Major and Career Exploration
One of the most common problems that students encounter is deciding on a major and career path. It is not unusual for students to change their majors and career goals more than once. However, by utilizing major and career exploration services and resources below, students can successfully identify their best major and career fit.
Career Quest
Sometimes a more in-depth analysis is necessary to help you identify the career path that is right for you. To that end, Career Services offers several formal computerized assessment programs to assist you. Our assessments are accessible from any computer with internet access and are free to all CBU students and alumni. Contact Cathy Lantrip, our Career Counselor, at clantrip@cbu.edu for online access instructions.
The Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
Suggests career fields and occupations for you to pursue based on your personal interests. This program is often used by professional career counselors for people in all walks of life and all stages of their career path.
Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The MBTI aids you in better understanding your personality, how you interact with other personalities, and how your personality affects your “fit” into your particular career field.
Note: After taking the SII or MBTI, in order for you to receive your results, you must schedule a follow-up conference to meet with our Career Counselor or Director to have your results interpreted.
Individualized Career Counseling
Your talents and career goals are as unique as you are. Thus, your path to achieving your goals should also be customized to you. Career Services has a Career Counselor on staff to offer individualized counseling to our students. Appointments can be made to discuss any aspect of your major and career exploration — from choosing a major all the way through writing a resume and preparing for graduate school or your job search.
Self Directed Exercises
Career Services has a variety of handouts that contain simple, self-directed exercises to aid in your major and career exploration, and to help you identify possible career paths based on your individual interests, abilities, and values. They will guide you as you research the options of greatest interest to you, and to provide a framework to develop a personalized action plan to help you achieve your goals.
- Career Planning Self Assessment (Holland Occupational Themes).
- Assessing Your Skills worksheet.
- Career Values worksheet.
- Majors Checklist.
- Major Investigation handout.
- Career Exploration handout.
- Career Development Action Plan.
Graduation requirements and course descriptions for each major, concentration, and minor at CBU are available in the Academic Catalog.
Externship Program
Would you like to find out if a career is the right choice for you without the commitment of an internship or job? An externship is a brief (one day to one week) experience in which students shadow and observe a “day in the life” of a professional. Externships are designed to provide students with a realistic view of a career field while helping you clarify career interests. Externships are not paid experiences. However, an externship is a worthwhile opportunity that you can include on your resume and which will allow you to explore a career and develop networking contacts.
Career Services hosts a group externship program over Spring and Winter breaks, and additional individual externships are possible throughout the year.
CBU 200: Career Planning Course
This course is designed to prepare students for successful career planning. Topics will focus on self-assessment, major and career exploration, decision-making, job and graduate school preparation, and professionalism. Career development theories will be discussed as a comprehensive approach to career development will be implemented through interactive lecture and experiential learning. This course is one credit, offered in the Fall and Spring semesters. Contact Amy Ware, Career Services Director, at aware1@cbu.edu for more information.