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Deciding on a college major and career
UMD CAREER SERVICES
helping UMD students and alumni
develop,evaluate, and implement their career plans
For many students, making career decisions can be confusing and frustrating. Students may feel pressure to immediately select majors and to know exactly what career paths to take. Deciding on a career or a college major is a process that often takes time. It can be important for students to explore their options and students may “try out” several different majors before they graduate.
Career planning involves relating what students know about themselves (their interests, values and abilities), to what they know about various educational and occupational possibilities. Knowing themselves and knowing their options, are the first steps for students in choosing major fields of study.
Even if a student has chosen a major, it’s good to take the time to explore options.
Encourage your student to:
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Read the UMD catalog to learn about potential majors, course descriptions, and resources on campus.
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Talk with advisers, instructors, counselors, friends, and family about different majors and careers.
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Try new areas of study and take a variety of courses that may be of interest.
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Get involved in activities on or off campus. The experiences can be helpful in defining interests and in expanding knowledge and skills.
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Network to gather information. Talking with people actually working in a field of interest is one of the best ways to find out about the field.
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Take a part-time or summer job to gain experience and to learn new skills.
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Access the UMD Graduate Follow-up Report from Career Services' home page to learn what UMD graduates are doing.
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Explore possible major and career choices by seeing a career counselor and using the resources at UMD Career Services.
Career Services offers:
Career Counseling - Professionally trained staff are available by appointment to assist in all areas of the career planning process, from choosing a major to formulating a job search. Resources such as the following may be helpful:
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Minnesota Career Information System - a computer program that is available to help select a major and/or career.
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Strong Interest Inventory - an inventory that compares individual interests with the interests of people happily employed in a wide variety of occupations.
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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - an inventory that identifies an individual’s basic "personality type" which can relate to potential career choices.
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Psy 3535, Career Awareness and Development - a personalized career exploration course that can be taken for credit or non-credit.
Career Resource Center - The CRC contains valuable information which can help determine career direction and assist in the job search. Find information on:
| Occupations | Resume writing |
| Career planning | Interviewing |
| Job search strategies | Employers |
| Employment outlooks | Internships |
| Salary statistics | International opportunities |
Workshops - Throughout the year, workshops are offered on topics such as choosing a major and developing job search skills. Specific career areas are the focus of special presentations.
Job Fairs - Job fairs feature a variety of employers providing information about their organizations and promoting internship and full-time job openings for UMD students.
Campus Recruitment - A variety of companies provide on-campus interviews for students seeking internships and graduating seniors seeking full-time employment.
Employment and Internship Listings - Internship and full-time employment openings are listed through Career Services’ home page.
Career Services
21 Solon Campus Center
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN 55812
218-726-7985
carserv@d.umn.edu
http://careers.d.umn.edu