Undecided About Your Job or Career? Apply the 5 Steps Below to Help You Chart Your Course

It’s very common to feel unsure about your future career, or even your first job. With so many options and paths, choosing a direction can feel overwhelming. Following the steps below will help you identify your values, skills, goals, and concrete steps to help you achieve your goals.

Step 1: Start with Reflection and Self-Assessments

Think carefully about the following questions:

• What are you naturally good at?

• What kind of tasks energize you?

• What environments do you thrive in?

• What are your work/life values?

Try These Free Career Assessments:

• O*NET Interest Profiler (My Next Move - https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip): A government-backed tool that links your interests to real occupations.

• 16Personalities: A fun, Myers-Briggs-style test that offers insights on work style and environments.

  
  

Once you have your results, look for patterns: Do you enjoy problem-solving, creativity, helping others, or working independently? Those clues will help guide your search.

Step 2. Explore Majors and Career Fields

Tool to Explore Majors and Career Paths:

• What Can I Do With This Major? – Lists common career paths by major, along with employers and strategies.

Step 3: Look at Real-World Examples:

Search for alumni on LinkedIn using your college’s page, “Alumni” tab.  Filter by major, job title, or industry. You’ll see the wide range of paths people take with similar backgrounds.

Step 4: Test-Drive Careers Through Experience

Internships, Part-Time Jobs & Volunteer Work: All offer a low-stakes way to see what you like and don’t like. Even short-term experiences can provide you with insight into the day-to-day of different roles.

Conduct Informational Interviews: Reach out to professionals in careers you're curious about and ask for 20 minutes to hear their story. Ask:

• What do you love about your job?

• What does a typical day look like?

• Use your college alumni network, LinkedIn, to connect.

Attend Career Events: Career fairs, industry panels, and student org events are great places to hear from employers, ask questions, and discover careers you hadn’t considered.

Step 5: Make a Plan for Your First Steps

Many people change jobs and careers multiple times, so be flexible and explore. Here are some additional concrete steps you can take to help you narrow your choices.

Pick 1–2 fields that seem interesting based on what you've learned, then:

• Take a related course

• Join a student org or attend a speaker event in that field

• Apply for an internship or job-shadow opportunity

• Apply for a part-time job

• Volunteer

The research you conduct and the experiences you gain will help you focus on the right choices that fit not only with your academic goals, but your lifestyle as well. Remember that each step you take, whether it is a job, a major, or a graduate program, will help prepare you for the following step.  Your choices don’t need to be set in stone; be open to your successes, challenges, interests, and skills.

 References and Resources

• National Center for O*NET Development. (n.d.). My Next Move – Career exploration tool based on interest profiles.

• University of Tennessee Center for Career Development. (n.d.).What Can I Do With This Major? – Career options based on college majors.

Want some help in defining your next steps? Contact Me!