Looks like we have to operate and see what's inside

Assessment tools are designed to help you identify your interests, skills, personality type, and values and how they can be best matched with school or career pursuits.  Self-assessments can help you make a correlation between your personal attributes and related career fields.

Identifying and clarifying your academic interests

If you choose a major that you intrinsically enjoy, you are more likely to excel academically. Your grades will be better, you’ll be more motivated, and when you start looking for a job, you will probably bring more enthusiasm and focus to the search.

But what if you are having trouble identifying your academic interests? Or you have several majors in mind and are having trouble choosing?

First, write down your responses to some of these questions

• When I go to the bookstore, am I drawn to a particular section? When I read newspapers or magazines, which articles do I always turn to?
• Which classes do I enjoy the most? Which classes do I most actively participate in?
• What homework assignments do I enjoy?
• Do I spend extra time on academic work for a particular class, above and beyond what is required?
• Am I drawn into discussions outside of class with other students or faculty in a particular department?
• In looking at the course catalog, do I find myself wanting to enroll in electives in a particular department?
• Am I mistaking skill (or a sense of ease) in a particular academic area with interest in that field?

Next, talk to people.

• Talk to students who are majoring in that discipline. Ask them what they like and dislike about it, what projects have given them the greatest satisfaction, and if the professors are accessible and inspiring.
• If you’re feeling dazed and confused, talk to your assigned Academic Advisor. They are here to help. You can find your assigned advisor’s name and contact information by logging on to SOS under My Profile.

Career Calculus:
Add up your interests and see where it takes you.

Business + People = Human Resources Managers
Justice + Psychology = Probation Officers

Complete the online interest profiler to see what careers match your current interests.

Re-evaluate and Start Over!

Many different circumstances can send students back to the starting line, thus forcing you to feel like you have lost ground and have to begin all over again. This kind of frustration can be hard to handle but it is an important part of the process that many students go through. It’s a matter of trial and error and learning how to be open and prepared for change and not feel defeated.

Some students may need to start over from the very beginning with more self-assessment while others might just need to do more research. Wherever you start over just know you aren’t alone and career planning is a continual process of growth and change.