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| Photo credit - Ashley Kaul |
I think it’s pretty rare for someone to know exactly what he or she wants to be when they grow up. No matter what stage you are in life– an 8th grader, a high school senior, a college student or 40-something– that question can be difficult to answer.
Technology makes it even more complicated because old job positions become obsolete, and new job positions are created all the time. In middle school I was taught that computers were going to be very important in our future jobs, but there was no way of knowing then that the job title, Social Media Manager would be something you could hold. Facebook and Twitter didn’t exist then– if you can even imagine!
So, how do you choose what to major in or what program to pursue when there seems to be so many possibilities and they are changing all the time?
Through my own experiences I have a few suggestions that may lead you down the right path in choosing a major or program when you want to go to college but you don’t know what you want to study.
Ask Yourself What You’ve Taught Yourself to Do in Your Spare Time
I’ve heard advice similar to this. Whatever you like to do in your spare time, that’s what you should be doing as a career. Well, I like watching TV in my spare time, but I can’t really make a career out of that, can I? That’s why I think the real question to ask yourself is, what have you pursued in your free time that required effort, learning and practice? This is the question that’s helped me on my current career path. What was I actively learning to do in my spare time? Was there a new skill I was teaching myself?
After watching YouTube videos I was inspired to create my own videos. I opened up the editing program that came with my computer, and I followed tutorials. I investigated the software, tinkered around with it and found out what it was capable of doing. I looked to forums when I had questions. I was learning without realizing I was learning. I was learning on my own without someone telling me I needed to learn it. That was a good sign that I had the drive to pursue video editing. What’s also great about learning some things on my own is that I was already slightly ahead of the game when I started taking my audio-video editing classes.
Visit the Career Center
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| Photo credit - Ashley Kaul |
I think the most helpful thing you can do if you really have no idea what kind of job you want is to visit the Career Center. If you aren’t sure what kind of job would be interesting to you or aren’t sure what your strengths are, they will be able to help you figure out both in the most tangible way possible.
At the Career Center, you can take a series of aptitude and interest assessments. Some of these assessments include the MBTI (personality preference), Strong Interest Inventory (career personality/interest), CareerScope (interest and aptitude), EDITs (CAPS - aptitude, COPES- values and COPS-interest), Values assessment, Motivated Skills and more.
When you merge these types of assessments, you find out where your interests and abilities overlap and are provided with a list of jobs that are likely to suit you. The people in the Career Center will print out this information and discuss it with you so you can understand what it all means. They will help you choose the appropriate program to enroll in so you can pursue specific careers. They have the tools for you to research these careers as well so you can narrow down the list.
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| Photo credit - Ashley Kaul |
If you are interested in this option, I recommend taking the Career Assessment Course. It only takes a few hours of your time during one day to complete. I took it, and I think it’s a great way to learn more about yourself, your interests and the skills you already have that can be applied in the classroom and in your future job. It’s available at all three Moraine Park campuses (Fond du Lac, West Bend and Beaver Dam) and it’s FREE for everyone – students, prospective students and the general public.
The Career Center is an invaluable resource in any stage of your career life. I recommend checking out their other workshops: LinkedIn, Dressing for Success, Interview Tips and Practice, and the Job Search, just to name a few. To find out more information, visit the
Career Center’s webpage.
Look at Programs
Look at the
list of programs MPTC has to offer and find one that is interesting to you. Click on the list of required classes and their descriptions. If you think you’d like to take the majority of those classes, it may be the right program for you. I did this when I decided that I wanted to learn more about video editing. I clicked on the Audio-Video Certificate classes, read the description and I wanted to take all the classes. I wanted to learn how to do everything that the description said was taught in those classes.
Conduct Informational Interviews/Job Shadow a Professional
Talking to someone who’s currently working in the field you’re interested in is a great way to see what a career is like from the perspective of someone who’s living it. You’ll be able to ask questions about what they like and don’t like about the job, what their job duties consist of and what a typical day for them is like. This is also a great way to network and/or find a mentor.
Volunteer to Get a Feel for the Atmosphere
Do you think you’d like to work in a hospital? Do you think you’d like to work in a school? Find a way to volunteer in the work environment where your potential career is located. It’s also a good way to find out what kinds of people you’d like to work with such as children, the elderly or some other demographic.
By following the above suggestions, I was able to really narrow in on the kind of career I want. I took assessments to find out what I liked and learned what skills I possessed. I discovered a hobby that was more than just a hobby. I’ve volunteered different places to see what atmosphere suited me. I learned what age group and type of people I was most interested in working with. I learned about the job market and how to make myself more employable. It’s a process, but it is well worth it when you get to enjoy the outcome.
If you have other suggestion for how you chose your program, major or career, please share in the comments.
