Exploring Careers

What do you want to be when you grow up? No matter what your age, this can be an overwhelming question. One piece to the puzzle is knowing your strengths, skills, likes, and dislikes. Knowing your unique combination of interests and temperaments can assist you in determining the right college program that would suit you best and lead to a successful career path.

Following a career path is a critical part of your personal and academic decisions. Our professional advisors can assist you with a variety of career decision-making methods including:

  • One-on-one career coaching
  • Assessment
  • Career decision-making strategies
  • Career workshops

Step 1: Learn What Careers Suit You Best

Assessments are great tools to help you find out what you excel in or enjoy and which careers match up with your skills and interests. Get started today with an online assessment to learn what careers suit you best.

Step 2: Research Suggested Careers

Now that you have an idea of what you want to be, do some research to become knowledgeable about what that career offers, expected wages, and job outlook. Some great websites are:

Step 3: Schedule Informational Interviews and Job Shadows

Informational interviews and job shadows help you gather realistic information about a career you may be interested in.

Once you have narrowed your choice of careers that interest you, talk to your friends, family, and employers to find professionals in those careers who would be willing to answer a few questions about what they do on a daily basis. Job shadows are opportunities to observe a professional while they work. Each will expand your knowledge of the career you are considering, provide a real-life experience, show the positives and negatives of a career, and help you find additional career paths while building a network in your field of interest.

Informational interviews and job shadows can help solidify a career choice as well as be very educational and eye opening!

Step 4: Get Feedback From Your Network

Speaking to your family, friends, teachers, employers, and others who know you well about college programs or careers you are interested in can help you decide if that program is right for you.

Contact Information

Career Advising

Danielle Jennings
319-296-4014 ext.1079
Bremer Hall 126D
Email Danielle Jennings
Schedule an appointment with Danielle Jennings

Regular Hours — Spring 2024

January 3 – May 10, 2024
Monday – Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm

If campus is closed, Career Advising is also closed. This includes weather related closings. See the Academic Calendar for scheduled college closings.

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