06/17/08
Are You Undecided about a Major or Career? Self Assessments Can Help!
Posted June 17, 2008 in General, Exploring Majors & Careers, New Students
If you are feeling undecided about a major and/or career, you are not alone! Remember that 80% of entering college students admit that they are uncertain what they want to major in and over 50% of first-year students change their majors at least one time before graduation. Additionally, adults on average change their careers 5 to 7 times throughout their lifetime. Be sure that you read more about the common Myths and Realities of Choosing a Major and utilize Student Advising Services’ Major Decisions web site for more information.
The University at Buffalo offers numerous resources to assist students who may be undecided about a major or career. One such valuable resource is the office of Career Services, which offers many types of self assessment instruments to help students clarify their values, skills, personality, and interests.
One such self assessment tool available is called FOCUS2, which consists of a career readiness section, 5 assessment tools, and a section that allows exploration of careers and majors related to the assessment profiles. Interested students may log in to BullsEye on the Career Services web site using their UB person number as both the username and password, scroll down to the “Resource Library,” click on FOCUS and create an individual account. There is NO FEE. Students are encouraged to use FOCUS and then make an appointment with a career counselor to discuss the results by calling 716-645-2231.
Career Services also offers and interprets the self assessment instruments of the Strong Interest Inventory ($10 scoring fee) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) ($15 scoring fee). Both assessments can be taken online and instructions may be obtained at Career Services. Obtaining a printout of the results and interpretation is by appointment.
Have questions about these self assessments? Want to review your self assessment results? Contact the Office of Career Services TODAY at 716-645-2231!
