Houghton College
Career Services

NO!  I Don’t Have A Major!

Ever feel like you are the only one “unattached” to a field of study?  It’s almost as though you have no identity!  Well, take heart - You are not alone.  In fact research shows that being undecided about educational and career goals is a common problem of college students.

Career Services offers interest, skill, and personality testing, along with personal guidance to help you discover things about yourself, your study habits, values, and goals that may point to majors in which you will be successful. The following resources are available to assist you:

TypeFocus

TypeFocus is an interactive computer-based guidance program that enables students to assess their interests, competencies, values, and experience needs and to explore and analyze occupational and educational paths compatible with these attributes.  Students can learn about the occupations, duties, educational requirements, skill demands, experience benefits, work values, job earnings, and job outlook.

The program is based on the Myers Briggs Type Index (MBTI).  Students may go directly to the website http://careers.typefocus.com/, use the site password hc344, and follow the instructions to register.  You may return to the program as often as you wish.

Strong Interest Inventory

The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) is the oldest and most reliable of the vocational instruments. The SII is an empirically designed instrument, reporting the actual interest patterns of the people employed in given occupations. Your answers are then compared to these patterns so that you can begin to identify potential career fields related to these patterns.

If you wish to take the SII, ask the Administrative Assistant or the Director of Career Services. Your completed inventory is sent for computer scoring. You will be contacted when the inventory is returned, at which point you will make an appointment with the Director for interpretation.

Myers Briggs Type Indicator

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a type of personality inventory. The self-report questionnaire helps you to identify preferences for how you focus your attention and energy, how you acquire or gather information, how you make decisions, arrive at conclusions, or make judgments, and how you relate to the outer world. Knowing and understanding these preferences can help you in making career and occupational choices consistent with the type of work that is most interesting and satisfying to you.

It takes about 30-45 minutes to complete this assessment, and personal counseling sessions are available for further understanding. If you haven't taken the MBTI as yet, or would like to retake it, simply about it in Career Services.

Researching Majors

·         Consult the college catalog.  Read the program description of the major.  Note the types of courses under each major with the program requirements.

·         Find a student who is in the major to talk with about the program.  Sit in on one of the introductory courses of a major and talk with some of the students in the class. 

·         Use your general education courses to explore fields you aren’t familiar with.

·         Make an appointment with a faculty member in the department you are considering.  When arranging an appointment, explain the purpose of your meeting.  Use the exploration questions which follow as a guide for your faculty appointment.

·         Visit Career Services and ask about resources in various career fields.

·         A good website for job or major information is “What Can I Do With This Major?” 

Exploration Questions

1.      What are the courses which make up this area of study?  How many courses are offered?  Am I interested in their content?

2.      How flexible is the curriculum?  Will I be able to take courses outside this major?

3.      Are there opportunities for outside experiences such as internships, field experiences, independent study, study abroad, etc.?

4.      What are the methods of learning in this program - lectures, small group discussions, projects, papers, exams?  What is the average class size?  How accessible are the faculty to the students?

5.      What will my skills and competencies be when I complete this major?

6.      What kinds of career fields do graduates in this major typically enter?

7.      How do my interests compare with those of students in this major?

8.      How does the level of difficulty compare with my own abilities and commitment to hard work?