Career Development Center
Explore Majors & Careers
Choosing a major is a complex and personal process. We provide the tools necessary to assist you in declaring a major and discovering career options.
Career Assessments
| Assessment | What does it measure? | How to take it |
|---|---|---|
| Focus 2 | Interests, Values, Personality, Workplace Preferences, Leisure | Log in or create your account here. ***Use access code bulldogs, additional instructions can be found on this Career Assessment Handout |
| SparkPath Challenge Cards | Designed to help you find a career path based on exciting, real-world challenges that go beyond job titles. |
Log in or create your account here. |
| Keirsey Temperament Sorter | Personality | Currently not available. |
| Strong Interest Inventory | Interests | See a Career Counselor for more information |
| California Career Zone | Interests, Skills, Work Importance | Register here |
| O*Net Career Exploration Tools | Abilities, Interests, Work Importance | Access here |
Career Planning and Exploration
Career planning is a lifelong process and will happen several times as you gain experiences and redefine your needs, personal wants and/or career goals. The Career Planning Process includes 4 steps, D.I.G.S. - Discover, Investigate, enGage, and Succeed.
Self-assessment is the first step in gathering information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. Self-assessments may measure your interests, values, roles, skills/aptitudes, preferred environments, developmental needs, and realities.
Gather information about employment outlook, salary, related occupations, education and training, and job duties.
- Explore the occupations in which you are interested
- Research the industries in which you would like to work
- Understand employment trends, salaries, requisite skills, etc.
Once you’ve researched a number of careers, narrow your options by:
- Job shadowing or seeking professional mentors
- Part-time employment, internships, or volunteer opportunities (e.g. community service)
- Conducting informational interviews with professionals/practitioners
Develop the steps you need to take in order to reach your goal, for example:
- Investigate sources of additional training, education, and/or gaps to determine if anything is needed to qualify you for the career
- Develop a marketable resume and cover letter
- Network with professionals in your career field, job search, and interview
- Take action and persevere toward your career goal
Learn up-to-date career information and local, state, and national trends for each Fresno State Major including job descriptions, earnings, and employment outlook. Click on the college/school below that houses your major of interest.
Reduce your confusion, make choices, and create changes in your life suitable for the academic and work environment by seeking assistance in the following areas:
- Professional resumes and cover letters
- Career exploration and career assessment inventories
- Choosing a major or future career
- Graduate school preparation
- Job search
- Interviewing skills (including mock interviews)
- Managing job offers and salary negotiation
- And much more...
A career conversation is an arranged meeting, video or phone call with someone who works in a position, industry, or company you are interested in. It can help you gather specific information about a career, industry, or company. Remember that you are not asking for a job.
Use these tools to brainstorm about your connection (network), Career Conversation Questions, and how to present yourself:
- Informational Interviewing/Career Conversation Questions and Sample Email
- Networking Brainstorm Worksheet
- 30-Second Commercial/Elevator Pitch Worksheet
LinkedIn is a perfect tool to help you network with Fresno State alumni and professionals in your careers of interest and engage in career conversations. Check out our Getting Started & Networking on Linkedin webpage!
Additional Resources for Career Research
| Resources | Information |
|---|---|
| California Career Zone | Contains extensive career information, but tailors it toward California and allows you to search careers by industry. |
| Candid Career | An easy to use website with a library of thousands of 1-2 minute video clips of informational interviews and get hired tips. Search videos by Industry, Career Title, or Major. |
| CareerOneStop Portal | Maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, this site contains an extensive amount of career, salary, education, and job search information. |
| Explore Health Careers | A free, multi-disciplinary, interactive health careers website that gives students (and educators) information about health professions. |
| Learn How to Become | Provides detailed insight into 45 career fields with custom "how-to" guides. |
| Occupational Outlook Handbook | Maintained by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics in the U.S. Department of Labor. It has an extensive listing of careers and information on daily tasks, required education, salary, and job outlook. |
| O*NET | Maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor, is a primary source for occupational information. Use it to find detailed, updated information about hundreds of occupations. |
| What Can I Do With This Major or Degree? | Don't know what you can do with a major in ____? This page will help you find out. |
| Salary Information | Find salary information specific to your zip code through this site. |
Access additional short videos by visiting Candid Career's Career Exploration Channel.