Undecided, Under No Pressure
Written on 9:57 AM by Xavier Career Development
It’s
a big world out there with lots of career options to pursue. Since about age 4
or 5 we are asked what we want to be when we grow up. If you were as bright and
intelligent as I was at age 4, my answer would be to be a pizza, and if that
didn’t work out, then I would be a dog. Clearly I knew what direction my life
was heading since my early childhood. If you ask me that question today, I
would give a more realistic answer which is working within advertising,
marketing, and communications. (But by the amount of pizza I consume I think I
am very close to actually becoming one after all.)
When
we enter college, the big question that everyone asks you is “What is your
major?” Followed by “What do you want to do with that after graduation?” You
may be feeling overwhelmed, seeing as how you are adjusting to your college
lifestyle and wondering what is out there that can be studied and explored.
Some people have no idea what they want to declare their major as, and that’s
ok! You are not alone in your search to find the right fitting major for you. The Career Development Office
is here to help you!
There are three steps to successfully finding a major that fits you.
Step 1: Self-Assessment
This calls for some reflection on your part:
·
What
are your interests: your likes and dislikes?
·
What
do you like to study?
·
Skills
and abilities: being able to decipher your strengths and weaknesses.
·
Values:
Do you value working independently or with a team?
·
Finally,
personality: Do you appreciate structure in your studies or do you enjoy
spontaneity?
Step 2: Major Exploration
This is where you get your hands dirty and conduct research
on the areas of study you are interested in. This calls for meeting with
professors, meeting
with a career coach, or joining a club that supports various career
fields. Another
option is coming to the Career Development Office to take a few assessment
tests such as FOCUS 2, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the Strong Interest
Inventory to view how your personal interests and work styles mesh together
with many work environments and values.
Step 3: Making a Decision
The
third and final step is making your decision. Ultimately, you are the one
taking the courses and doing the work, so you should not be weighed down by the
fear that one path will determine the rest of your life. There are plenty of
people here at Xavier who are happy to help you realize what your dream career
could be!
From
undeclared freshman to Communication Studies senior,
Jenny
Mendoza
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