Career Center Success

Your college or university’s career center has a wealth of resources at your disposal to help you make better career decisions and sharpen your skills to make you a standout candidate in interviews. Unfortunately, many college students fail to use the career center…or fail to use it correctly. Read on for some tips on how to make the most of your time at the career center.

• Maintain realistic expectations: Many students think that they can waltz right in to their college career center and there will be a resume or even a job waiting for them on a silver platter. Not true! Think about it: would you go to a library and expect the librarian to do your research for you? Of course not! A career center provides assistance, from critiquing your resume to putting you through a mock interview, but it will not do the work for you. Expect to put in some work.


• Have a goal: It’s frustrating for career center administrators is to have a student schedule an appointment, come in, and then sit there expecting to be told what to do. Ask yourself this question: “what is my purpose in visiting the career center today?” The answer to this question should guide your conversation and make your visit more productive, keeping you from feeling frustrated.


• Engage in the process: Your time is precious and you should expect outstanding service from your career center. If you feel your needs are not being met, say so. Those in a career center truly want to help you. Be vocal with and committed to your goals to experience success!

Career Pursuit: Practical or Passion-Driven

You’re not alone if you’ve toiled with pursuing a practical career versus one geared toward your professional passion. Often, this means weighing a job or career that is secure, lucrative, and accessible with one in which you’d be doing something you love for less financial gain. Weighing a practical career path versus a professional “calling” is common for those pursuing a first career or a “next” career. However, practical careers have taken on new meaning as the challenged economy creates an uncertain job market.

While there are no guarantees when it comes to finding a lifelong career that satisfies your passion and lifestyle needs, you can do some things to point yourself in the right direction.

Assess Yourself

As a job seeker or someone looking to change careers, consider your values, interests, and talents. Use a formalized approach by tapping into free assessment tests and tools. Start in Career Transitions “Discover My Interests” section for assessment tools.

Another key resource is the online O*Net center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. Go to http://online.onetcenter.org to access an interest profiler, ability profiler, and skills evaluation tool that matches skills to occupations.

Explore and Research Career Paths

After completing various assessment tests and reviewing results, you should have a good idea of the occupations that might be a good match for you. Afterwards, decide which ones interest you, and then do some research. Read up on job responsibilities, the economic outlook and projected growth, average salary range, trends, and more. Again, Career Transitions presents this information in a way that is easy to find and understand in the “Explore Careers” section.

Selecting and pursuing a particular career path is exciting, but it can also be a daunting endeavor. By leveraging available career information and tools, you can make a more informed decision. Whether you opt for a practical career path, one weighted toward your passion, or a balance of both, the choice is yours. Be sure to embrace and enjoy the process and the exciting career opportunities that lie ahead.

Finding the Career for You

When deciding upon your career direction—whether you are a college student declaring a major or a seasoned professional transitioning to a different field—it is vital to take an inventory of your skills, interests, and values.

People spend considerable hours at their jobs, so it is important to find a position that meets your needs beyond the obvious need for a paycheck. Being energized by your work is a huge advantage when it comes to getting and retaining a position.

Skills Assessment: These tests, consisting of a series of questions which can be answered in 30-45 minutes, will help you understand how your strengths and challenges relate to a variety of career options. There are many skills assessment tests available. Check out the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey, Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (for college students), and Strengths Finder 2.0, which is a combination book and online assessment. And coming soon, Career Transitions will include a skills assessment tool.
Interests: Working in a job that uses your skills is gratifying, but if the subject matter is not of interest, the job can quickly become routine. To figure out what excites you, consider the types of work you enjoy, the leisure activities you pursue, etc. Then, make time to take the Career Transitions interest assessment, review your results, and explore some of the careers that match up.
Values: For long-term satisfaction, consider your values before taking any position. Do so without judgment; the exercise is to understand what you need from your job, not to revamp your value system. For example, consider your views on work-life balance, the weight you place on salary, the significance of career advancement opportunities, and how important it is to you to make a contribution to society.