Take Advantage of This Time to Become the Most Amazing Version of Yourself

Although to a first year student it seems like college will be a long four years, in reality, it comes to an end sooner than anyone is prepared for. Whether you have made the extra effort to graduate in four years or you are finishing your degree in 5+ years, it is important to realize that this frame of time does not last and once you have graduated it is the real world.

College is a life changing experience for anyone – it is a time to make lifelong friends, find your own independence, study subjects of true interest to you and for you to learn and experience things you never were aware of beforehand. As you become comfortable in your daily routine, it is often times hard to reach out and try new things – especially as you become an upper classman.

It is important to take this time period to mold yourself into someone who you want employers and others to see you as. If you spend too much time partying and sleeping through class, what benefits did you really receive from college? Is that something that you can put on your resume?

Find things that you are truly passionate about and get involved. If you join a club just because your roommate has joined it and not because you like it, oftentimes people who are interviewing you will be able to read right through the act that you put on.

Another great way to help mold yourself into a professional is by utilizing all the tools at the Office of Career Service. Many people mistake the office to solely focused on job search, when actually it provides so much more. If you take a look on the HIRE-UT website it will be easy to find all the events and workshops that are schedules with themes such as “What Makes YOU Stand Out” and “The Right Major for You”.

Career Services is one of the most useful offices here on campus if students use it the right way. Don’t get too comfortable in your everyday routine. Get out there and visit the Office of Career Services to help shape your future.

 

Tori Williams

Marketing Intern

Office of Career Services, The University of Tampa

Holiday Reading and How It Can Set You on the Path to Career Success

If you are traveling over the Thanksgiving break or find yourself just relaxing at the beach, here are a few “good reads” that will energize your career decision making process.  Take a break from studying and turn some pages for self-improvement!

·         You Majored in What?  Mapping your Path from Chaos to Career by Katherine Brooks

This book is a great resource for students who may get asked the question, “What Can I Do With this Major?”  Many majors do not have a direct career path and this book will help map out a path to finding the right career match. 

 

·         Getting from College to Career:  Your Essential Guide to Succeeding in the Real World by Lindsey Pollak.

The author of this book is a career expert and global Spokesperson for LinkedIn and lists 90 tips to help you make a smooth and successful transition from college to career. 

 

·         What Color is Your Parachute?  A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters & Career-Changers by Richard N. Bolles

This book is listed as one of the “all-time 100 best nonfiction books” by TIME magazine.  One of the most popular guides, this book is updated every year and gives recommendations and strategies to help with your job search. 

 

 

Marsha Sherman, Assistant Director of Career Exploration
Office of Career Services
The University of Tampa

LinkedIn's Field of Study Explorer Tool helps you connect career paths with your major!

Have you ever wondered, “What can I do with my major”? 
Well, LinkedIn launched a new tool this year to help you find out what others with your major are pursuing!

This new tool, Field of Study Explorer, is designed to help you explore career paths based on college majors. The Field of Study Explorer provides you with information on:

• Where people work
• What they do
• Where they went to school
• Where they live; and
• How you are connected

The best part of the information depicted on the graphs for each of these areas? They are interactive! Simply select any of the blue bars to “dive deeper” into the information available.

To get started with the Field of Study Explorer tool, log-in to your LinkedIn account and select the “interests” section at the top of the screen. Under “interests”, select “education” and then “see fields of study”. To explore different majors, select the “explore more” drop down menu on the right side of the screen.

If you have any questions, on exploring different career paths with your major contact the Office of Career Services.

 

Spring Registration

It’s time to pre-register for Spring semester classes and you are still exploring majors.  What classes should I take?  What courses would be a good fit for my tentative major?  These are just a few of the questions that might be going through your head as registration time nears.  The Office of Career Services can help you narrow down your major choices and along with your adviser  assist you in identifying classes that will be helpful in making your decision.

As mentioned in a previous post, we have many useful resources on our Career and Major Exploration page that will help you look at your options.   First year students will begin registration on November 12,  and the Office of Career Services is hosting a “Looking for a Major” workshop on Wednesday, October 31 at 5:00 pm in RIVC 102.  Please join me as we talk about registration, how to navigate the catalog and find the major requirements, and discuss your concerns about choosing the major and career that is just right for you!  After the workshop, I will be available to answer individual questions and also schedule follow-up appointments to discuss your career/major options.  I hope to see you at the workshop!

Web resources for Career Exploration

At least once a day, a student will tell me that he or she has chosen a particular major, but then the next question is “What can I do with this major?”  Sound familiar? The Office of Career Services would like to share some great web resources that will help you explore possible career paths for your major.

On our career and major exploration site, we have links to “What Can I Do With This Major?” along with links to several government websites such as O*Net and the Occupational Outlook Handbook. 

Maybe you know a specific career that interests you, but you don’t know much about that job.  O*Net Online is a terrific source  and can give you information about the knowledge, skills and abilities  needed for a particular career, as well as the projected salary and outlook for the next ten years.  For example, a recent search for an event planner showed a “bright outlook” for that career in the future.   It’s very easy to search with a key word, or you can type in a particular career in the box that says “I want to be a….” .

On “What Can I Do With This Major?” you will find information on the major along with numerous links to various professional organizations associated with that major.  If you look up Psychology, you will find links to the American Psychological Association, Society for Human Resources Management, and the American Counseling Association, just to name a few.  This site is full of useful information.

So do some web surfing that will benefit you, and find information on your particular major and related careers so that the next time someone asks you, “What are you going to do with that major?” – you will have a good answer!  If you have any questions about these resources or any other career or major exploration questions, please feel free to schedule an appointment with a career counselor to talk about your options!