Students are often confused and uncertain about which careers or majors to pursue. What surprises many students is that being undecided can actually be a blessing because it forces students to step out, explore, and take advantage of the opportunities that surround you during your college years.

Career counseling may aid your vocational journey through self-exploration, support, and learning about the world of work. There are many activities and areas to explore in career counseling. Some students spend time exploring their family expectations and cultural considerations.

Others look for support in finding out about careers through informational interviews and research. A few choose to utilize more creative approaches such as guided imagery and writing stories to tap into their transferable skills. Most choose to take career asssessments and to explore their strengths, interests, and/or personality.

Strong Interest Inventory (SII)

The SII is one of the most widely used assessments of occupational interest and is designed to compare your interests to individuals in many different occupation. While no test is able to tell you what careers you would be good at the SII is a great place to begin looking for possible careers/majors that match your interests. This test is taken online and an individually designed printout is interpreted with a counselor.

Do What You Are (DWYA)

The DWYA is a personality assessment designed to provide feedback about an individual's patterns of behavior and their preferences. The assessment is based on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and has a computer printout that
is oriented toward college students. The Do What You Are can be helpful for undecided students in several ways. It can show how an individual likes to make decisions, organize his or her life, and acquire information. The Do
What you Are can also demonstrate where an individual focuses his or her attention (on the outer world of people and things or inner world of ideas) and what types of career environments may be more satisfying. It also has
sections on making the most out of your college experience, strengths and blindspots, and a list of potentially satisfying careers and fields of study.

Clifton StrengthFinder

While not strictly a career assessment this test helps students identify their top strengths and gives suggestions for utilizing their strengths both in the college environment and in future work environments. The StrengthFinder can provide another lens to see yourself and help you to think about possible work environments where you could most utilize your greatest strengths. This assessment can be found on your own simply by purchasing the book StrengthsQuest: Discover and Develop Your Strengths in Academics, Career, and Beyond by Donald O. Clifton, Edward "Chip" Anderson, and Laurie A. Schreiner. Guidance with a counselor could provide additional motivation and guidance as you develop your talents into strengths. Do not buy a used book.

Links

http://online.onetcenter.org/

http://www.bls.gov/OCO/

http://www.idealist.org/