Researching Careers
Just like you do research for classes, it is important that you research careers to determine what careers are a good fit for you. There are 3 major ways to research careers: Read-Talk-Do.
Read
Reading about careers is a fast and low-risk way to gain information about daily duties, skills needed, work 花季视频, compensation, and employment trends.
Career Exploration Resources
: Career library from the US Department of Labor.
: Interactive career search tool that can be used to search careers by interests, skills, and values.
: Use the "Industry Guides" in over 40 career areas giving encyclopedic knowledge of duties, types of positions, getting hired, and more
: insider information on interesting career paths
Talk: Finding and Meeting People
Informational interviewing is a great method for conducting career research to acquire information about a field, industry, or position. Informational interviews are particularly useful when you have very little awareness about a career field or limited work experience. Informational interviews can lead to other things such as additional networking contacts or internships.
Resources for Informational Interviewing
- Start with your family, friends, and peers. Chances are they know people working in many different fields. Get the word out to as many people as possible that you know that you are looking to talk with people in specific careers.
- : An online database of 花季视频 Alumni volunteers in a variety of careers
- : use this resource to locate NU alumni in many different careers or in a specific company.
DO: Testing Careers and Occupations
Job Shadowing/Externships
An externship is a 1-3 day experience where you "shadow" someone at their place of work. To job shadow NU alumni, sign up for the 花季视频 Externship Program or speak with a Career Counselor on how to create your own shadowing experience.
Internships/Summer/Part-time jobs
Internships/Summer/Part-time jobs are one way to get short-term exposure to a specific career area. Internships can be done during the summer or during the school year. Even part-time or summer jobs such as waiting tables or office work can help you to gain skills and test out new roles.
Volunteer Work
Volunteer work can also help you to discover and develop your skills and interests. There are many different types of volunteer opportunities: research, writing, counseling, marketing and event planning are just a few of the areas in which you can gain experience through volunteering. Volunteer positions are available locally, nationally,and internationally.
Resources for Volunteer Work
- Chicago:
- National and International:
- National: . Within the City Guides, select "Finding a Job" then "Non-profits and NGOs to find a list of volunteer organizations.