Explore Majors & Careers
Understanding yourself is the first step to identifying an appropriate major/career. It is important to choose a professional path that aligns with your interests, skills, values and personality! The Counselors at the Center for Career Development are equipped with the tools and resources to help you explore your interests and relate them to an applicable major/profession.
Choosing a major can be one of the biggest decisions that you will make throughout your college career. It is important to understand that choosing a major does not bind you to a specific career for life. For instance, if you choose to major in Psychology, it does not necessarily mean you have to be a Psychologist. A college degree is a foundation that you can build off of, and each position is a stepping stone to your ultimate goal. Explore your major/career options to identify entry-level positions, salary, advancement opportunities, etc. Be sure to fully understand what it means to major in a particular area!
Career Advisement appointments are available for counselors to meet with students on a one-on-one basis to discuss individual needs and goals, as well to develop an effective “action plan” on how to reach those goals.
Online resources for career research
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Focus 2 Career Planning - Explore your interests, review your major options, and discover your career pathways here! Focus 2 is an online career and educational planning tool designed to help you make decisions about your education and future career goals. Offered free of charge to UB students, FOCUS 2 will help you: identify your work interests, values, skills, and personality, discover occupations that match your personal preferences, decide which career fields and majors are the best fit for you, and plan the career pathway that will support your personal needs and goals.
To get started, you’ll need to create an account. Use Access code Knights
After you’ve completed the assessment, meet with a Career Development specialist to review your results and start planning for the future. Schedule a career coaching appointment here.
- Connect ED - Access 90+ Day in the Life of videos that provide a behind-the-scenes look at various industry professionals. You can learn about both the job itself and the skills required to do the job well.
- What Can I Do With This Major? - Ever wonder where your major can take you? This site outlines where students have gone to work after their studies. For instance, with an English degree, where can that take you? … MANY PLACES! The content includes a list of potential employers, specific strategies to obtain employment, and links to career sites based on major.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook - Produced by the United States Department of Labor Statistics, this site includes industry information by specific occupation. Content includes required training, salary, advancement opportunities, related careers, and more.
- Occupational Information Network - The O*NET system serves as the nation’s primary source of occupational information, providing comprehensive content on key attributes and characteristics of workers and occupations.
- Job Shadow - Ever wonder what it would be like to pursue a particular field? Want to learn from someone who has been there? Through this resource, you’ll have the opportunity to view interviews and obtain information from real-world professionals regarding their particular field, job, or career.
- NACE Salary Calculator - This site, produced by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, provides salary information for more than 1,000 occupations in 560+ regions nationwide.
Contact Career Development
The Heckman Center
Wahlstrom Library, 2nd floor
126 Park Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
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