Career Exploration
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Questions with your academic or career path?
- Are you still deciding on selecting a major?
- Do you wonder what career opportunities are available for you?
- Have you questioned your selected major or career path?
If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are not alone. It is completely normal for college students to feel a sense of anxiety when selecting a major, to question their choice of major or to wonder about potential employment opportunities. Career Development is here to help. Our staff can help you throughout your career exploration process.
View the Career Development overview for an outline of services provided for students. If you are interested in scheduling a one-on-one meeting with us, call 816-501-4061.
Assessment Tools
Career Development offers a variety of career assessments which can be beneficial in defining your career goals and declaring an academic major.
Strenghts Finder Through the 34 different talent themes, you can gain a better understanding of your own unique skills and strengths. Once you have a better understanding of yourself, you can then move forward with declaring a major and defining a career path.
What Can I Do With This Major? Do you want to explore what careers are out there in the working world? If so, What Can I Do With This Major provides information on more than 80 fields, typical employers and strategies designed to maximize career opportunities upon completion of your time at Rockhurst University.
Holland Self-Directed Search (SDS) is an assessment based upon personality type as it relates to the work environment. This assessment provides career direction by giving suggestions on majors and occupations that match an individual’s type.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a widely used inventory used to explore personality types and how they relate to the workplace.
Career Planning Course
Students interested in gaining a sense of self-understanding and career direction are encouraged to take the career planning course, CT 1120. In this course, you will assess your own personal interests, values, skills and qualities in order to gain a solid understanding of your strengths and abilities. You will also research and explore career options prior to experiencing the career decision-making process.
Develop Your Individualized Career Plan
Awareness
- View the Rockhurst catalog online and review majors offered.
- Identify and explore your interests, abilities and work values through a career assessment.
- Speak with Rockhurst faculty, along with family and friends who are currently working in your fields of interests.
- Volunteer or obtain a part-time position to gain skills and knowledge in various workplaces and fields.
- Attend career fairs to learn more about what employers are seeking in candidates.
- Consider taking the Career Planning class, CT 1120.
- Discuss job shadowing options with Career Development.
- Establish your RU Career Account with Career Development.
Exploration
- Update your RU Career Account preferences, contact information and resume.
- Schedule an appointment with an academic adviser to discuss requirements and procedures for declaring your chosen major.
- Develop a resume to use when applying for summer internships and co-ops, and meet with Career Development for a resume review.
- Meet with the assistant director of Career Development to discuss the internship/co-op search process.
- Consider a study abroad or service trip and seek out leadership opportunities in campus organizations.
Experience
- Update the information in your RU Career Account.
- Schedule an appointment with a Career Development staff member to have your resume reviewed.
- Research career options, market trends and industries using Career Development resources.
- Continue to review your self-assessment results and begin assessing what is really important to you (values, educational goals, geographic preferences, etc.).
- Attend and network at more on and off campus career events (career fairs, etiquette dinner, etc.).
- Obtain a co-op/internship to gain practical experience and build your resume.
- Continue holding leadership positions in one or more campus organizations.
- Ask work supervisors and faculty to serve as references.
- Begin researching graduate school options by utilizing resources in Career Development and graduate school websites.
- Practice your interview skills by participating in a mock interview through Career Development. Make sure you have appropriate interview attire.
Transition
- Update your resume for the professional career search.
- Contact your references to request their assistance and keep them apprised on your search.
- Track the campus interview schedule and RU Career Account postings on a regular basis.
- Start applying and interviewing for positions 6-9 months prior to graduation.
- Attend career fairs and network with those already in the working world.
- Schedule a mock interview with Career Development to sharpen your interview skills.
Career Development has numerous resources available to provide you with information regarding career opportunities by major, the job outlook by industry and much more. Visit Career Development in Massman 3 for more information.
