Career Development

The first step in the career development process is self-assessment. Once you have identified your interests, skills, values, and personality characteristics, it is time to begin occupational research to learn more about different careers and the world of work. After you have narrowed down what career areas might be a good ft, it is beneficial to enroll in a variety of academic courses in majors you are considering, job shadow professionals in the career fields of interest, conduct informational interviews, and obtain career-related work experience.

Some helpful resources might be:

1. Self-assessment
   Identify interests, skills, and values
2. Occupational research
   Learn about careers and world-of-work
3. Informational interview handout (PDF)
   What to ask when connecting with professionals

Upon gathering the necessary information on the career areas you are considering comes prioritizing and narrowing the options, following by making final decisions. Determine the steps required to implement your career decision and develop a timeline. Periodically, meet with an academic advisor to assess your academic progress and a career counselor to identify career goals.

Once you have implemented your career decision, it is good to reevaluate your choice from time to time to determine if it is meeting your needs. If not, go back to self-assessment and conduct further occupational research to identify if there is another major or career that may fit better. Remember that people change careers 4-11 times throughout their life, which makes career development a life-long process.