Start by:
- Learning academic and career entrance requirements
- Learning related majors and careers to one's interests
- Investigating education and training required
- Learning skills and experience required
- Planning academic and career alternatives
- Learning job market trends
Click here to try an Occupational Direction Exercise
Competency Areas
- Gain research and investigative skills
- Practice decision-making, problem solving and critical thinking skills
- Enhance internal locus of control
- Increase understanding of how abilities, interests, and values match career/academic requirements
Click here to see competencies defined.
Strategies for Gaining Competencies
Strategies are those concrete items that lead you to acquiring a specific goal or competency.
- Investigate careers in the Career Resource Library
- Conduct Informational Interviews to acquire information
- Spend a day on the job with two professionals in different careers
- Seek information from academic advisors and career counselors
- Invite two professors to a student group meeting to discuss academic fields
- Take courses or attend workshops in areas where transferable skills will be gained (i.e. communications, computer knowledge, foreign languages, diversity and international studies).
- Attend Job/Career Fairs and/or Career Panels
- Participate in the Study Abroad program
- Work on a university, resident hall or club event
- Join an intramural team
- Run for an elected office
- Start a small business
- Be a camp counselor or Big Brother/Sister volunteer
- Volunteer as a campus tour guide or in a service organization
