NEIU A to ZFaculty & Staff DirectoryLibraryEmployment OpportunitiesGetting To NEIU
 

Choosing Your Major

Need to select a major? Don't know where to start? The Counseling Office can help. This is an important decision and to make it wisely you should be informed about your own interests, values, skills, and talents. You should also be informed about the world of work -- what choices are open to you, what skills are required to enter various fields, what the nature of the work is, and what the benefits are of various choices.

How should you start? Well, it depends upon whether you've already got some ideas about what you'd like.

Do you have some ideas in mind?

* No, I don't know what I want to pursue and don't have any real specific ideas.
* Well, sort of...I've got a few ideas in mind, but could use some additional information.

Steps to get started figuring out what you want to do

  1. Self-assessment approaches:
    2. University of Waterloo's Career Development eManual
    Princeton Review
    University of Missouri's Career Interests Game
    University of Minnesota's Transferable Skills Survey
    Prioritize your Life and Work Values
  2. Explore current information on hundreds of careers at sites such as America's Career InfoNet, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, and Careers in Business.
  3. Contact the Counseling Office for individual career counseling appointments.

Steps to get more information about specific ideas

  1. Consult some Written Resources, such as the...
    2. Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)
    O*Net Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT)
    Here you'll gain valuable insight into the nature of work in specific jobs (job description), places of employment, education and training requirements, job market outlook, salary and much more. Hard copies of these guides are available in the Counseling Office, NEIU's Library and your Public Library.

    A follow-up step would be to consult "Careers in..." books (for instance, Careers in Marketing, Careers in Social Work, etc.). The Counseling Office's website has a wealth of information on books related to specific careers (click on> Careers in Specific Areas). NEIU Library call numbers are included, so you can easily find these books in our library.
  2. Visit some outstanding Career Internet Sites
    The Counseling Office has a listing of websites that have information on specific careers (click on> Specific Jobs and Industries). You can also check out other web resources -- we especially like Jobstar.

  3. Consider scheduling an individual career counseling appointment to help narrow down the decision making process, as well as learning some networking/information interviewing approaches which will put you in touch with those actually working in jobs of interest to you. This will help you to better define your goals and to begin building a network of contacts which could very well lead to internship and job possibilities in the future.

How can you contact us?
To find out more about what kind of help is available or to set up an appointment to speak with a counselor, stop by the Counseling Office (D-024), or call us at (773) 442-4650.

Direct comments about this website to CounOff@neiu.edu

back to top

Website Developed and Co-maintained by Noreen Blanchard

Get free counter at Cgi2yoU.com