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Students
Student Exploring Major

Explore

Begin with Step Three If You:
  • Have completed the self-focus and target steps and want to explore targeted majors and careers in more depth
  • Need help narrowing down your options
  • Want to gain familiarity with the world of work to better identify your interests

Tasks:

  • Read books, publications, and websites to gain basic knowledge about careers and majors of interest
  • Ask questions of employers, faculty, advisors, and alumni to get more in-depth information
  • Search out experiences through volunteering, job shadowing, externships, student events, and course work

Exploration Steps:

  • Get Organized: Use folders or a filing system to organize collected materials
  • Read: Search for major and career information online and in printed materials
  • Attend Programs: Attend information sessions, workshops, or major and career fairs
  • Ask Questions: Discuss questions and issues with a career counselor, faculty member, or academic advisor
  • Take Exploratory Classes: Take introductory courses in areas of interest
  • Know the Benefits of General Education Classes: Take general education courses that are flexible and that will satisfy your curiosity in areas of interest
  • Get Experience: Participate in job shadowing, student clubs, professional associations, internships, and volunteer work

RESOURCES:
IUPUI Major Profiles

Sheets containing general definitions and characteristics of different majors, types of courses taken, skills developed, related career and graduate school opportunities, and web addresses for more information

Department/School Home Pages
The IUPUI Campus Bulletin
Career Library

Wide array of books, directories, and publications to help students explore occupations, make major and career connections, and research employers, graduate programs, internships, and other experiential opportunities

411 STUDENT MANUAL

Available at the University College Office of Academic and Career Development—the most concise overview available in print of each IUPUI school, degree, and concentration.

Degree Planning Sheets

Informational Interviews

Consider asking these questions:

  1. What led you to choose this field of work?
  2. How did you come to work for this company?
  3. What is a typical day like for you?
  4. If you could restructure your job, what parts would you keep?
  5. What parts would you throw away?
  6. What were the most positive career decisions you made?
  7. What were some of the more challenging ones that you would like to change?
  8. What are the hot topics and big issues in this career field?
  9. What books, journals, or associations do you recommend for someone in this field?
  10. What is the entry-level salary range for this position?
  11. What is the outlook for this field?
  12. What is required to enter the field and move up (e.g., training, certification, licensure, degrees, tools, union membership)?
  13. Do you expect your company to have openings in this field over the next few months or years?
  14. Are there individuals you can recommend to me for other informational interviews?