Deciding on a career may seem daunting, but it can be easier to think of it as a process! A great first step to take in this process (as well as throughout various times in your career) is to do some career exploration. This involves identifying and looking at your unique qualities, increasing your awareness of career options and potential paths, and identifying ways to gain experience within your areas of interest. Please know that you’re not alone in this process and consider taking advantage of the resources we have available at the University Career Center to guide you.
Engaging in career exploration activities can be helpful at various steps in your career, whether you’re just getting started or you’re a little further into your process. Here are some common career exploration areas to check out.
Are you in the first steps of exploring a career path? The University Career Center has self-assessment tools and resources to help you to jump-start your exploration process.
This self-paced module is intended to help you select a major and a career path.
Many majors don’t point to a specific career path, rather there are many possibilities to consider as you explore your academic and career interests. Industry Clusters are industry-themed groups designed to help you explore your areas of interest and potential career paths.
Whether you’re exploring majors or searching for information about your chosen field, What Can I Do With This Major? will help you connect majors to careers. Learn about typical career areas and types of employers that hire people with each major, as well as strategies to make you a more marketable candidate.
PathwayU is an online career compass tool that uses scientific algorithms to suggest personalized career options based on your interests, personality, values, and workplace preferences. It aims to help you find a career with purpose and meaning and offers resources like detailed career matches, occupational exploration, a job and internship board, and work preparation tools.
The University Career Center tracks the initial destinations of UMD grads through the Graduation Survey which is administered to bachelor’s degree recipients for each graduation cohort. The survey captures career-related outcomes, as well as data on participation in co-curricular activities during graduates’ tenure at the University of Maryland. The report covers August, December, and May graduates.
The University Career Center, as well as a number of academic departments around campus, offer career courses that address different aspects of your career development, including internship/job search preparation, resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, networking, and more!
The Center offers PSYC123: The Psychology of Getting Hired and EDCP108i: Academic Transitions to Internships about the step-by-step internship search process
The University Career Center has embedded staff in AGNR, ARHU, CMNS, INFO, and SPH. There are additional career offices on campus that support students in other colleges and schools. Check out your options here!
There are many reasons people choose to switch careers. You may be looking to grow, feel that you have advanced as much as you can in your current job or feel burned out. Check out the articles and insight on this page to help make a thoughtful decision and transition.
