what’s inside major or - advising...

What’s Inside

Step 1: Engage the ProcessKnowing: What’s involved in career choice..............2Doing: How to make a better decision .......................3Where am I now, where do I want to be? ..................4What does my major decision look like? ...................5What is my vision for the future? ...............................6

Step 2: Understand Myself & My OptionsUnderstand my values, interests, and skills .............6Self-exploration questions ...........................................7Ranking my values, interests, and skills ....................8The Holland party game ..............................................9FSU majors by Holland code .....................................10 Action plan to understand myself & my options ...12

Step 3: Explore My OptionsExpand my list of options ..........................................13The sixteen career clusters .........................................14Narrow my list of options ..........................................19Action plan to explore my list of options ................20

Step 4: Evaluate My OptionsAction plan to evaluate my options .........................21A decision-making exercise .......................................21 Rank my alternatives ..................................................22

Step 5: Act on My ChoiceAction plan to act on my choice ................................23For additional support ...............................................23

Step 6: Reflect on My Decision ....................24

Choosing a

Major or

OccupationWelcome!Selecting an academic major is one of the most significant decisions you will make as a student at The Florida State University (FSU). As you start this journey, you may feel eager or overwhelmed by the many possibilities that await you. However you feel, advisors from the Career Center and Advising First recognize the importance of this decision and are here to offer assistance.

This guide was developed for students who are ready to actively engage in the major selection and career decision-making process. It is a great resource for both Exploratory majors and other students who have declared a major, but may be experiencing doubt with their initial decision. Since choosing a major involves careful consideration and a serious time commitment, this guide is both informative and action-oriented.

When you devote the attention and energy your decision deserves, you will be pleased by the results. Let’s get started.

Choosing a Major or Occupation2

STEP 1: Engage the Process Decision making includes both knowing (∆) and doing ( ). Reviewing the pyramid1 below contributes to knowing and helps you answer “What’s Involved in a Career Choice?” On the next page, How to Make a Better Decision contributes to doing and helps you better understand the skills involved in making a career choice. In this guide, you will be introduced to knowing (∆) and led through doing ( ) in order to make a more informed decision.

“Knowing”: What’s Involved in a Career ChoiceBefore making a career choice, evaluate what you know about yourself, your options, how you make decisions, and how you think about your decision making.

Knowing About Myself

Values y

Interests y

Skills y

Knowing How I Make Decisions: “Doing” (see on next page)

Thinking about My Decision-Making

Be aware of your approach to decision making and listen to your self-talk for words like y always, never, and should. Using these absolute terms can make it hard to move forward. Examples of negative self-talk include:

“I’ll never be able to choose a major that I like.” –

“I did poorly in college algebra, so I can’t major in psychology because I would have to take statistics.” –

You can restate or reframe the negative self-talk above into more helpful phrases. For example, y“If I find majors that match my interests and skills, I’ll find an option I will enjoy.” –

“Math is not my strength, but I can talk to the psychology advisor about the kind of math required for –statistics before I exclude it as a major.”

Knowing About My Options

Programs of study/majors y

Occupations y

Jobs y


STEP 1: Engage the Process

“Doing”: How to Make a Better DecisionFSU faculty2 have studied how to make career decisions and have found that using a step-by-step process usually leads to better results. These steps, shown below, can help you engage the decision-making process. It is intended to be action-oriented and tailored to your unique needs.

1. ENGAGE, or knowing I need to make a choice, is a unique experience for everyone. Whether course registration deadlines are approaching or your friends and relatives are asking questions, now is your opportunity to identify some of the factors influencing your career decision.

2. UNDERSTAND or understanding myself and my options means learning more about yourself by identifying values, interests, and skills that are important to you. Becoming familiar with your options incorporates an understanding of majors and occupations in relation to the world of work.

3. EXPLORE, or expanding and narrowing my list of options, involves creating a list of several opportunities that fit your values, interests, and skills. Then, narrowing that list by picking 3-5 options using what you learned from the “Understand” step of the cycle.

4. EVALUATE, or choosing a major or career, includes weighing the costs and benefits of each option, ranking them, and then making a decision. At this point, an alternative or back-up choice can also be evaluated in case you encounter obstacles with your initial choice.

5. ACT, or implementing my choice, takes time and effort to specify unique action steps to execute your chosen plan for education or training and to further confirm your choice.

6. REFLECT, or knowing I made a good choice, means looking back at your initial goals and thinking about what you have accomplished, including noting the reactions of others and your own thoughts and feelings about your decisions. Notice that you have returned back to STEP 1, “Engage,” to make your next career decision (e.g., finding an internship, searching for a job, or applying to graduate school).

2. Understand (Analysis)

Understanding myself and my options

6. Reflect (Communication)Knowing I made a

good choice

1. Engage (Communication)

Knowing I need to make a choice

3. Explore (Synthesis)

Expanding and narrowing my list of options

4. Evaluate (Valuing)

Choosing a major, occupation, or job

5. Act (Execution)

Implementing my choice



Where am I now, where do I want to be?List the thoughts, feelings, circumstances, people, or events that are impacting your decision or telling you that a decision is needed. List as few or as many as you would like.

What’s impacting my decision? Rank/Label

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•



What does your major decision look like?Within the large circle below, draw smaller circles that represent each item on your list from the previous page.3 Write the corresponding rank or label from the list in the smaller circles. Use the size of the circles you draw to represent the relative importance of each item.



What is my vision for the future?Please draw or write any thoughts, feelings, or ideas you hold for your future in the space below.

Understand My Values, Interests, and SkillsUnderstanding yourself and your options is the next step in your journey.

Self-knowledge includes a clear understanding of your values, your interests, and your skills.Values: Guiding principles that reflect what is most important to you in life. •Interests: Topics you enjoy reading about and activities that leave you energized.•Skills: Activities you do well, either learned (e.g., playing basketball) or innate (e.g., coordination).•

It is sometimes difficult to clearly state our values, interests and skills which is why we have provided several questions to help you gain more clarity. Be sure to show your academic and career advisors the results from this step. They can help you connect your results to the many major and occupational options available to you.

STEP 2: Understand Myself and My Options


STEP 2: Understand Myself and My OptionsSelf-Exploration QuestionsReview the questions below, reflect on each, and write your answers in the space provided.

What level of achievement is important to me?•

What do I want to accomplish professionally?•

Where have I received recognition or awards?•

What extracurricular activities have I enjoyed •in the past?

What kind of club/organization am I •interested in joining?

Who do I know that enjoys his/her work?•

What kind of people would I like to work with?•

What is my ideal work environment?•

At a bookstore, what section do I visit first?•

What topics of conversation hold my attention?•

If I had more free time, how would I spend it?•

Would I rather have more free time and less •money, or more money and less free time?

What subjects/classes do I enjoy most?•

What type of assignments interest me?•

What are my unique talents and abilities? •

What is easy for me but is difficult for others?•

I could spend hours learning about...•



Ranking Values, Interests, and SkillsIn the column below, rank your Values from 1 (most important) to 16 (least important). It may be helpful to identify the most important (#1) and least important (#16) values first; then rank the remaining values. Be sure to use a number only once (try to avoid ties). Repeat this ranking process for the Interests and Skills columns. If you wish, include other important values, interests, & skills in the list, but be sure to increase your number of items you rank (e.g., 17 or more).

Values

Creativity _

Earning Potential _

Further Education _

Independence _

Job Location _

Job Security _

Leadership _

Level of Prestige _

Organizational Culture _

Personal/Professional _Balance

Service to Others _

Travel Opportunities _

Vacation/Benefits _

Variety of Tasks _

Work Environment _

Work Schedule _ Other________

Interests

Community Service _

Creative/Performing Arts _

Fashion _

Interpersonal _Relationships

Literature/Reading _

Money/Investing/Finance _

Music _

Nature/Environment _

Organizing _

Planning _

Politics _

Salesmanship _

Science _

Sports _

Teaching _

Technology _ Other________

Skills

Analytical/Problem- _Solving

Athletic _

Communication _

Counseling _

Creativity/Artistic _

Design _

Instructional/Mentoring _

Interpersonal _

Leadership _

Managerial _

Mechanical _

Organizational _

Research _

Scientific _

Technology _

Visionary _ Other________



The Holland Party Game4

There are many ways to identify enjoyable majors and occupations. To complete this simple exercise:

Read about each of the six groups of people inside the hexagon below. Which three groups or 1. types of people would you enjoy spending time with at a party?

Write the underlined letter of the group you would most like to spend time with in the first block 2. below, the letter of the group you would spend time with next in the second block, and the letter of the third group in the last block. These three letters are called your Holland Code.

Continue to the next page to match your three letters to majors at Florida State.3.

RealisticInvestigative

Artistic

SocialEnterprising

Con

ven

tion

al

People with mechanical and athletic abilities; like working outdoors with tools and objects; prefer dealing with things rather than people.

People with math and science abilities; like working alone and solving complex problems; like dealing with ideas rather than people or things.

People with artistic ability and imagination; enjoy creating original work; like dealing with ideas rather than things.

People with clerical and math ability; prefer working indoors and organizing things; like dealing with words and numbers rather than people or ideas.

People with leadership and speaking abilities; like to be influential; interested in politics and economics; like dealing with people and ideas rather than things.

People with social skills; interested in social relationships and helping others solve problems; like dealing with people rather than things.

™


STEP 2: Understand Myself and My OptionsUnderstanding your options is critical to making a decision. With over 120 majors and thousands of occupations the choices can be overwhelming! Patterns will emerge as you gain a better understanding of yourself and your options. Each step you take brings your academic and career choices into sharper focus.

FSU Majors by Holland CodeFind your Holland Codes from page 9 and place a check next to majors which interest you. To learn more about a major, visit www.academic-guide.fsu.edu.

Realistic

Art, Studio �Engineering, Computer * �Engineering, Industrial �Exploratory � †Graphic Design (Art, Studio) �

Investigative

Actuarial Science �Applied Mathematics �Biochemistry �Biological Science �Biomathematics �Chemical Science �Chemistry (including Environmental Track) �Communication Sciences & Disorders �

Audiology –Speech Pathology –

Computational Biology �(Biology & Computer Science)Computational Science �Computer Criminology �(Computer Science or Criminology)Computer Science (BA or BS) * �Computer Science (Online, Panama City only) * �Criminology/Criminal Justice �Economics and Applied Economics �Engineering, Chemical �Engineering, Chemical-Biomedical �Engineering, Civil * �Engineering, Electrical (Panama City only) * �Engineering, Electrical & Computer �Engineering, Environmental �Engineering, Mechanical �Environmental Chemistry �Environmental Science (BS) �Environmental Science & Policy (BA) �Environmental Studies �Exploratory � †Geography �

Geosciences, Applied—FSU Teach �Information Technology �International Affairs �Management Information Systems �Mathematics �(Mathematics, Applied, Biomedical)Meteorology �Physical Science �Physics �Physics and Astrophysics �Psychology * �Sociology �Statistics �

Artistic

Classics �Classical Archaeology –Civilization –Classics & Religion –Greek –Latin –Latin & Greek –

Communication, Media Production �Creative Writing with Business (English) �Dance �English �

Creative Writing –Creative Writing w/Business –Editing, Writing & Media w/Business –English Studies –Literature –Literature w/Business –

Exploratory � †Film (Motion Picture Arts) �Interior Design �Modern Languages and Linguistics �

Chinese –Chinese & Japanese –French & Francophone Studies –German –Greek –


Social

African American Studies �Asian Studies �Athletic Training �Dietetics (Nutrition, Food, & Exercise Sciences) �Early Childhood Education �Elementary Education * �English Education �Exercise Science (Nutrition, Food, & Exercise �Sciences)Exploratory � †Family & Child Sciences �FSU—Teach �

Biology –Chemical Science –Geosciences, Applied –Mathematics –Physical Science –Physics, Interdisciplinary –

Humanities �Management, Human Resources �Middle Eastern Studies �Music Education �Music Therapy �Nursing �Nursing, Accelerated B.S.N. �Nutrition, Food, & Exercise Sciences �

Athletic Training –Dietetics –Exercise Science –Nutrition Science –

Religion (and Religion-Classics) �Russian & East European Studies �

Social Science, Interdisciplinary * �Social Sciences Education * �Social Work * �Special Education �

Exceptional Student Education –Visual Disabilities (Teacher Preparation) –

Women’s Studies �

Enterprising

Advertising (Communication) �Art History �Entrepreneurship (Business Administration) * �Exploratory � †Finance �Golf Management, Professional �History �Hospitality Management �Information, Communication, & Technology �Management, General �Marketing �Media/Communication Studies �Political Science �Professional Communication (Panama City only) * �Professional Communication/Corporate and Public �Communication (B.S./M.S. Combined) (Panama City only) *Professional Sales �Public Relations (Communication) �Real Estate �Recreation & Leisure Services Administration �(Panama City only) *Retail Merchandising & Product Development �Risk Management & Insurance �Sport Management �Theatre, B.F.A Program, Acting �

Conventional

Accounting * �Exploratory � †

† Students may declare their major as “Exploratory” for their first three terms, then must change into a departmental major by term four.

* These majors are also available at the FSU Panama City campus.

STEP 2: Understand Myself and My OptionsItalian –Japanese –Latin –Russian –Spanish –

Music, B.A. Program �Music �

Music Composition –Music Performance –Music Theatre –Music Theory –

Philosophy �Theatre, B.A. Program �



Action Plan to Understand Myself and My OptionsGoal 1: Example: Identify my values, interests, and skillsGoal 2: Example: Understand how majors and occupations are organizedGoal 3:

Goal 4:

My Action Steps PriorityCompleted

(Y or N)

Recommended Action Steps to:

Understand Myself Visit the Career Center to learn how yassessments may help you understand your values, interests, and skills.Use y Career Finder at www.flchoices.orgUse SIGI3 y career.fsu.edu/sigi using access code “seminoles”Talk to people who know you well and ywho you trust about your strengths, achievements, and interests which might suggest occupations that will fit you.Attend y Pizza and a Major workshops and the Freshman Success Conference to enhance your self-knowledge. View a current schedule at advisingfirst.fsu.edu/ExploratoryCenter.

Understand My Options Visit the Career Center Library, offering ymore than 3,000 information resources, to help you research majors and occupations.View majors at y academic-guide.fsu.edu.Visit your academic advisor. yTalk to faculty or academic advisors in the ydepartments of majors that interest you.Sit in on classes for majors you are yconsidering.Attend y Pizza and a Major workshops and the Freshman Success Conference to enhance your options-knowledge. View a current schedule at advisingfirst.fsu.edu/ExploratoryCenter.


STEP 3: Explore My Options

Expand My List of OptionsNow that you’ve identified your values, interests, and skills and possible majors and occupations, it is time to more closely connect what you know about yourself to your options. You will want to know the pros and cons of each choice. For majors, this includes understanding all prerequisite courses, academic milestones, and application procedures. For occupations, this comprises work descriptions, education/training requirements, growth outlook, average salaries, and representative employers. Following the example provided, list the options you are considering on the lines below. Then, review the resources on the right to learn more about each. Write the resources you will use on the dotted lines below each option. Academic and career advisors can help you access these resources.

Majors/Occupations On-line Resources

Undergraduate Academic Program yGuide provides descriptions of each major, along with mapping requirements, academic milestones, and advising contact information at academic-guide.fsu.edu.Match Major Sheets y allow you to find occupations, books, and professional organizations that match your major or broader fields of study at career.fsu.edu.Career Key y helps you search for books, files, and videos about your major and occupations at the Career Center and other libraries at career.fsu.edu/library/.Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) y describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and the occupational outlook for hundreds of occupations at www.bls.gov/OCO/.O*Net y is a continually-updated online database with descriptions of occupations and matching personality descriptions at online.onetcenter.org.Choices Planner y contains information similar to the OOH and O*Net, but also contains additional assessment tools for values, interests, and skills at www.flchoices.org.

Example: Nursing Major/Registered Nurse

Undergraduate Program GuideOccupational Outlook Handbook


Clu

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Des

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Maj

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The Sixteen Career ClustersDid you notice any themes in your previous exercises? Look for matching themes in the 16 career clusters on pages 14 through 18. Cross out any occupational cluster that does not connect to your values, interests, or skills. Write the three clusters most interesting to you at the bottom of page 18.


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ster

Des

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tion

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ors

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ple

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up

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dis

ing

& P

rod

uct D

evel

opm

ent,

Stat

isti

cs

Acc

ount

ant,

Ad

vert

isin

g Sa

les,

A

naly

st, A

udit

or, B

usin

ess

Con

sult

ant,

Cer

tifi

ed P

ublic

Acc

ount

ant,

Chi

ef

Exe

cuti

ve O

ffic

er, C

orpo

rate

Tra

iner

, E

ntre

pren

eur,

Fac

iliti

es M

anag

er,

Fina

ncia

l Ana

lyst

, Fin

ance

Dir

ecto

r,

Gen

eral

Man

ager

, Hum

an R

esou

rces

M

anag

er, I

nves

tmen

t Exe

cuti

ve,

Leg

al S

ecre

tary

, Mar

keti

ng A

naly

st,

Mee

ting

and

Con

vent

ion

Plan

ner,

O

ffic

e M

anag

er, P

aral

egal

, Per

sonn

el

Rec

ruit

er, P

ublic

Rel

atio

ns M

anag

er,

Sale

s R

epre

sent

ativ

e, W

hole

sale

and

R

etai

l Buy

er

Plan

ning

, man

agin

g,

and

pro

vid

ing

educ

atio

n an

d tr

aini

ng

serv

ices

and

rel

ated

le

arni

ng s

uppo

rt

serv

ices

.

Aud

iolo

gy a

nd S

peec

h Pa

thol

ogy

(Com

mun

icat

ion

Dis

ord

ers)

, Cla

ssic

al C

ivili

zati

on, C

omm

unic

atio

n D

isor

der

s, E

arly

Chi

ldho

od E

duc

atio

n, E

lem

enta

ry

Ed

ucat

ion,

Eng

lish

Ed

ucat

ion,

Eng

lish

Lit

erat

ure,

C

hild

Dev

elop

men

t (Fa

mily

and

Chi

ld S

cien

ces)

, Fo

reig

n L

angu

ages

(Chi

nese

, Fre

nch,

Fre

nch

and

Fr

anco

phon

e St

udie

s, G

erm

an, G

reek

, Gre

ek a

nd L

atin

, It

alia

n, Ja

pane

se, L

atin

, Rus

sian

, and

/or

Span

ish)

, FSU

T

each

(Bio

logy

, Che

mis

try,

Geo

scie

nce,

Mat

hem

atic

s,

& P

hysi

cal S

cien

ce),

His

tory

, H

uman

itie

s, M

usic

E

duc

atio

n, P

sych

olog

y, S

ocia

l Sci

ence

Ed

ucat

ion,

Soc

ial

Wor

k, S

ocio

logy

, Spe

cial

Ed

ucat

ion:

Vis

ual D

isab

iliti

es

Ad

min

istr

ator

, Ass

essm

ent S

peci

alis

t, O

ccup

atio

nTec

h A

dm

inis

trat

or, C

hild

C

are

Wor

ker,

Col

lege

/Uni

vers

ity

Facu

lty,

Cou

nsel

or, C

urri

culu

m

Dev

elop

er, E

duc

atio

n R

esea

rche

r,

Ele

men

tary

Tea

cher

, Hig

h Sc

hool

T

each

er, M

idd

le S

choo

l Tea

cher

, Pr

inci

pal,

Psyc

holo

gist

s (C

linic

al,

Dev

elop

men

tal,

Soci

al),

Soci

al W

orke

r,

Spee

ch-L

angu

age

Path

olog

ist/

Aud

iolo

gist

Plan

ning

, ser

vice

s fo

r fi

nanc

ial a

nd

inve

stm

ent p

lann

ing,

ba

nkin

g, in

sura

nce,

an

d b

usin

ess

fina

ncia

l m

anag

emen

t.

Act

uari

al S

cien

ce, B

usin

ess

(Acc

ount

ing,

Fin

ance

, H

ospi

talit

y, M

anag

emen

t, H

uman

Res

ourc

es

Man

agem

ent,

Man

agem

ent (

Gen

eral

), M

IS

(Man

agem

ent I

nfor

mat

ion

Syst

ems)

, Rea

l Est

ate)

, E

ngin

eeri

ng (C

ivil,

Env

iron

men

tal,

Ind

ustr

ial)

, Eng

lish

(Cre

ativ

e W

riti

ng fo

r B

usin

ess)

, Eng

lish

(Lit

erat

ure)

, E

nglis

h (L

iter

atur

e fo

r B

usin

ess)

, Ris

k M

anag

emen

t an

d In

sura

nce

Acc

ount

ant,

Act

uary

, Aud

itor

, C

omm

odit

ies

Rep

rese

ntat

ive,

C

ontr

olle

r, C

red

it A

naly

st, D

ebt

Cou

nsel

or, E

cono

mis

t, Fi

nanc

ial

Plan

ner/

Ana

lyst

, For

eign

Exc

hang

e M

anag

er, F

und

Rai

ser,

Insu

ranc

e B

roke

r, In

tern

al A

udit

or, I

nves

tmen

t A

dvi

sor,

Loa

n O

ffic

er, N

on-P

rofi

t M

anag

er, P

erso

nal F

inan

cial

Ad

viso

r,

Tax

Exa

min

er/P

repa

rer,

Tit

le

Res

earc

her

and

Exa

min

er, T

reas

urer

,



Clu

ster

Des

crip

tion

Sam

ple

Maj

ors

Sam

ple

Occ

up

atio

ns

Exe

cuti

ng g

over

nmen

-ta

l fun

ctio

ns, i

nclu

din

g go

vern

ance

, nat

iona

l se

curi

ty, f

orei

gn s

ervi

ce,

plan

ning

, rev

enue

and

ta

xati

on, r

egul

atio

n,

and

man

agem

ent,

and

ad

min

istr

atio

n at

the

loca

l, st

ate,

and

fed

eral

le

vels

.

Bus

ines

s (A

ccou

ntin

g, F

inan

ce, H

ospi

talit

y, M

anag

emen

t, H

uman

Res

ourc

es M

anag

emen

t, M

anag

emen

t (G

ener

al),

MIS

(M

anag

emen

t Inf

orm

atio

n Sy

stem

s), R

eal E

stat

e), C

lass

ical

C

ivili

zati

on, C

rim

inol

ogy/

Cri

min

al Ju

stic

e, In

tern

atio

nal A

f-fa

irs,

Phi

loso

phy,

Pol

itic

al S

cien

ce, P

sych

olog

y, S

ocia

l Sci

ence

(I

nter

dis

cipl

inar

y), S

ocia

l Wor

k

Fore

ign

Serv

ices

Off

icer

, Cry

p-to

grap

her,

Inte

llige

nce

Ana

lyst

, L

obby

ist,

Polic

y A

naly

st, G

over

n-m

ent A

udit

or,

Pres

iden

t, M

ayor

, Se

nato

r, C

ongr

essi

onal

Aid

e, T

ax

Exa

min

er, A

udit

or/A

sses

sor,

In

vest

igat

or/E

xam

iner

, Cou

rt

Ad

min

istr

ator

Plan

ning

, man

agin

g an

d p

rovi

din

g th

era-

peut

ic s

ervi

ces,

dia

g-no

stic

ser

vice

s, h

ealt

h in

form

atic

s, s

uppo

rt

serv

ices

, and

bio

tech

-no

logy

res

earc

h an

d

dev

elop

men

t.

Ath

leti

c T

rain

ing,

Bio

logi

cal S

cien

ce, B

iom

athe

mat

ics,

C

hem

ical

Sci

ence

, Che

mis

try,

Com

mun

icat

ion

Dis

ord

ers,

C

ompu

tati

onal

Bio

logy

(Bio

logy

, Com

pute

r Sc

ienc

e), E

xer-

cise

Sci

ence

/Die

teti

cs, N

ursi

ng/N

ursi

ng A

ccel

erat

ed,

Spor

t Man

agem

ent

Acu

punc

turi

st, A

thle

tic

Tra

iner

, A

udio

logi

st, B

iom

edic

al/C

linic

al

Eng

inee

r, C

hiro

prac

tor,

Die

tary

T

echn

icia

n, D

octo

r, D

enta

l Hyg

ien-

ist,

Den

tist

, Med

ical

Lab

Tec

hnol

o-gi

st, M

icro

biol

ogis

t, Pa

ram

edic

, Pa

thol

ogis

t, Ph

arm

acis

t, Ph

ysic

al

The

rapi

st, P

hysi

cian

, Reg

iste

red

N

urse

Hos

pita

lity

& T

our-

ism

enc

ompa

sses

the

man

agem

ent,

mar

ket-

ing,

and

ope

rati

ons

of

rest

aura

nts

and

oth

er

food

ser

vice

s, lo

dgi

ng,

attr

acti

ons,

rec

reat

ion

even

ts, a

nd tr

avel

re-

late

d s

ervi

ces.

Bus

ines

s (A

ccou

ntin

g, F

inan

ce, H

ospi

talit

y, M

anag

emen

t, H

uman

Res

ourc

es M

anag

emen

t, M

anag

emen

t (G

ener

al),

MIS

(M

anag

emen

t Inf

orm

atio

n Sy

stem

s), R

eal E

stat

e ),

Ent

repr

e-ne

ursh

ip, F

orei

gn L

angu

ages

(Chi

nese

, Fre

nch,

Fre

nch,

and

Fr

anco

phon

e St

udie

s, G

erm

an, G

reek

, Gre

ek a

nd L

atin

, Ita

l-ia

n, Ja

pane

se, R

ussi

an, a

nd/o

r Sp

anis

h), G

olf M

anag

emen

t (P

rofe

ssio

nal)

, Int

erna

tion

al A

ffai

rs, M

arke

ting

, Po

liti-

cal S

cien

ce, S

ocio

logy

Cru

ise

Ship

Man

agem

ent,

Exe

cu-

tive

Che

f, Fo

od S

ervi

ce M

anag

er,

Gol

f Man

agem

ent,

Man

ager

, R

esor

t Man

ager

, Res

taur

ant O

wne

r,

Sale

s Pr

ofes

sion

al, E

vent

Pla

nner

, In

terp

rete

r, T

rave

l Age

nt, C

lub

Man

ager

Prep

arin

g in

div

idua

ls

for

empl

oym

ent i

n ca

reer

pat

hway

s th

at

rela

te to

fam

ilies

and

hu

man

nee

ds.

Aud

iolo

gy a

nd S

peec

h Pa

thol

ogy

(Com

mun

icat

ion

Dis

ord

ers)

, Com

mun

icat

ion

Dis

ord

ers,

Ear

ly C

hild

hood

E

duc

atio

n, E

lem

enta

ry E

duc

atio

n, C

hild

Dev

elop

men

t (F

amily

and

Chi

ld S

cien

ces)

, Hum

an S

tud

ies

(Afr

ican

A

mer

ican

Stu

die

s, A

sian

Stu

die

s, M

idd

le E

aste

rn

Stud

ies,

Rus

sian

and

Eas

t Eur

opea

n St

udie

s), P

hilo

soph

y,

Psyc

holo

gy, R

elig

ion,

Cla

ssic

s &

Rel

igio

n, S

ocia

l Wor

k,

Soci

olog

y, S

peci

al E

duc

atio

n: V

isua

l Dis

abili

ties

Occ

upat

ion

Cou

nsel

or, C

hild

C

are

Wor

kers

, Cle

rgy,

Dir

ecto

r/A

ssis

tant

Dir

ecto

rs (C

hild

Car

e Fa

cilit

ies)

, Mar

riag

e or

Fam

ily

Cou

nsel

or, M

assa

ge T

hera

pist

, M

enta

l Hea

lth

Cou

nsel

or, P

erso

nal

Tra

iner

, Pre

scho

ol T

each

ers,

Ps

ycho

logi

st, R

ehab

ilita

tion

C

ouns

elor

, Sch

ool C

ouns

elor

s,

Soci

olog

ists



STEP 3: Explore My OptionsC

lust

erD

escr

ipti

onS

amp

le M

ajor

sS

amp

le O

ccu

pat

ion

s

Bui

ldin

g lin

kage

s in

IT

occu

pati

ons

fram

ewor

k: fo

r en

try

leve

l, te

chni

cal,

and

pr

ofes

sion

al o

ccup

atio

ns

rela

ted

to th

e d

esig

n,

dev

elop

men

t, su

ppor

t, an

d

man

agem

ent o

f har

dw

are,

so

ftw

are,

mul

tim

edia

, and

sy

stem

s in

tegr

atio

n se

rvic

es.

Bus

ines

s (M

anag

emen

t (G

ener

al),

MIS

(M

anag

emen

t Inf

orm

atio

n Sy

stem

s)),

C

ompu

tati

onal

Bio

logy

(Com

pute

r Sc

ienc

e),

Com

pute

r C

rim

inol

ogy,

Com

pute

r Sc

ienc

e,

Eng

inee

ring

(Com

pute

r; E

lect

rica

l), I

nfor

mat

ion

Com

mun

icat

ion

Tec

hnol

ogy,

Info

rmat

ion

Tec

hnol

ogy,

Sta

tist

ics

Com

pute

r Pr

ogra

mm

er, D

ata

Com

mun

icat

ions

Ana

lyst

, Dat

abas

e A

dm

inis

trat

or, I

nstr

ucti

onal

Des

igne

r,

Mul

tim

edia

Dev

elop

er/S

peci

alis

t, N

etw

ork

Ana

lyst

/Arc

hite

ct/

Eng

inee

r/M

anag

er, O

nlin

e Pu

blis

her,

Se

nior

Dat

abas

e A

dm

inis

trat

or, S

yste

ms

Eng

inee

r, T

echn

ical

Wri

ter,

Web

D

evel

oper

/Ad

min

istr

ator

, Web

mas

ter

Plan

ning

, man

agin

g, a

nd

prov

idin

g le

gal,

publ

ic s

afet

y,

prot

ecti

ve s

ervi

ces

and

ho

mel

and

sec

urit

y, in

clud

ing

prof

essi

onal

and

tech

nica

l su

ppor

t ser

vice

s.

Com

pute

r C

rim

inol

ogy,

Cri

min

olog

y/C

rim

inal

Ju

stic

e, F

orei

gn L

angu

ages

(Chi

nese

, Fre

nch,

Fr

ench

and

Fra

ncop

hone

Stu

die

s, G

erm

an, G

reek

, G

reek

and

Lat

in, I

talia

n, Ja

pane

se, R

ussi

an, a

nd/

or S

pani

sh),

His

tory

, Hum

anit

ies,

Phi

loso

phy,

Po

litic

al S

cien

ce, P

sych

olog

y, R

elig

ion,

Wom

en’s

St

udie

s

Com

pute

r Se

curi

ty, C

ompu

ter

Fore

nsic

s E

xam

iner

, Cor

rect

ions

Ed

ucat

ors/

O

ffic

ers,

Cri

min

al In

vest

igat

or/S

peci

al

Age

nt, E

MT

, Em

erge

ncy

Man

agem

ent

and

Res

pons

e C

oord

inat

or, J

udge

, L

awye

r, P

aral

egal

, Res

cue

Wor

ker

Plan

ning

, man

agin

g, a

nd

perf

orm

ing

the

proc

essi

ng o

f m

ater

ials

into

inte

rmed

iate

or

fina

l pro

duc

ts a

nd r

elat

ed

prof

essi

onal

and

tech

nica

l su

ppor

t act

ivit

ies

such

as

prod

ucti

on p

lann

ing

and

co

ntro

l, m

aint

enan

ce, a

nd

man

ufac

turi

ng/p

roce

ss

engi

neer

ing.

Bio

chem

istr

y, B

usin

ess

Man

agem

ent (

Gen

eral

), E

ngin

eeri

ng (C

hem

ical

, Che

mic

al-B

iom

edic

al,

Civ

il, C

ompu

ter,

Ele

ctri

cal,

Ind

ustr

ial,

Mec

hani

cal)

, Inf

orm

atio

n T

echn

olog

y

Bio

med

ical

Equ

ipm

ent T

echn

icia

n,

Com

pute

r In

stal

ler/

Rep

aire

rs,

Eng

inee

r, In

spec

tors

, Lab

or R

elat

ions

M

anag

er, M

anag

er/S

uper

viso

r, M

edic

al

App

lianc

e M

aker

, Pro

duc

tion

Man

ager

s,

Safe

ty C

oord

inat

ors,

Wel

der

Plan

ning

, man

agin

g, a

nd

perf

orm

ing

mar

keti

ng a

ctiv

itie

s to

rea

ch o

rgan

izat

iona

l ob

ject

ives

.

Bus

ines

s (A

ccou

ntin

g, F

inan

ce, H

ospi

talit

y M

anag

emen

t, H

uman

Res

ourc

es M

anag

emen

t, M

anag

emen

t (G

ener

al),

MIS

(Man

agem

ent

Info

rmat

ion

Syst

ems)

, Pro

fess

iona

l Sal

es, R

eal

Est

ate)

, Com

mun

icat

ion

(Ad

vert

isin

g, M

edia

/C

omm

unic

atio

n St

udie

s, M

edia

Pro

duc

tion

, Pu

blic

Rel

atio

ns),

Com

pute

r Sc

ienc

e, F

orei

gn

Lan

guag

es (C

hine

se, F

renc

h, F

renc

h an

d

Fran

coph

one

Stud

ies,

Ger

man

, Gre

ek, G

reek

and

L

atin

, Ita

lian,

Japa

nese

, Rus

sian

, and

/or

Span

ish)

, G

raph

ic D

esig

n, In

teri

or D

esig

n, M

arke

ting

, Ris

k M

anag

emen

t and

Insu

ranc

e, S

tud

io A

rt, R

etai

l M

erch

and

isin

g &

Pro

duc

t Dev

elop

men

t

Acc

ount

Exe

cuti

ve, C

hief

Exe

cuti

ve

Off

icer

(CE

O),

Ent

repr

eneu

r, In

teri

or

Des

igne

rs, M

arke

ting

Man

ager

s, M

arke

t R

esea

rche

rs, P

ublic

Rel

atio

ns S

peci

alis

ts,

Sale

s R

epre

sent

ativ

e/E

xecu

tive

,W

ebm

aste

r


STEP 3: Explore My OptionsC

lust

erD

escr

ipti

onS

amp

le M

ajor

sS

amp

le O

ccu

pat

ion

s

Plan

ning

, man

agin

g, a

nd

prov

idin

g sc

ient

ific

res

earc

h an

d p

rofe

ssio

nal a

nd te

chni

cal

serv

ices

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STEP 3: Explore My List of Options

Narrow My List of OptionsOnce you have gathered information on your options, it should be easier to narrow your selection to 3-5 choices or less. The best way to assemble your final list is to compare your new possibilities to your most important values, interests, and skills checklist.

List your top 3 values, interests, and skills in the left-hand column. 1.

List all the majors or occupations that you are considering at this time in the right hand column.2.

Draw lines connecting your values, interests, and skills to the options on the right. Do you notice 3. any patterns? Are some options more connected to your values, interests, and skills than others?

Values

Interests

Skills

Majors/Occupations

Choose 3 to 5 majors or occupations from above that best reflect your values, interests, and skills.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.



Action Plan to Explore My List of Options

Goal 1: Example: Expand my list of majors and occupations that match my values, interests, and skills.

Goal 2: Example: Choose the 3 to 5 majors or occupations that best reflect my values, interests, and skills

Goal 3:

My Action Steps PriorityCompleted

(Y or N)

Recommended Action Steps to:

First expand my list of options... Visit the Career Center to learn how yassessments may help you to better understand yourself and your options.Visit the Career Center Library, which offers y3,000 information resources to help you research majors and occupations.View match major sheets y career.fsu.edu/occupations/matchmajor/index.html.Research sample occupations from the 16 yOccupation Clusters at the O*NET Web site, online.onetcenter.org.Review the academic program guide at yacademic-guide.fsu.edu.Attend Advising First’s y Meet Your Advisor event, held every October and March, to connect with several advisors in one location. To learn more, call 644-3430.

...then narrow down my list of optionsAccess the General Bulletin to read course ydescriptions for every major at registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/undergrad/depts/.Locate Academic Advisors using yadvisingfirst.fsu.edu/FindAdvisor.html or undergrad.fsu.edu/advisors. Schedule a meeting to learn the specifics about your major options.Visit a campus bookstore to browse the ytextbooks for courses offered in the majors that interest you. What grabs your attention?Check out ebooks related to the major yselection process such as College Majors Handbook and Trends for Graduates of 60 College Majors by accessing lib.fsu.edu.Attend y Major and Occupation Cluster Sessions hosted by an expert panel of faculty, staff, and students ready to answer your questions! View a current schedule at advisingfirst.fsu.edu/ExploratoryCenter .


STEP 4: Evaluate My OptionsMaking a final decision often comes about through experience. With the help of an academic advisor, you might enroll in specific classes to have a better understanding of your top choices for a major. Or you might work with a career advisor to connect with internships, co-ops, part-time work, volunteer opportunities, and other programs that provide “hands on” learning. Write below a plan to immerse yourself in your options.

A Decision–Making Exercise Based on your exploration, it is now time to narrow your major/occupational options.

Action Plan to Evaluate My Options

Goal 1: Example: Experience my options for a major or occupationGoal 2:

My Action Step PriorityCompleted

(Y or N)

Recommended Action StepsInterview experienced professionals in fields of interest via y ProfessioNOLE.Visit academic departments and their Web sites to learn about available resources. yVisit the Center for Leadership and Civic Education ( y thecenter.fsu.edu) to learn about volunteer opportunities that can help you explore your options.

Rank your choice by 4. Total Points and Overall Impressions. Do they match? If not, do you see a reason why?

Are you ready to make a decision?5.

If yes, what is your decision?•

If no, what is keeping you from moving •forward to make a decision?

Write your answers to these questions. •

Take action, whether you have made a 6. decision or not. Turn to page 23 and:

if you have made a decision, complete ythe listed activities.

if you have not made a decision, contact yone of the listed offices for assistance.

List three majors/occupations across the top of 1. the table on page 22.

List three to five factors from Steps 1, 2, and 3 2. (pp. 4-20) that are important to you in selecting a major or occupation down the first column of the table on page 22.

Consider how well or poorly each option 3. satisfies each factor, then:

Write a value for how well the alternative a.

fared (0-5) in the small shaded box.

0 = Poorly – Won't do at all – No.

2 = Acceptable – Not great – Ok, maybe.

5 = Very well – Great – Yes!

Comment on each in the space provided.b.

On the summary row, total the points c. assigned to each and write your overall impression of the alternatives.


FactorsMajor / Occupational Options

1. 2. 3.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Summary/Totals & Overall Impressions

STEP 4: Evaluate My Options

Fill in your options then write values, interests, skills, and other factors to consider.

Rank My Alternatives

By Total Points By Overall Impressions1.

2.

3.

Am I ready to make a decision?

Yes What?

No Why not?


STEP 5: Act On My ChoiceFor Additional SupportAfter completing this workbook, some students may require more in-depth assistance when choosing a major or occupation. Fortunately, FSU offers services to help with these decisions. Get started by visiting us today!

The Career Center100 S. Woodward Avenue 1200 Dunlap Success CenterProvides major/career exploration, self-assessment activities, occupational information, job outlook information, etc. Call 644-6431 or visit career.fsu.edu for information. Drop-in and see a Career advisor Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Call about evening hours during Fall and Spring.

Advising First - Center for Exploratory Students143 Honors WayG002 Johnston BuildingProvides special assistance to first-year students who are undecided about their major Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Call 645-2847 to schedule an appointment fsu.edu/AdvisingFirst.

Advising First - UCA 3200 Provides help to upper division students experiencing indecision or concerns with academic mapping. Call 644-3430 for more information.

The final step is acting on your choice. You may meet with an academic advisor to officially declare your major. Or, you may build experience in your new profession. Below, write your goal and three actions you can take to pursue it. For ideas of what to do next, review this list of short- and long-term actions.

Short-Term ActionsIdentify your new advisor by visiting y undergrad.fsu.edu/advisors/index.html.

Choose classes to stay on track for graduation at yacademic-guide.fsu.edu.

Visit the advisor in your new department. y

Research internships at the Career Center. y

Review Honors in the Major at y honors.fsu.edu.

Join professional/student organizations in your yspecific academic department, or find state and national organizations at the Career Center.

Long-Term ActionsDiscuss your future career goals with a career or yacademic advisor.

Write a resume aimed at your career goals. See ycareer.fsu.edu/advising/guides.html

Apply for part-time work, internship, and full- ytime job opportunities at the Career Center.

Research organizations where you might work. y

Learn about graduate school options at the Career yCenter or specific academic departments.

Visit y registrar.fsu.edu/services/graduation/or fsu.edu/students/current/undergraduate/beyondgrad.html to plan ahead for graduation.

Action Plan to Act on My ChoiceGoal:

My Action Step PriorityCompleted

(Y or N)

100 S. Woodward Ave (1200 DSC) 850.644.6431•career.fsu.edu

Advising First • Division of Undergraduate Studies143 Honors WayG002 Johnston Building 850.645.2847•advisingfirst.fsu.edu

Credits

The following sources were adapted for inclusion in this guide.Sampson, J. P., Jr., Peterson, G. W., Lenz, J. G., & Reardon, R. C. (1992). A cognitive approach to career 1. services: Translating concepts into practice. Career Development Quarterly, 41, 61-67.America’s Career Resource Network. (2006). Career Decision-Making Tool. Retrieved December 9, 2008, 2. from www.acrnetwork.org/decision.htm. Peterson, G.W., Leasure, K. K., Carr, D.L., & Lenz, J.G. (2009-2010, Winter). The decision space worksheet: 3. an assessment of context in career decision making. Career Planning and Adult Development Journal, 25 (4), 87-97. Reproduced by special permission of the Publisher, Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc., 16204 North 4. Florida Avenue, Lutz, Florida 33549, from the Self-Directed Search Technical Manual by John L. Holland, Ph.D., Copyright 1985, 1987, 1994. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission from PAR, Inc.States’ Career Cluster Initiative. (2008). Retrieved December 9, 2008, from 5. www.careerclusters.org.

Available in an alternate format. Revised 09/11. Pub ID: 35.

My Referrals & Contacts

Contact Name Department Contact (Phone/Email) Date of Meeting

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

STEP 6: Reflect on My DecisionReflect on where you were at the beginning of this process and consider how comfortable you are with the choice you have made. How do you feel? How have friends and family reacted to your decision? Are you procrastinating or moving forward? Do you need to take a step back by revisiting an earlier step in the decision-making process? What is the next career decision you will need to make (e.g. graduate school, work location, academic minor, etc.)? How can you apply the skills you have learned for choosing a major to this new decision? Reflect on these questions and your decision.

what’s inside major or - advising...

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