Our ever changing high tech world offers a wide variety of exciting career possibilities to students as they prepare to enter the work force. The same is true with college majors the choices seem endless. With so many options, how do you make your way? Well, there are many ways to approach selecting a college major (& career direction). Here s a step by step process to help you explore what motivates you to attend college and identify the top interest areas that come up for you again and again. STEP 1: Why am I going to college? What are your reasons for going to college? Some students are psyched to attend college while others might feel pressured to attend. What is it that you re looking to get out of your college experience? List all the thoughts that come to you. How might your answers impact on your choice of a college major? If you re not sure, you can talk this through with a friend, relative, or student advisor for input. 1
STEP 2: What are my top favorite college majors? Look over the following list of college majors and mark a number in front of each one as follows: 1 = High Interest Majors 2 = Medium Interest Majors Low or No Interest Majors (leave blank) If you think of subjects or majors that interest you but you can t find them on this list; feel free to add them in at the end of this list. Accounting Advertising Animal Science Archeology Architecture Art History Atmospheric Science Aviation Biology Chemistry Computer Engineering Technology Computer Science Counseling Criminal Justice Dance Dental Assisting Early Childhood Education Economics Electronic Engineering Technology English Environmental Science Fashion Design/Merchandising Fire Protection & Security Foreign Languages Geology Health Administration Health Science Hospitality/Tourism Management Human Service Interior Design Landscape & Environmental Design Library Science Management Marketing/Sales Mathematics Media Production Addiction Counseling Agriculture Animation (& Graphic Game Programming) Architectural Engineering Technology Art Art Therapy Automotive Biochemistry Business Administration Chiropractic Computer Networking Construction (and building technology) Crafts and Artisanry Culinary Arts Dental Hygiene Diagnostic Medical Sonography Earth Science Education Engineering Entertainment Event/Conference Management Finance Forestry Geography Graphic Design Health Information Management History Human Resource Management Information Technology Journalism Liberal Arts Life Sciences Manufacturing Engineering Technology Mass Communications Mechanical Engineering Technology Medical Assistant 2
Medical Coding Medical Transcription Multicultural/Ethnic Studies Nursing Oceanography Orthopaedic Technology Paramedic Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Photography Physical Therapy Plant and Soil Science Pre-Dental Pre-Med Production or Business Production Radiologic Technology Radio, TV and Film Religious Studies/Theology Social Work Special Education Sports Management Sports, Recreation and Leisure Surveying and Mapping Transportation Visual Arts Women s Studies Zoology Medical Technology Ministry and Church Administration Music Nutrition and Dietetics Occupational Therapy Paralegal Studies Peace and Conflict Studies Philosophy Physical Health/Fitness Physics Political Science and Government Pre-Law Pre-Vet Psychology Radiation Therapy Recreation Therapy Social/Behavioral Sciences Sociology Speech/Language Pathology/Audiology Sports Science Statistics Theatre Travel and Tourism Web Design and Development Writing Look over the majors that you marked with a number one. Select your top five majors out of this group and list them in order from most to least favorite down below. When trying to pick a college major, explore and give special consideration to these top five majors since they represent your strongest interests from this list. FAVORITE COLLEGE MAJORS 1. _ 2. _ 3. _ 4. _ 5. _ 3
STEP 3: What are my top favorite career interests? Look over the following list of career possibilities and place either the number 1 or number 2 in front of them as you did with the list of college majors. 1 = High Interest Careers 2 = Medium Interest Careers Low or No Interest Careers (leave blank) If you have some career interests that you can t find on this list, feel free to add them to the end of this list. Work quickly and go with what you really want even if you re not sure you can do it or it doesn t seem practical. Accountant/Auditor Acupuncturist Administrative Services Manager Air Conditioning Mechanic Air Traffic Controller Anesthesiologist Anthropologist Appraiser, Real Estate Art Director Artist Astronomer Auctioneer Automotive, Body or Engine Worker Barber/Hair Dresser Benefits Manager Brick Mason Budget Analyst Business Owner Camera Operator, TV, Video, Movie Carpenter Cartoonist Chef Chiropractor City Manager Clinical Laboratory Technologist College Professor Composer Computer Game Designer Computer Programmer Computer Support Specialist Construction Manager Copy Writer Cost Estimator Court Reporter Actor Administrative Assistant Advertising and Promotion Manager Aircraft Engine Mechanic Alternative Energy Specialist Animal Trainer Antique Expert or Dealer Architect Art, Drama, or Music Teacher Art Restorer Athletic Trainer/Director Automobile Sales Worker Baker Bartender Biological Scientist Broadcast News Analyst Building Inspector Buyer Career Counselor Cartographer Casting Director Chemist Choreographer Civil Engineer Coach Comedian Computer Fraud Investigator Computer Operator Computer Software Designer Conservation Scientist Consultant Cosmetologist Counselor/Therapist Creative Writer 4
Critic Customer Service Representative Dancer Data Entry and Information Processing Dental Assistant Dentist Dietician Director, Performing Arts Editor, Book Education Administrator (School/College) Electrical and Electronic Assembler Electrician Engineer Environmental Scientist and Geoscientist Executive Farm Manager Film/Video Producer Financial Planner Fire Fighting and Prevention Supervisor Florist Forensic Specialist Funeral Director Geologist Hazardous Waste Technician Historian Hospital Administrator Housekeeping Supervisor Inventor Insurance Underwriter Interior Designer Investigator Jeweler Judge Laboratory Technician Lawyer Loan Officer Machinist Management Consultant Manufacturing Production Worker Marketing, Advertising Manager Math Teacher Medical Assistant Media Production Specialist Midwife Mind/Body Health Practitioner Museum Curator Music Arranger and Orchestrator Nurse Cruise Director Customs Inspector Database Administrator Data Processing Equipment Repairer Dental Hygienist Designer Dining Room/Cafeteria Attendant Dispatcher, Police, Fire, Ambulance Editor, News (Reporter) Efficiency Expert Electrical Power-Line Repairer Emergency Medical Technician Entertainer Event Planner Farmer Fashion Designer Financial Manager Fire Fighter Flight Attendant Food Service Manager Fund Raiser Geographer Graphic Designer Health Services Manager Horticulturist Hospitality Manager Housing Director Insurance Adjuster, Examiner, Investigator Intelligence Agent Interpreter and Translator Investment Broker Journalist Landscape Designer Lawn Service Manager Librarian Lyricist Management Analyst Manager/Supervisor Manufacturing Production Supervisor Mathematician Medical and Health Service Manager Medical Records Technician Mediator/Conflict Resolution Military Personnel Model Musical Instrument Repairer and Tuner Musician Nurse Practitioner 5
Nutritionist Occupational Therapist Office Manager Optician Paralegal Paramedic Park Naturalist Personnel Recruiter Pharmacist Photographer Physical Therapist Physician s Assistant Physician Playwright Plumber Poet Politician Police Officer/Detective Probation and Parole Officer Professional Athlete Program Designer Psychiatrist Psychologist Public Relations Specialist Purchasing Agent Purchasing Manager Radiological Technologist or Technician Real Estate Appraiser Read Estate Developer Recreational Therapist Registered Nurse Rehabilitation Worker Reporter Research Analyst Respiratory Therapist Restaurant Manager/Owner Retail Store Manager Roofer Safety Inspector Sales Manager Sales Representative Security Guard Shipping, Receiving and Traffic Coord Singer Social Worker Sonographer (Ultrasound) Special Projects Developer Speech Language Pathologist Spiritual/Religious Leader Statistician Strategic Planner Surgeon Surgical Technologist Surveyor Systems Analyst Talent Director Tax Accountant Tax Examiner Teachers Assistant Teacher, Elementary School Teacher, Preschool Teacher, Secondary School Teacher, Special Education Telephone & Cable TV Install/Repairer Training Specialist Travel Agent/Tour Operator Truck Driver Urban Planner Veterinarian Waiter/Waitress Water Quality Specialist Web Site Developer Welders and Cutters Writer Look over the careers that you marked with a number one. These are the careers that are of highest interest to you. Are they similar in any way? For example, you might notice that many of them involve working with things, with people, with ideas, or with information and data. You might also notice that many of them relate to a specific interest area such as the arts, health, business, etc. 6
Next, select your top ten favorite careers out of those that you marked with a number one and rank order them from most interesting to least interesting below. FAVORITE CAREER INTERESTS 1. _ 2. _ 3. _ 4. _ 5. _ 6. _ 7. _ 8. _ 9. _ 10. Compare Results from All Completed Activities Compare your top ten career interests to your top five favorite majors. Do you notice any interests popping up over and over again or do your interests seem to lean towards certain areas? Write your answer below. 7
STEP 4: What are my top favorite industries? What s the connection between careers and industries? Let s take counseling as an example. Someone with the career goal of mental health counselor could work in a number of industry settings including the education industry, the social services industry, and the health care industry. This activity will help you identify business or commercial work settings of interest. Circle all industries that interest to you below. Out of those industries you circled, pick your top five industries of interest and list them, in priority order, at the bottom of this page. Accounting Advertising/Marketing Aerospace Agriculture Airlines Alternative Health Care Animals Automotive Banking and Financial Services Biology Book Publishing Broadcasting Business Business, Personal & Consulting Services Chemicals Computer Hardware Computer Software Computers Construction Cosmetology Dance Defense Dental Care Earth Sciences Education Electronics Energy Engineering Entrepreneurs The Environment Fashion Film Fire Fighting Food Processing Foreign Trade Government Grocery Stores Health Care Home Furnishings Hospitality Human Resources Information Services Insurance The Internet Law Letter & Package Delivery Literary Arts Machining and Machinery Manufacturing Mathematics and Physics Metals Military Services Mining Museums and Cultural Centers Music The Music and Recording Industry Newspapers and Magazines Nuclear Power Packaging Parks and Public Lands Petroleum Pharmaceuticals Photography Plastics Printing Public Relations Public Safety Publishing Pulp and Paper Radio Railroads Real Estate Recreation Religious Ministries Restaurants and Food Service Rubber Sales Shipping Social Sciences Social Services Space Exploration Sports Stone/Concrete/Ceramics/Glass Telecommunications Television Textiles Theater Toys and Games Transportation Travel and Tourism Trucking Visual Arts Waste Management Wood TOP FIVE INDUSTRIES OF INTEREST 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 8
STEP 5: Personal Profile Sheet Record your answers from steps 2-4 below Top 5 Industries Top 5 Majors/Training Areas of Interest 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. 4. 4. 5. 5. Top 10 Occupations/Career Areas of Interest 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. NHTI Degree Programs or Certificates of Interest (to be completed with advisor) (Which NHTI offerings best match my career interests/goals and my Personal Profile results above? 1. 2. 3. 9