The first step in choosing a satisfying career begins with self-exploration. Self-exploration is the process of identifying your interests, skills, personality type, and values. To begin this process of self-evaluation, you must consider your own opinions and perspectives.
Define your interests, skills, values, and personality.
Start by asking yourself a few questions:
Push yourself by taking a course that's interesting to you. You can also try joining a club or student organization to explore your interests.
A skill is something that you are good at doing or a characteristic where you excel in performance. Skills can be cognitive strengths, such as creative problem solving and analysis, or can be physical such as communication and time-management. Identifying you're skills and strengths can help you narrow down potential career options. Those who use their skills and strengths in the workplace, report six times higher satisfaction with their careers!
Personality is another important factor to consider when deciding upon a career. Personality type is comprised of how people think and act based on inborn tendencies. We all show certain patterns or preferences of behavior and thinking over time. It is important to know our own pattern of behavior and how our behaviors interact with other people and different environments.
Note: You are required to register the first time you visit the website and enter the following Access Key during registration: FG42R66. On each subsequent visit, use your e-mail and the personal password you created to log in. If you would like assistance in exploring the results and what they mean for you, click here to schedule an appointment.
Values are defined by what one judges as important in life, and often fall into two types: work values and lifestyle values. Work values are associated with job success and satisfaction, such as:
On the other hand, lifestyle values are considered in a broader comprehensive sense, such as:
Determining your core values and beliefs will help you realize what you want in a satisfying career.
Explore potential majors and the careers they can lead to with our extensive What Can I Do With This Major? webpage. Newcomb-Tulane College students have the opportunity to pursue programs and degrees in over 70 subject areas offered by five undergraduate schools.
O*NET is the nation's primary source of occupational information. This database is available to the public, free of cost, and is continually updated by surveying a broad range of workers from each occupation.
O*NET:
The Occupational Outlook Handbook is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and provides more than 300 occupational profiles including information on what workers do; work environments; education, training, and other qualifications; pay; job outlook; information on state and area data; similar occupations; and more.
Buzzfile identifies career areas/sectors and information on employers related to academic interests and majors.
Glassdoor provides information on specific employers such as employer reviews, ratings, salary reports, and even past interview questions.
Once you have determined your interest, connect with our career services team to secure experiences that can help you confirm your decision. We can help assist you in:
