Self & Career Discovery
Opportunity Starts with Purpose
The best careers are those with purpose, where you can combine your values, strengths, and skills to make an impact on something you care about. How do you discover your purpose? By exploring — yourself! Identify the things you value and love to do, then you can find a career where you can put those values and skills to work.
There are different strategies you can use to explore your skills and strengths and how you might apply them to a career.
Reflect on YOU: As cliche as it sounds, your career journey begins with knowing yourself. Once you get some insight into you, then you have clear starting point. You only need one for the journey to begin!
Research industries online: There are many job roles you can find across industries. If you know what you want to do, but not where you want to do it, explore the different industries out there. Discover which industries are in demand, have the largest employment, are experiencing declining employment, pay the most, and more. Sharpen your job search or career planning by learning where industry growth and decline are occurring.
Research in person: There are rare opportunities where you can try a career before you buy. The UA Job Shadow Program gives you a one-day opportunity to explore a job role, industry or organization by shadowing a professional in the field. Understanding the day-to-day and experiencing employer culture first-hand is an invaluable way to get information to make more informed decisions.
Explore Job Roles and Industries
Career Exploration
Each cluster provides opportunities to explore job roles and industries, common job titles and in-demand, specialized skills. You can start your exploration into UA clubs and organizations, then venture further out and discover professional organizations and job boards.
Exploration. Preparation.
Career Exploration and Preparation
LifeLab is designed to support any student — from first-year undergraduates to graduate students — to identify values, skills, receive feedback and suggestions to improve your resume, or begin the search process for internships, grad school, or full-time jobs.
5 Steps to Build Your Network
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This informational interview email course gives you easy, actionable steps to prepare for and complete an information interview to make a meaningful connection with someone who has experience in a field you're interested in.