Learning More About Careers & Occupations

Majors offer a variety of career opportunities

Let's explore further options & learn what you can do with specific majors.

There are numerous resources that can help you learn more about careers and specific occupations associated with a major. Most majors offer a variety of options and, as stated previously, a major doesn't limit your career choices. Once you identify some careers and occupations of interest, you will want to learn more about them and perhaps gain some experience as well.

Below are a variety of resources that will help you learn about careers, industries and occupations:

Online Resources:

• Occupational Outlook Handbook - describes about 250 occupations in the U.S. Descriptions include nature of the work, working conditions, employment training, qualifications, salary and job outlook.
• O*Net-"Skills Search" - allows you to explore and identify your skills with an opportunity to consider careers related to your skills.
• Myplan - a comprehensive resource for major, career and industry information
• Career Overview - career, job and employment information provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• CareerVoyages - information on high growth, high demand occupations along with the skills & education needed to attain those jobs.
• America's Career InfoNet - industry and occupational profiles
• Princeton Review Careers - allows you to get a career profile and learn about work environment expected path, and industry statistics.
• Iona College Ryan Library - features many online resources on careers.

Informational Meetings/Interviews
Speaking with others about occupations related to careers is an excellent way to gather information. Relatives, friends, neighbors, professors, alumni and employers are some examples of individuals that can all be helpful in sharing their knowledge and insights. These individuals can often refer you to other contacts for advice. Learn more about how to conduct informational meetings/ interviews.

Mentors:
A mentor is a professional that can give you career advice, help you learn about career options and connect you with other professionals. Iona holds an annual "Meet a Career Mentor" event that gives you an opportunity to network with individuals in a variety of career fields. For further information, contact The Gerri Ripp Center for Career Development.

Clubs & Organizations:
Get involved with academic clubs to gain information about career fields. Most clubs feature guest speakers from related industries.

Professional Associations:
Find websites with professional associations related to a career you are thinking about. These associations have invaluable information about careers within their profession.

Job Shadowing:
Shadowing is spending a day or more with a professional in a work setting. You might observe others at work, help out with a project or attend a meeting. This experience can give you exposure to an industry or career field and give you a better sense of how your skills fit into the work world. Use your networking skills to think about professionals that would be willing to have you shadow them.

Continue your road trip through the Freshman Career Corner.....
Moving on to Increasing Your Competitive Edge