The process of choosing a major or career begins with self-knowledge. One way of taking stock of your interests, skills, strengths, and values is through assessments. Consider taking one or more of the assessments described below to learn about or affirm your interests, strengths, skills, and values. After taking one or more of these assessments, meet with your Integrated Advising Coach or the Associate Dean of Career Development to discuss your results and generate ideas for majors and careers to research. Keep in mind that no single assessment can tell you “what you should be” and that successful career planning may require more than one appointment.
PathwayU is a web-based assessment tool that can help you quickly assess your interests, values, workplace preferences, and personality and then suggests career paths that might be a good fit for you.
Skills are an important component of your self-assessment. Most skills are learned to some extent. Your aptitude is your ability to learn a skill. It is important to realize you may be interested in an area or field, but you may not be skilled in it. Depending on your aptitude for the skill, you can become a master of it. Surgeons are not born being able to perform brain surgery. They have to learn about human anatomy, surgery, and many other skills. Think about the experiences you have had (class projects, work crew, community engagement, summer jobs, internships, etc.). Use this Skills Checklist to help you identify those skills.
Values are the things that are most important and meaningful to you. They are an important part of the career decision making process. Your life is given meaning from your values, and consequently the sense of meaning you obtain from your work is directly related to your values. Values have some very important attributes. This Work Values Checklist can begin to help you clarify some of your most important work values.