Online Resources – Career and Major Decision Making

Career Planning Process Handout: Not sure where to start? This short handout will guide you through the process of choosing and preparing for a career.

PathwayU: PathwayU is Boise State’s free career assessment tool that gathers information about your interests, personality, values, and workplace preferences, and shows you how those align with different career paths. As you’re exploring potential paths, you can also get career information and information on Boise State majors to consider.

What Can I Do With This Major? If you have a major or know an academic subject you’re interested in but aren’t sure what type of career you might pursue with that degree, this resource is a great starting point. Brainstorm industries you could work in, types of work you could do, and types of employers you could work for.

My Next Move: Looking for an online career assessment? This free mini-assessment is sponsored by the US Department of Labor and is linked to the career information database O*NET. It asks questions about your interests and provides you with a Holland Code and potential career options, but be aware that this tool is only intended to help you start the process of thinking about yourself and exploring career options, and is not intended to tell you what you “should” do. See a career counselor for help interpreting your results.

Occupational Outlook Handbook, Career OneStop, and O*NET: The 3 major open-access career information databases available on the web allow you to use various criteria to identify career options, and begin researching just about any career to determine if it might meet your needs. All are either published or sponsored by the US Department of Labor, but they each have different features. One of the virtual workshops, Module 4: Identifying and Researching Career Options, will walk you through each.

Idaho Career Data – JobScape: This is an Idaho-specific career information database provided by the Idaho Department of Labor. If you are thinking of living and working in Idaho, this resource is a must. Access salary and job market data for various careers, including projected annual openings in each region of the state.

Career and Job Market Research webpage: Access the results of a variety of research conducted by Boise State and other organizations on in-demand careers and majors, what jobs Boise State graduates get, and employer expectations of college grads.

How to do an Informational Interview: Once you’ve done some initial online research, conducting “informational interviews” with professionals working in the career you are considering is one of the best ways to find out if this career is really right for you. Learn how to do it here.

Not sure what you need? Ask a Career Counselor!