It is good to find out how your career choice matches up with your personality and interests before training for a particular field because you will spend a lot of time at your chosen profession.  Over the course of your lifetime, you will spend a total of 80,000 hours at work if you save enough to retire at 65. 

You need to explore your options and research to get into a field that is a good match for you. Career counselors offer career assessments to help you with your decision.  We also have access to information about job duties, educational requirements, outlook, and salaries.  We are here to help you make an informed career choice that is right for you.

Self-Assessment Is Time Well Spent

Plan to give yourself several weeks to go through the steps of the career development process.  Self-understanding does not occur overnight and takes some hard work, but it is worth it in the long run.  You and your counselor will spend time talking about your natural talents, interests, personality, career values and how your present situation fits in with your future goals.   You will meet individually with your Career Counselor, because every individual is unique.  Often times, your Career Counselor will recommend some assessments to assist you with gathering ideas.  Here are some of the assessments offered at Career Services:

1. The Choices Planner by Bridges is a free comprehensive online self-paced program that includes a wealth of career assessments and information such as:

• interest, skills, and values assessments to identify your personal career options
• over 650 descriptions of various careers  (including detailed information about salaries, outlook and educational requirements)
• over 400 career videos to see real people doing their jobs

2. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) ® helps you understand how your personality relates to your career choices. You will receive a report that includes a list of possible careers.

3. The Strong Interest Inventory ® examines your preferences about occupations, extracurricular activities, academic subjects, etc. By identifying trends among your interests, the assessment generates an extensive list of prospective careers for further exploration.

After Self-Assessment, THEN WHAT? 

After you have identified your strengths and desires, a CPCC Career Counselor can guide you through how to explore your options.  Your counselor will recommend activities to help you, such as Internet research, networking, information appointments, volunteering in an area of interest, visiting a professional association meeting, setting up a Co-op, taking a class, or discussing your career idea with a mentor through the Career Mentor Network.  By testing out your ideas, you will narrow down your possibilities and embark on a career that uses your strengths.

Call Career Services today for help in finding the right career for you!