Exploring majors and careers

Your personality is the collection of physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics that define you as an individual. You should try to identify majors & careers that fit your personality, thus providing you the opportunity to be "yourself".

Resources:

• Focus 2 is UWL's online career & education planning tool which helps you assess your interests, skills, and values. Focus 2 can be used at any stage of your education to see which area of study/career fields may be a fit.

  Login Instructions:  

  • Login in to Handshake (links to an external site)
  • Click on "Career Center" and select "Resources"
  • Click "Major and Career Exploration"
  • Click on "FOCUS 2" (second link)
  • Select "Register" to create an account
  • Once logged in, view the "instructions" tab at the top of the page for additional guidance

  After completing a Focus 2 assessment, review your results and discuss them with an advisor in Academic Advising Center & Career Services.

• Personality Characteristics Worksheet- University of Denver Career Center
• 16 Personalities

Interests are things you enjoy doing or would like to experience. You may find that some of your interests are related to majors or careers, while others may be related to a hobby. While your career does not need to include all of your interests, people who have a career based on some of their interests are generally happier and more fulfilled with their work. 

Resources: 

• Focus 2 is UWL's online career & education planning tool which helps you assess your interests, skills, and values. Focus 2 can be used at any stage of your education to see which area of study/career fields may be a fit.

  Login Instructions:  

  • Login in to Handshake (links to an external site)
  • Click on "Career Center" and select "Resources"
  • Click "Major and Career Exploration"
  • Click on "FOCUS 2" (second link)
  • Select "Register" to create an account
  • Once logged in, view the "instructions" tab at the top of the page for additional guidance

  After completing a Focus 2 assessment, review your results and discuss them with an advisor in Academic Advising Center & Career Services.

• Strong Interest Inventory - The Strong Interest Inventory measures your level of interest in occupational areas, activities, school subjects, and work environments. It then compares your interests with working professionals in a wide variety of occupations. Please contact the AACCS if you would like information on taking the inventory.

• Let's Talk About Interests Worksheet - Colorado State University

Skills are involved in the process of using ability and knowledge to perform an activity or task successfully. Most skills may have to be learned and developed. You may find that you have an interest in a major or career that you do not currently have the skills for, so understanding your desire and aptitude to learn a skill is important. 

Resources:  

• Focus 2 is UWL's online career & education planning tool which helps you assess your interests, skills, and values. Focus 2 can be used at any stage of your education to see which area of study/career fields may be a fit.

  Login Instructions:  

  • Login in to Handshake (links to an external site)
  • Click on "Career Center" and select "Resources"
  • Click "Major and Career Exploration"
  • Click on "FOCUS 2" (second link)
  • Select "Register" to create an account
  • Once logged in, view the "instructions" tab at the top of the page for additional guidance

  After completing a Focus 2 assessment, review your results and discuss them with an advisor in Academic Advising Center & Career Services.

• Skill Identification Worksheet - University of Denver Career Center

• What Skills Do You Have? Worksheet - Colorado State University

Values are the core set of beliefs that influence how you live your life. Identifying work values may allow you to identify majors & careers that are aligned with your personal values. Finding a major or career that aligns with all of your values may not be possible, but you should identify choices that fit with the things that are the most important to you. 

Resources:  

• Focus 2 is UWL's online career & education planning tool which helps you assess your interests, skills, and values. Focus 2 can be used at any stage of your education to see which area of study/career fields may be a fit.

  Login Instructions:  

  • Login in to Handshake (links to an external site)
  • Click on "Career Center" and select "Resources"
  • Click "Major and Career Exploration"
  • Click on "FOCUS 2" (second link)
  • Select "Register" to create an account
  • Once logged in, view the "instructions" tab at the top of the page for additional guidance

  After completing a Focus 2 assessment, review your results and discuss them with an advisor in Academic Advising Center & Career Services.

• Work Values Worksheet- University of Denver Career Center

• Clarifying Your Work Values Worksheet - Stanford Career Education

• What do You Value as Important? Worksheet - Colorado State University

Make sure that you are aware of the majors offered at UW-La Crosse by reviewing the the list of majors and programs - most have an easy to read, overview description. 

If you do not know enough about a major, be sure to research it before ruling it out. Gain more information on your majors of interest by reviewing the websites of each. Consider the courses required, what skills you will gain, what their students are involved in, and anything else included on the website. 

• What can I do with this major? 

Once you have a better understanding of the majors that may or may not work for you, do a simple elimination exercise to see which UWL majors best fit your interests:  

• Process of Elimination Exercise

When starting your research of careers, there are multiple websites that will allow you to research specific occupations.  These websites provide relevant information about the nature of an occupation in terms of required education, skills & training, common tasks & duties, and work environment.  You may also be able to find salary ranges and the employment outlook for these occupations as well.  

• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• O*Net Online
• Wisconsin AHEC Health Careers Information Center
• Occupational Profiles - careeronestop
• Explore Health Careers

Additionally, visit Handshake and view job postings in your area of interest. Job postings may allow you to see required skills, educational background, and potential salary ranges.

When scheduling allows, consider taking an Introduction/Foundation course to learn about a major or particular career interest. Whether part of General Education or an elective, it will help you understand whether the major or career is a good fit.

Even if you are actively seeking a job, attending career events during the academic year could be a great way for you to find out about internships and jobs associated with the career fields that you are exploring. This would also give you chance to network with employers and learn what skills they look for in employees. See Handshake for upcoming events!

An Informational Interview allows you to talk with a professional about required education & training, typical workdays, industry trends, networking opportunities, and more. If you're exploring majors, reach out to faculty in the department about setting up an informational meeting. 

If you are serious about the profession, a job shadow can provide you with a glimpse of what an individual actually does in their occupation. While observing, you can ask questions similar to those in an informational interview.

Wings gives you the ability to create a "What If" advisement report for specific majors you're considering. This feature allows you to see the required classes for the major, any potential admission requirements for the major, and any requirements for the college that the major belongs to. When looking at required classes, you are able to see their course descriptions as well.

If you still need help, advisors in the AACCS are available to assist all UW-La Crosse students that would like help exploring majors. Make an appointment via Navigate. 

Sometimes you need to try things in order know whether they are a fit. Whether it's an internship, part-time job, student organization, or volunteer experience, their are many ways to get to know majors and professions. Learn more about gaining experience.