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 Office of Career and Professional Development is equipped with the tools and resources to help you explore your interests and relate them to an applicable major/profession.
Selecting a major is one of the most important decisions you'll make during your college journey. However, it's important to know that choosing a major doesn't lock you into a single career for life. For example, if you major in Psychology, it doesn't mean you are limited to becoming a psychologist. A college degree serves as a solid foundation, and every job you hold is a stepping stone toward your broader career aspirations. Take the time to explore your major and career options, and learn about entry-level positions, salary expectations, and potential advancement opportunities. It's essential to have a clear understanding of what pursuing a particular major entails.
To support you in this process, Career Coaching appointments are available for one-on-one coaching sessions.
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.
New users- please use your MySCSU email address (southernct.edu) to register for a new account and the access code "owls" for access.
Review the Focus 2 Video Tour for An in-depth overview of the updated Focus 2 Career platform, including its features like self-assessments, major and career matching and job readiness resources.
Tips
Focus will be most effective if you meet with a Career Coach at the Office of Career and Professional Development to review your results. Visit us early! Freshman and sophomore year is an ideal time to begin this journey.
Watch our Career & Professional Development Focus Tool Presentation to learn more.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Exploration @ SCSU!
The importance of major exploration for ALL students. Yes, even you!
Whether you’re totally undecided, confidently declared, or somewhere in between, you should explore your academic major options before committing fully to a major. Students who make the effort to explore are more likely to choose a major that aligns with their interests and are ultimately more successful in their studies and career outcomes. At Southern, our goal is to provide the resources necessary for EVERY student to make an informed and meaningful major decision. If you want to confirm your choice of major or are considering changing your major, follow the Steps to Explore Majors, a simple process that prompts you through a complete major decision process.
Find out more about the SCSU Explore Program
The Explore Program is a university-wide collaboration with the shared goal of helping all students make an informed academic major choice. By offering extensive resources and intentional programming, the Explore Program seeks to engage every student through thoughtful major exploration. This is an important student success initiative, because students who take the time to explore majors are more likely to graduate, have improved academic performance and personal outcomes.
Schedule an Appointment
Speak with an academic advisor who can help students explore majors.
Receive individualized assistance from a Career Coach with any career-related issues; including choosing a major, career options, resume review, cover letters, and other career-related topics.