Exploring Majors and Careers
Learning Objectives
Identify the four steps involved in career exploration and resources on campus to support each step;
Recognize factors involved in choosing a major;
Examine the My Academic Planning tool (MAP) and develop your individualized educational plan;
Develop your vision of success through visualization exercises.
“You have to walk toward the things that make you alive.”
— Leslie Odom Jr., writer and actor
CAREER EXPLORATION
A job: yes, it’s something you would like to have, especially if you want to pay your bills. A job lets you enjoy a minimal level of financial security. A job requires you to show up and do what is required of you; in exchange, you get paid. A career involves holding jobs, but it is more a means of achieving personal fulfillment. In a career, your jobs follow a sequence that leads to increasing mastery, professional development, and personal and financial satisfaction. A career requires planning, knowledge, and skills. If it is to be a fulfilling career, it requires that you bring into play your full set of analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills to make informed decisions that will affect your life in both the short term and the long term.
YOUR WORK LIFE
Over the course of your life, you're probably going to spend a lot of time at work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average work day is about 8.7 hours long. And that means if you work 5 days a week 50 weeks a year for 35 years, you'll spend a total of 76,125 hours of your life at work. If you weren't already convinced, that number should persuade you that it's pretty important to enjoy your career.
Think about this:
If you pursue a career, you'll constantly make decisions about it. Is this the right job for me? Am I feeling fulfilled and challenged? Does this job enable me to have the lifestyle I want? We want to set you up for success by asking you to consider these kinds of questions now, whether you're just graduating from high school or college, or returning to school after working for a while.
The US Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics defines over 800 occupations in its Standard Occupational Classification www.bls.gov/soc system—and new occupations are being created at an ever-faster rate. Just ten years ago, would anyone have imagined the job of a social media marketing specialist? How about the concept of a competitive chef? As new careers develop and old careers morph into almost unrecognizable versions of their original, it’s OK if you aren’t able to pinpoint exactly what occupation or career will be your lifetime passion. However, it is important to define as best you can what field you will want to develop your career in, because that will help dictate your major and your course selections.
The process of career exploration can be a lot of fun, as it allows you to discover a world of possibilities. Even those students who have a pretty clear idea of what they want to do should go through this process because they will discover new options as backups and occasionally a new direction even more attractive than their original choice. The career exploration process involves four steps. These steps are outlined below:
Who am I?
Getting to know who you are—who you really are—is the first step to choosing a career.
Get to know yourself and the things you're truly passionate about.
Gather information about your career related interests and values;
Think about what skills and abilities come naturally to you and which ones you want to develop;
Consider your personality type and how you want it to play out in your role at work.
Be careful to base your self-discovery on what you think, not what Auntie Ethel always said about you or the hopes that Dad had for you to join in the family business. This is all about you. You are a unique individual with a distinct combination of likes, dislikes, personality traits, and skills. But you are not so different that you can’t be identified with certain personality types, and those types may help you narrow your career choices. Visit the SMC Career Services Center, https://bit.ly/smccareer, on campus for guidance in this phase. You may schedule an appointment to meet with a career counselor to complete a series of different career assessments to help you gain a better understanding of your values, interests, skills, abilities, and personality preferences and how they tie into the world of work. Many of the career assessments are based on the career theory developed by Dr. John Holland. Holland defined six categories of people based on personality, interests, and skills:
Realistic. These people describe themselves as honest, loyal, and practical. They are doers more than thinkers. They have strong mechanical, motor, and athletic abilities; like the outdoors; and prefer working with machines, tools, plants, and animals;
Qualities might include being: Structured, preferring Clear lines of authority, Work with things and tools, Casual dress, Focus on tangible results or well- thought-out goals;
Occupations might include: Contractor, Emergency medical technician (EMT), Mechanic, Military career, or Packaging Engineer.
Investigative. These people love problem solving and analytical skills. They are intellectually stimulated and often mathematically or scientifically inclined; like to observe, learn, and evaluate; prefer working alone; and are reserved;
Qualities might include being: Non-structured, Research oriented, Intellectual, Work with ideas and data;
Occupations might include: Pharmacist, Lab technician, Nanotechnologist, Geologist, University professor.
Artistic. These people are the “free spirits.” They are creative, emotional, intuitive, and idealistic; have a flair for communicating ideas; dislike structure and prefer working independently; and like to sing, write, act, paint, and think creatively. They are similar to the investigative type but are interested in the artistic and aesthetic aspects of things more than the scientific;
Qualities might include being: Non-structured, Creative, Rewards unconventional and aesthetic approaches, Creation of products and ideas;
Occupations might include: Advertising career, Architect, Animator, Musician, Journalist.
Social. These are “people” people. They are friendly and outgoing; love to help others, make a difference, or both; have strong verbal and personal skills and teaching abilities; and are less likely to engage in intellectual or physical activity;
Qualities might include being: Collaborative, Collegial, Work with people and on people-related problems/issues, Work as a team or community;
Occupations might include: Teacher, Geriatric counselor, Correctional officer, Coach, Nurse.
Enterprising. These people are confident, assertive risk takers. They are sociable; enjoy speaking and leadership; like to persuade rather than guide; like to use their influence; have strong interpersonal skills; and are status conscious;
Qualities might include being: Typical business environment, Results oriented, Driven, Work with people and data, Entrepreneurial, Power focused;
Occupations might include: Sales manager, Banker, Lawyer, Business owner, Restaurant manager.
Conventional. These people are dependable, detail oriented, disciplined, precise, persistent, and practical; value order; and are good at clerical and numerical tasks. They work well with people and data, so they are good organizers, schedulers, and project managers.
Qualities might include being: Orderly, clear rules and policies, consistent processes, work with systems to manipulate and organize data, control and handling of money;
Occupations might include: Auditor, Insurance underwriter, Bank Teller, Office Manager, Database Manager.
Your Turn: Activity
DISCOVERING YOUR TYPE
Step 1: What’s my type?
Using the descriptions above, choose three types that most closely describe you and list them in order on a sheet of paper or document and number them 1 (your primary type), 2 (secondary type) and 3 (tertiary type). Most people are combinations of two or sometimes three types. List the specific words or attributes next to each of your types that made you think you fit in that type description.
Step 2: What’s out there?
Once you have determined your occupational type, you can begin to explore what types of careers might be best suited to you. The exercise above is a rough beginning to find your occupational type, but you could still seek out more detailed results through the SMC Career Services Center, https://bit.ly/smccareer, or a career office near you.
Many of the career guidance tests are based on Holland’s work. Holland studied people who were successful and happy in many occupations and matched their occupations to their occupational type, creating a description of the types of occupations that are best suited to each personality type. Just as many individuals are more than one personality type, many jobs show a strong correlation to more than one occupational type.
Use the occupational code you defined in the Your Turn section to identify careers you might want to consider. Your career guidance or placement office should be a good resource for this activity, or you can check out Gottfredson and Holland’s Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes in the reference section of your library.
Step 3: What will impact my choices?
You may now have a list of careers you want to explore. But there are other factors you will need to take into consideration as well. It is important to use your creative thinking skills to come up with alternative “right” answers to factors that may present an obstacle to pursuing the right career.
Timing
How much time must I invest before I actually start making money in this career? Will I need to spend additional time in school? Is there a certification process that requires a specific amount of experience? If so, can I afford to wait?
Finances
Will this career provide me with the kind of income I need in the short term and the security I’ll want in the longer term? What investment will I need to make to be successful in this field (education, tools, franchise fees, etc.)?
Location
Does this career require me to relocate? Is the ideal location for this career somewhere I would like to live? Is it somewhere my family would like to live?
Family and Values
How will this career affect my personal and family life? Do friends and family members who know me well feel strongly (for or against) about this career choice? How important is their input?
How does this career align with my values? Is the industry I’m considering for myself one that I can feel good about being part of?
Step 4: Where do I go from here?
It may seem odd to be thinking about life after school if you are just getting started. But you will soon be making decisions about your future, and regardless of the direction you may choose, there is a lot you can do while still in college. You will need to focus your studies by choosing a major. You should find opportunities to explore the careers that interest you. You can ensure that you are building the right kind of experience on which to base a successful career. These steps will make your dreams come to life and make them achievable.
Now that you have an idea of who you are and where you might find a satisfying career, how do you start taking action toward achieving those goals? Some people talk to family, friends, or instructors in their chosen disciplines. Others have mentors in their lives with whom to process this decision. At Santa Monica College, we have general counselors, career counselors, and career advisors who can help you with both career decision-making and the educational planning process.
Start by developing a relationship with the counselors in the Career Services Center on campus. All too often students engage these counselors only near the end of their college days, when the pressure is just on getting a job—any job—after having completed a degree. But these counselors can be of great help in matching your interests to a career and in ensuring you are gathering the right kind of experience to put you at the top of the recruiting heap.
Keep in mind that deciding on and pursuing a career is an ongoing process. The more you learn about yourself and the career options that best suit you, the more you will need to fine-tune your career plan. Don’t be afraid to consider new ideas, but don’t make changes without careful consideration. Career planning is exciting: learning about yourself and about career opportunities, and considering the factors that can affect your decision, should be a core part of your thoughts while in college. You'll benefit from exploring the online career exploration tools listed below:
Get started by using California Career Zone, www.cacareerzone.org. This is a virtual career center designed for California Community College students. This site has a wealth of information and allows you to explore each step of the career exploration process we have addressed above and your options.
Now it's time to take concrete steps toward achieving your educational and career goals. This may be as simple as creating a preliminary educational plan for next semester or a comprehensive educational plan that maps out your Associate's degree. You may also want to search for internships, part time work, or volunteer opportunities that help you test and confirm your preliminary career choice. Your community college counselor can help you with this step as well.
Barbara Sher once wrote, "Find a career that you love and you will never work another day in your life." The Career Exploration steps highlighted above will help you find the career you love!
To help you engage in steps 1 - 4 above, let’s explore Choices 360!
Choices 360 is a program the college has purchased designed to help students with career exploration and planning. The program consists of several career assessments including:
Interest Profiler - this assessment allows you to connect your top interests with careers;
Basic Skills Survey - this assessment allows you to find careers that require your basic skills;
Work values - this assessment helps you learn what’s most important to you in your work environment.
Your instructor will provide you with instructions on how to access Choices 360 or you can visit the Career Services Center, https://bit.ly/smccareer, website for more information. You will take these assessments to help you gain a better understanding of your interests, skills, confidence and work values and how they link to the world of work.
After completing the assessments, you will get a chance to research occupations that may be a good fit for you based on your preferences. From there you will then be able to explore the different majors that can prepare you for the career path you’d like to pursue. The more time and effort you invest in researching your options, the more informed decisions you’ll be able to make!
It is important to understand that career exploration and planning is a process and does not take place overnight. Be patient with yourself throughout this process and don't get discouraged! You'll find your goals so much more tangible once you've set a preliminary career plan. Remember, you are not alone in this process. SMC provides many opportunities for you to engage in career exploration and planning! If you feel like you want more support in this area, be sure to connect with the resources below:
CAREER SERVICES CENTER
The Career Services Center is here to support students with career exploration and planning. The center provides workshops, job fairs, and one-on-one appointments for students to meet with a professional career counselor to learn more about:
Resume Writing;
Employment Searches and Advising;
Internships;
Interview Preparation;
Writing Cover Letters and Job Applications, including making a Linkedin profile;
Career Fairs and Workshops;
Service Learning;
Finding a Major and Career Path for you.
For more information on the Job & Career Center, visit: https://bit.ly/smccareer or go to a job center near you. If you don’t have a career center or job center nearby, ask a mentor or trusted counselor where you can find help with the bulleted items listed above.
COUNSELING DEPARTMENT
The Counseling Department is here to provide educational, career, and personal counseling and program advice. Their mission is to empower students by providing SMC program information and by counseling students to establish goals, evaluate options, develop an educational plan, and learn to study effectively so they may reach their educational and career goals. For more information on counseling services view their website at www.smc.edu/counseling.
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Internships are short-term opportunities that allow students to gain valuable work experience in a particular career. Internships allow you to “test drive” your career of choice. The more you know and the more you experience, the more confident you will be with deciding on your career choice.
Santa Monica College offers internship assistance and classes through the Career Services Center. The goal of internships is to prepare students for the real world of work. College graduates are realizing that it takes more than a degree or certificate to get a good paying job. It takes work experience too. Engaging in an internship will help you gain experience. To learn more about Internships visit www.smc.edu/internship.
CAREER COUNSELING COURSES
Consider enrolling in Counseling 12 Career Planning: 1 unit – UC/CSU transferable
(UC credit limit if you have taken Counseling 20)
This course is designed to inform and assist students in making appropriate and satisfying career choices. Using self-evaluation instruments, students identify interests, abilities, values, and goals. Skills necessary for future career investigation and decision-making are included.
Consider enrolling in Counseling 15 Job Search Techniques: 1 unit
The objective of this course is to teach the skills necessary for successful job-hunting by students. Skills identification, interviewing techniques, researching the job market, and resume writing is explored.
YOUR COLLEGE PROFESSORS
Your instructors serve as valuable resources when it comes to career exploration. Talk to your instructors about your career goals and share your interests with them. They can serve as great mentors and can help you learn more about different occupations and industry requirements within particular fields. Oftentimes they are directly connected to the industry and can help you get connected too!
Your work experiences and life circumstances will undoubtedly change throughout the course of your professional life, so you may need to go back and reassess where you are on this path in the future. But no matter if you feel like you were born knowing what you want to do professionally, or you feel totally unsure about what the future may hold for you, remember that with careful consideration, resolve, and strategic thought, you can find a career that feels rewarding.
How do I Choose a Career That’s Right for me?
As the old saying goes, “find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” As the average person will spend about 100,000 hours of their life working (roughly 12 straight years), or more, it’s important to find work that you enjoy, feel good about and that challenges you in a good way.
Here’s an article that takes you through some initial steps toward finding such a career for yourself, https://www.dyanavalentine.com/studentsuccess/careerchoices
Worker’s Rights
Young people are more susceptible to abuses and violations at work as they have limited experience advocating for themselves and navigating challenges that invariably arise at work. This article has more information and resources to help change that, https://nbcnews.to/3tqYA69
EXPLORING MAJORS
Choosing your college major can feel overwhelming and some students are concerned they will limit their options by committing to a major too soon. If you are uncertain about your major, it is best to focus on your general education (GE) classes. One of the benefits of starting with your GE courses is this allows you to explore various disciplines which may end up grabbing your attention and leading to your major. If not, no problem, you have satisfied one of your GE requirements! If you are considering a particular major but aren’t certain, you are strongly advised to take an introductory course in that discipline. For example, if you think you may like the idea of majoring in business, consider taking Business 1- Introduction to Business. Exploring this course sooner than later can help you make a decision sooner than later and some courses required for the major may also double dip and satisfy a GE requirement.
We discussed a step-by-step approach to career exploration. All 4 of those steps directly relate to choosing a major and you will greatly benefit from meeting with a career counselor and/or enrolling in a career planning course such as SMC’s Counseling 12: Exploring Majors and Careers if you are undeclared and uncertain about where to start with selecting a major. The more time and effort you spend researching your options, the easier it will be for you to declare a major you feel is a good fit for you. If you don’t attend SMC, ask your academic counselor how your school helps students choose a good major or academic goal when they are undecided.
Students sometimes start at SMC and want to focus on all their general education classes first then focus on selecting a major. However, the sooner you take time to explore your major the better you can plan your classes. Some of your major classes will have prerequisites and you don’t want to leave them all for your final semester at SMC or else you won’t be able to finish them in that final term. And you may benefit from knowing your major sooner than later because some of your major classes may also double dip and satisfy a GE or two and this will save you time and money.
Take time to explore the different majors offered at Santa Monica College. All majors are described in detail in the college catalog which is accessible online at www.smc.edu/catalog. Additionally, you can review your options on the SMC Areas of Interest page at https://www.smc.edu/academics/areas-of-interest/.
Although the selection of a major is important, try not to get too anxious about choosing a major or program of study. Working with a career counselor can help you select your studies to be as flexible as possible. Consider the following:
Your choice of major or program will be important for your personal satisfaction and interest, and may POSSIBLY connect directly to your job opportunities after college; most people change careers (not just jobs, but careers) several times throughout their lifetime, so there is no possible major that will cover that level of flexibility;
Unless you are entering a highly technical field that requires your major, such as Engineering or Nursing or Computer Science, for example, your major does not necessarily have to line up or seem to connect directly to a job or a career cluster or industry. There are Dance majors who become doctors, and Marine Biologists who become politicians. Don’t try to draw a direct line between a Major and a Career if it’s not truly required by the field you wish to work in;
Many majors and programs share foundation courses with other majors, so you can usually change your major without having wasted your time in courses that will be unrelated to your new major. Chances are that if you change your major, it will be to something similar, especially if you have completed career assessments as recommended earlier in this unit;
If a change in major does cause a delay in completing your degree, it may be a good investment of time to study subjects that truly interest and inspire you to think more creatively, communicate well and solve problems in innovative ways;
Take time to engage in activities on campus to help you further explore your major including meeting with a career counselor, attending workshops, join clubs, and attend events related to your interests.
The following tips may make it a little easier, and perhaps even fun to choose a major that’s right for you:
Follow your dreams
Your first instinct in choosing a field of study is probably based on your dreams and life experience. Make sure you base your choice on your own dreams and interests and not those of a parent, spouse, or friend to the exclusion of your own choice;
Make it fun
What do you like to do for fun? What kinds of magazines do you read? Which Websites are bookmarked on your computer? What kinds of volunteer work have you done? What do the answers to these questions tell you about the kind of career you would enjoy;
Build on your skills
A good choice of a program of study is not based exclusively on your likes; it should also consider your skills. What courses did you “ace” in high school? Consider also courses that you found challenging in which you learned a lot (it’s hard to keep a level of determination to tackle a tough subject if you don’t enjoy it). What do these courses tell you about what you are skilled at studying;
Ask around
Find people who are following the courses of studies you are considering. Ask them what they like and dislike about their majors. If you can find recent graduates with that major, ask them about the value of their major;
Two is better than one
Talk to your counselor about a double major; that is an effective way of preparing yourself for the uncertainties and options of future employment. Think about declaring a minor, if your college allows it;
Consider what makes you unique
If you have a major that you’d like to pursue that is not offered at your college, find out if you can design your own major or minor. This option is especially attractive if you want to combine two seemingly different disciplines into a major (Dance and athletics? Sociology and film? Women’s studies and economics?);
Be open to change
Once you have selected a major, don’t panic if it turns out to be the wrong choice; consider it a step toward finding the right program for you. Repeat the major selection process, but carefully consider what you learned from your original major choice. Why was it not the right major? (Did it not match your interests? Was the workload too heavy? Were the courses too tough?) What do you know now that you didn’t know when you made your first selection that you should consider in making a new choice?
Ask for support navigating family systems or caretaking systems
If your decision or choice of a major is not supported by those closest to you, it can be very difficult to succeed or even to make the choice for yourself. Seek out an academic ally, counselor, professor, or peer who can help you talk to your family or your caretaking and decision-making circle about your choices. Several of our SMC programs have family-oriented events, workshops, and support to help you navigate college together;
Take the time you need to make a decision you can live well with
The more time you take to explore your major and career options the sooner you’ll be able to make a well-informed decision. Keep the following points in mind and enjoy the process and experience involved in choosing a college major;
You’ll save money and effort in the long run if you take your time and make a good decision now and really enjoy the pursuit of your interests;
There is no need to panic over the choice of a major or program of studies;
Most students will change their major at least once during their college years;
Most people work and have successful careers in disciplines, industries, or occupations they did NOT major in.
The University of North Carolina Wilmington has a resource called What Can I Do With A Major In, https://uncw.edu/career/whatcanidowithamajorin.html. This site links academic majors to career alternatives by providing information on career paths and sample job titles. A similar site is the University of Tennessee's What can I Do With This Major, https://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/majors/, where you can explore potential career paths related to different majors.
Video
In this bright, uplifting talk, Ajayi Jones shares three questions to ask yourself if you're teetering on the edge of speaking up or quieting down -- and encourages all of us to get a little more comfortable with being uncomfortable, https://bit.ly/comfywithbeinguncomfy
Key Takeaways
A career involves holding jobs, but it is more a means of achieving personal fulfillment;
Career exploration involves four steps; Step 1 Getting to Know Who You Are, Step 2 Exploring Your Options, Step 3 Determining What Factors Affect Your Choice, and Step 4 Taking Next Steps;
Choosing your major involves exploring your options and should include using resources provided by SMC.
N.B.: The Student Success Library item was customized for Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, CA. You may come across SMC-specific resources, links, or activities that do not apply to you. Search for your own school’s resources or google for similar tools that can help you where you live, study and work.
This work, Exploring Majors and Careers, is part of the Student Success Library, which is a derivative of Student Success, originally modified by Vanessa Bonilla, Dr. Tyffany Dowd, Jackeline Felix, Dyana Valentine, Olivia Vallejo and Daniella Washington from the original Student Success by Graciela Martinez, Anh Nguyen, and Liz Shaker under CC BY-SA 4.0. Student Success Library is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 by Dyana Valentine. Last edit date: January 2023.