Exploring careers

Finding a career that fits your interests and aspirations can feel a bit daunting, but there are resources available to help you out. Before you start exploring careers, it’s helpful to know what a ‘career’ is:

  • major is an academic program that you focus on. Some majors prepare you for specific careers, while others prepare you for a broader industry.
  • An occupation is a certain set of work activities, skills and knowledge done on an ongoing basis.
  • job is when you work in an occupation at a specific organization.
  • career is your experience or vision/aspirations related to a group of related jobs/occupations. Your career includes education, past jobs, community involvement, and hobbies that demonstrate self-development. Most people will have a few careers — they work in a few types of occupations at different times in their lives.

Engage with your community and career services to pursue your goals.

Tools to know:

Want to meet with a career coach? Find Your Career Center and schedule an appointment.

While some resources might be specifically targeted for students in a certain college/major, don’t feel limited to only your college’s career resources.  

RATE Assessment | Reflect Articulate Translate Evaluate
Rate is a tool designed to help you reflect on your experiences, explain the skills you’ve gained, and how they can be valuable in your career. It also helps you assess how ready you are for job opportunities. Whether you have just a few minutes or more time, RATE makes it easier to prepare for interviews and networking opportunities by helping you clearly communicate your strengths. 

MyCareerManagement 
MyCareerManagement helps you track your career readiness and suggest different career opportunities based on your interests. It offers tools to set up goals, develop skills, and monitor your progress, making it easier to stay organized and more prepared for your career journey. This tool tailors the recommendations to align with your interests, helping you explore potential career paths. 

Labor Market Insights
This tool (also found on each page in the navigation bar) helps you learn more about real-time labor market trends and data within a career field. This also allows you to narrow down data by location, helping you make informed decisions about your career path based on demand and opportunities in various regions. This resource is an invaluable tool to understanding job market trends and planning your career strategy. 

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Career Resources

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Labor Market InsightsIn partnership withLightcast logo

Explore occupations by career categories and pathways and use real time labor market data to power your decision making.

First, choose an industry of interest, then filter for occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)