Major/Career Exploration
Discover Your Success Story
Utilize this page to find helpful links on exploring major and career opportunities. Furthermore, consider speaking with our Career Counselor one-on-one or coming in for an assessment in order to help you navigate through the countless options. Contact Career Services today!
Career Services has compiled a breadth of sources for you to explore and discover. Take assessments, learn about various degree opportunities, and see what you should be considering as you settle into college and transition into a career.
What Can I Do With This Major?
Use this link to find your major, or a closely-related major, and then learn what jobs and careers are out there for you.
O*NET OnLine has detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, researchers, and more!
Packed with Career Resources, get hired toolkit, and information on almost any career you can imagine!
A virtual job shadow site that provides access to interviews from people relating to their careers and jobs. They focus on each person's individual thoughts and experiences within their given job or profession.
What do you want to do for a living? Maybe you'll know it when you see it? Or not sure? Browse over 900 career options or answer some questions about the type of work you might enjoy. View suggestions of careers that match your interests and training! Are you a vet? Visit My Next Move for Veterans and get help finding a civilian career similar to your military job.
Occupational Outlook Handbook - Tomorrow's Jobs
See what occupations are fast –growing, and what analysts are saying about your field of interest. Find national income averages for a variety of occupations.
Career Services provides assessment opportunities to help you learn about careers that relate to your skills, interests and personality. Prior to taking the assessment, we recommend speaking with a Career Counselor to assist in choosing the proper tool and follow up with a secondary appointment to analyze your results. The following assessments are available:
Free Self Assessments
Free for all current UW-Superior students, but you must register an account
- To register off campus, use the following registration code: uw-c697
- When on the campus network, a registration code is not necessary.
Sokanu
Use Sokanu to find out what your leading personality traits and strengths are and what careers those pair well with. This site uses your personal preferences on jobs along with your self-assessment to pair you with unique careers that are a great fit! And its FREE!
Detailed Assessments
The following assessments may be arranged by appointment and are available at a cost of $15 per assessment for students and alumni. To set-up a pre-assessment appointment, contact our office.
- Strong Interest Inventory® - compares your interests to the interests of people happily employed in a wide variety of occupations and identifies job titles related to your interests.
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® - identifies your basic "personality type" which can be related to potential career choices and working environments.
- StrengthsQuest® - identifies your strengths and relates them to your educational and career plans.
You don't have to explore on your own. Career Services offers one-on-one counseling where you can consider your options, dreams, and values as you look to decide on a major, a grad school, or a potential job. Whether you have no idea what you would like to do in the future, are overwhelmed by having to pick just one major, or would like help looking for new possibilities, contact Career Services today.
Career counselors can help you:
- Assist you in creating or editing resumes and cover letter
- Work on improving your interview skills
- Polish those other useful professional skills you will use in the job search
From new first year students to alumni looking for a new career path are welcome to call, email, or stop by our office to set up an appointment. Complete the Career Counseling Form now.
"Other people may be there to help us, teach us, guide us along our path, but the lesson to be learned is always ours."
- Melody Beattie
As you make your transition into college, find a place on campus, and begin to consider what's next, Career Services has a checklist for your to consider. Follow the tabs to determine where you stand in your career preparation and goals, and what you can do to achieve them.
In addition, here's a College Career Plan handout to help you stay on track.
Freshman Year: Self-Discovery
- Visit Career Services. The staff will help you explore or confirm your major and start planning your future.
- Complete your 'Jacket Jobs Profile - UW-Superior's web-based job and internship posting system.
- Enroll in IDS 297 Exploring Majors and Academics to explore what majors UW-Superior has to offer that will best suit you
- Take Assessments. Spend time getting to know yourself. Identify skills, interests, values, and strengths and how they relate to career choice.
- Join a campus organization or club in an area of professional interest.
- Begin drafting a Resume.
- Consider working or volunteering part-time during the school year and/or full-time during the summer. View postings in 'Jacket Jobs.
- Consider Study Abroad/Study Away Opportunities.
- Attend Job Fairs.
Sophomore Year: Assessing Options and Making Choices
- Visit Career Services. The staff will help you explore or confirm your major and start planning your future.
- Choose Your Major (if you haven't already done so) by the end of the sophomore year and finalize a major/minor program plan.
- Discover What You Can Do with Your Major.
- Conduct informational interviews and job shadows with practicing professionals.
- Start Considering an Internship. Meet with your advisor or the department's faculty internship coordinator and Career Services to learn about internship opportunities within your chosen field.
- Draft a Resume and practice your Interviewing Skills.
- Attend an Event or Workshop put on by Career Services.
- Explore Leadership Opportunities in student organizations or in your work settings.
- Begin developing professional relationships and networking.
- Enroll in IDS 297 Exploring Majors and Academics to explore what majors UW-Superior has to offer that will best suit you
- Attend a Job Fair.
- Consider working or volunteering part-time during the school year and/or full-time during the summer. View postings in 'Jacket Jobs.
Junior Year: Get Experience
- Visit Career Services. The staff will help you finalize your resume and cover letter, develop a job search strategy and ensure you are on track to smoothly transition to the next stages of your career.
- Utilize 'Jacket Jobs Daily.
- Get an Internship. Meet with your advisor or the department's faculty internship coordinator and Career Services to learn about internship opportunities within your career field.
- Conduct informational interviews and job shadows with practicing professionals.
- If you are considering graduate school, attend the Graduate/Professional School Workshops.
- Attend a Job Fair.
- Explore leadership opportunities in student organizations or in your work settings.
- Begin developing professional relationships and networking. Utilize LinkedIn and other professional networking mediums.
- Consider working or volunteering part-time during the school year and/or full-time during the summer. View postings in Jacket Jobs.
Senior Year: Implementation
- Visit Career Services. The staff will help you finalize your resume and cover letter, develop a job search strategy and ensure you are on track to smoothly transition to the next stages of your career.
- Utilize 'Jacket Jobs daily. Set up job agents, review on-campus interview opportunities.
- Attend all area Job Fairs.
- Begin developing professional relationships and Networking. Utilize LinkedIn and other professional avenues.
- Your Job Search should become your #1 priority in your final year of college unless you're planning to pursuit further education, such as Graduate School.
- Join the Alumni Association and stay connected with friends.
You’ve got the skills employers seek!
Professional skills you can develop at UW-Superior
Regardless of job market conditions, employers have a similar wish list for college graduate job candidates’ skills and qualities. Listed below each skill are opportunities to explore and develop that particular skill or ability. Use these suggestions to create your own powerful set of skills while at UW-Superior - in and out of the classroom. A strong set of these skills and behaviors will increase your marketability for internships, jobs and graduate school.
How to Develop Skills Sought By Employers: Getting involved is the best way to develop any of these skills in your classrooms, with on-campus organizations or in your community!
1. Written Communication and Verbal Communication Skills
- Improve the way you listen to others; use empathy and self-control when diffusing disagreements
- Refine your job search materials (resume, cover letter, interview preparation) at the Career Center
- Act with a theater group, film or broadcast production
- Do fundraising for charities or nonprofit events; volunteer to work on a political campaign
- Help in a literacy or conversational English program
- Write stories, advertisements, press releases or newsletters for Student Media, or a campus or community organization
- Enroll in an academic class that is writing intensive, or includes presentations or speeches
- Work in a campus office; i.e. at an information desk, or in an operations or program assistant position
2. Leadership
- Run a campaign for student government or campus issue; or get involved in local or state politics
- Be an active officer or committee chair of a campus organization
- Identify a campus or community need and proactively find and implement solutions
- Facilitate group discussions in class or in a campus organization
- Organize and manage an intramural sports team, camp or recreation group
- Lead children's programs, tutor kids in a local school, or coach a children's sports team
- Get an internship in an area of career interest; consult with Career Services and your department’s internship coordinator
- Train new campus organization members or employees at your job
3. Analytics/Quantitative Skills / Problem-Solving Skills / Detail-Oriented
- Participate in undergraduate research with a faculty member
- Work as a lab assistant with computers, science or language
- Organize a campus event, including volunteer staff, budget, publicity, etc.
- Seek opportunities to evaluate data to support decision making
- Manage your time well; meet deadlines
- Take a topic you are passionate about, and research the opposing view
- Read an article in an academic area different from your own and develop implications for your area
- Develop a decision tree for an upcoming purchase, researching all relevant information (brand, model, size, etc.)
- Develop a three-year strategic plan for a student organization
- When considering a difficult decision, appraise your choices realistically and seek professional advice when appropriate
4. Ability to Work in a Team
- Lead a project team or committee in class, a student organization or job
- Use an internship, study group, class or research project to help turn a group of people into a team with common goals
- Help a new team develop through the stages of forming, storming, norming and performing
- Join a musical group or act in a play
- Participate on intramural team or sports club, coach Little League, become a summer camp counselor or recreational leader
- Contribute as a valuable member of a team focusing on team goals more than personal goals
5. Initiative and Strong Work Ethic
- Identify a campus or community need and proactively find and implement solutions
- Select a skill which you would like to improve, and seek out experiences which help you achieve that goal
- Appropriately balance academics, co-curricular activities and employment
- Solicit strong instructor/supervisor references from academic, co-curricular or employment activity
- Take pride in your work
- Study abroad; interact with other cultures
- Start your own business while in college
6. Computer Skills
- Work as a student network or computer lab consultant with Residence Life or Technology Services
- Design or maintain web sites for a student or community organization or yourself
- Design a brochure, advertisement or newsletter using desktop publishing software
- Assist community agencies with databases, statistical analyses, financial or service reports
- Keep budgets or financial records for campus or community organizations, or work in a billing office
- Design PowerPoint presentation for class or a campus organization
- Sell computer hardware or software, or start a web-based business
- Learn computer and technical skills in classes and workshops that focus on software programs and applying technology
Adapted from UNCW Career Center, “Become a Skill Seeker.” Sources include the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE), Michigan State University, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Hart Research Associates, CareerBuilder, US News & World Report, World Future Society, American Society for Training & Development and the U.S. Department of Labor.