University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Career Development Center

CONFIRMING CAREER AND MAJOR DECISIONS

Now that you have done initial research and tentatively identified a career or major direction, we recommend that you do more in-depth career research to confirm your decision. It is said that hindsight is 20/20 which refers to the common feeling people have when they wish they had done more research before making significant life investments.


WHY DO DEEPER CAREER RESEARCH
  • Avoid long-term career disappointments such as learning the direction chosen is less than satisfying, requires a high level of unexpected career sacrifices, or is extremely competitive and difficult to find opportunities within.
  • Gain a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of career specifics including areas of specialty, works settings, and career paths.
  • Learn from appropriate sources how to become more marketable in your chosen arena such as skills to learn/improve, specific courses to take, hands-on experiences to participate in (internships, part-time, and volunteer opportunities), and networking opportuniti es for enrichment.

HOW TO DO DEEPER CAREER RESEARCH

At this point you may have determined a tentative career direction based on basic research such as reading one book/website, talking to one or two people in the field, and/or joining a professional student organization. To confirm your decision you need to implement further research. This can include but is not limited to... Example: Your initial research included reading about the accounting profession online and the descriptions of required courses and then tentatively deciding it was a good fit. Now you need to confirm your direction by establishing a plan to learn more through getting basic office experience, using software typical to the field, and job shadowing and informational interviewing several people in the profession.

Working with a career counselor is suggested for those of you who need assistance organizing and staying motivated in this process or who continue to have difficulty confirming tentative decisions even after completing many of these activities. Those of you who have confirmed your decision throu gh continuing to implement these activities understand their value in this process and are on your way to confirming your target.

Now develop a plan of action with both short-term and long-term goals. Establish realistic timelines, maintain contact with appropriate people, and persevere through the ups and downs to achieve your career goals.
1 Match Careers to Self
2 Research Careers
3 Confirm Decisions
4 Ongoing Planning

© Career Development Center, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Questions or Comments?  Email: cdc@uwm.edu
Last Updated: November 30, 2001