing is a useful networking tool. It is an opportunity to
meet people who have a career you are considering and to gain clarity
on the profession. Click here for more about Informational Interviewing.
Job Shadowing
Job shadowing is a work-based learning experience that allows a
visitor to follow a host during a typical day (or period of time)
observing and asking questions about a particular career. Job Shadowing
is a versatile activity, allowing student career exploration.
The student follows an employer for one or more days to learn about a
particular occupation or industry without actually being involved in
hands-on activities. They are able to witness a variety of tasks and
learn about the educational requirements associated with the career.
This work-based experience gives the student a realistic idea of
whether or not they are truly comfortable with their particular career
interest.
- The visitor should interview the workplace host using prepared interview questions.
- The visitor should receive a thorough tour of the workplace to gain an understanding of the type of career being explored.
- The
visitor should be introduced to key employees and informed of their
roles and responsibilities in the organization as well as their
educational backgrounds.
- The student should write a thank you letter to the host and other key people.
Internships
Internships
are a great way to explore a potential career and maybe even earn
academic credit at the same time. To learn more about the Academic
Internship program at PLU click here.
