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Home > Career and Professional Development > Major and Career Exploration
Career and PROFESSIonal Development
Student Resources - Major and Career Exploration
The Career and Professional Development Office is here to help you choose a major and explore careers using a variety of resources.
Year by Year Career Plan
This resource will help you have a better understanding the steps you can take to obtain career success.
FIRST YEAR
1. Focus on Academics-Do your best in your studies right from the start; your Grade Point Average will be important to many employers and for admission to graduate programs. Get to know your faculty and advisors.
2.Identify Your Interests, Skills, and Abilities- Begin exploring careers and majors that interest you. Check out our How to Choose a Major page. Meet with a Career and Professional Development staff member to discuss your ideas.
3. Get Connected- Become involved in college activities, sports and clubs that will help develop important skills such as teamwork and leadership.
SECOND YEAR
1. Explore Your Major and Career Choice(s)-Talk to your advisor about courses in your area of interest and when you plan to do your internship. Join campus organizations or service opportunities in your area of interest.
2. Create Your Resume- Review our resume preparation guidelines. Get your resume reviewed at an appointment with Career and Professional Development staff, during our Drop-in Hours or online through Knight Career Network.
3. Think Internships*- Complete the Pre-internship workshop (requirement) through Knight Career Network to prepare for internships. *Check with your advisor about your academic program’s requirement and timing for internships.
THIRD YEAR
1. Gain experience via an internship- Meet registration deadlines for internships to get academic credit.
2. Network- Attend events sponsored or advertised by Career and Professional Development. Investigate specific professional associations. Meet with CPD staff to learn about LinkedIn and other means of networking.
3. Develop Your Job Search or Grad School Plans Review our graduate school timeline and job search resources page. Meet with a staff member to customize your plan.
FOURTH YEAR+
1. Define Your “Exit Strategy” – Employment or Graduate School. Map out your customized plan at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters with a Career and Professional Development staff member. Attend career fairs and programs sponsored by CPD.
2. Perfect Your Marketing Materials- Review and revise your cover letter and resume. Collect references from work supervisors and faculty.
3. Hone Your Interviewing and Job Search Skills- Review our interviewing resource and set up a mock interview.
How to Choose a Major
For information on various majors, consult Neumann University’s Undergraduate Programs
Considerations in Choosing a Major
- Some students pursue a program that prepares them for a specific career, such as nursing.
- Others want their education to give them a basis for pursuing employment or seeking a graduate or professional degree.
- Keep in mind that knowledge and skills gained from a major can be transferable to a variety of occupations.
- Your choice of a major should be based on your own personal needs and interests.
The Relationship between College Major and Career
- You do not necessarily have to decide on a career goal before you choose your major.
- In some cases, a major provides course work to train you in a specific field, such as education or accounting, but knowledge learned from all majors is transferable to different careers.
Career Assessments
Knowing what you are like as a person (personality traits), what you enjoy (your interests), what is important to you (your values), and what you are good at (your skills and abilities) can help you to determine potentially satisfying careers.
Career assessments are tools that are designed to help individuals understand how a variety of personal attributes (i.e., interests, values, preferences, motivations, aptitudes and skills), impact their potential success and satisfaction with different career options and work environments.
The Career and Professional Development Office offers the following online assessments:
My Next Move
My Next Move is an easy to use online tool developed as part of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training program.
This tool includes an on-line interest assessment with 60 questions targeted to help individuals learn what they like to do. Based on the individual’s interests and responses, the information gathered will be used to suggest potentially suitable occupations and careers.
To Take the Assessment:
- Visit www.mynextmove.org
- Choose: “I’m not really sure”
- Begin the assessment!
- After completing the assessment, make an appointment with the Career Development staff to learn more about your results.
Strong Interest Inventory and MBTI
The Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are well-respected interest and personality inventories. Our career counselors take a very career-centered focus with the results and help students and alumni gain a better understanding of the role their interests and personality preferences play in their careers. Students and alumni need to meet with a career counselor to determine if either assessment is appropriate and to access the instruments. Counseling appointments can be made by calling 610-358-4595.
This is a great resource to learn what career paths you can consider when you select a major.
Career Exploration Resources
Explore resources that help you learn more about your area of interest.
Informational Interviews
Informational Interviews are a great tool for learning more about a particular career. You can set up informational interviews with anyone who works in your field of interest, including Neumann alumni, friends of your parents/family, or even community members who work in the field in which you are interested. A counselor at the Career and Professional Development Office can help you find potential contacts.
O*NET OnLine
O*Net OnLine is a resource developed by the U.S. Department of Labor. It is updated regularly and provides information on specific occupations and job descriptions. It includes details on tasks, knowledge, skills and abilities, job outlook and salary information. Here you can also find suggestions for related careers that use similar skill sets.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a resource developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is updated every other year and provides information on job outlook, salaries, working conditions, training, and other career-related information for a multitude of professions.
Glassdoor
Glassdoor.com is an excellent way to get inside information on companies you might want to work at, including how satisfied the employees are, what they see as the pros and cons, and how much they are earning.
