Still Deciding

Career Interest Cluster

CareerProcess_email2016

Overview

Exploring majors and careers is an important part of the career development process that includes assessing yourself and gaining experiences to help build confidence in decision-making.

Career Planning Resources

Career Courses for Academic Credit

Gustavus requires 1.0 Wellbeing credit for graduation. "Career" is one dimension of wellbeing. Gustavus Center for Career Development offers career courses for academic credit: 

Career Readiness: A .50 wellbeing credit class offered the second half of fall and spring semesters for a letter grade focuses on searching and gaining career related experiences (i.e. resumes, interviewing, etc.). NDL-102 CAREER READINESS helps students to: articulate their career interests, effectively present their qualifications and implement career plans by creating career documents (resumes, letters, profiles), researching (informational interviewing and networking) to seek career opportunities (internships, jobs). This course is open to all class levels. There are 20 seats in this half semester course with an additional 5 seats available by permission from the instructor.

Design Your Future: A 1.0 wellbeing credit class offered in January for a letter grade focues on increased self-awareness and exploring career possibiliteis. 

Design Your Future: A 1.0 wellbeing credit class offered in January for a letter grade focuses on self awareness and exploring career possibilities. The class meets daily Monday-Friday during January Term and includes trips to employer sites. NDL-105 DESIGN YOUR FUTURE: A PERSONAL CAREER EXPLORATION gives students opportunity to increase their self-awareness and identify and articulate their career interests though assessments, reflection, and creation of career tools (resumes, letters, profiles). Students can expect to increase their confidence and clarity on their career direction, ability to navigate career decisions and transitions, ability to make professional connections and conduct a successful search for career opportunities. The course includes group activities, guest speakers and site visits to employers. 

Career Planning Process

Explore Career Interest Clusters

Career Roadmap (4-year guide)

Take an Assessment

Career Development Video Playlists

On Demand Career Class Spend less than an hour a semester to watch short videos on career development information for your college smester. Playlist emailed the first month of each semester.

Gustauvs Vocation/Career Discernment Tools

Gustavus Internship and Career Search Resources


Major Decisions

Trying to Decide on a Major? The Major Decisions Chart is a resource for information on majors. This chart was created by Gusties for Gusties! If you have suggestions to make the chart more helpful, please email them to cfavre@gustavus.edu. The chart includes:

  • Student organizations and academic honors groups related to the department, with links to their websites.
  • Names and emails of upper class student advisors for each major. These students are willing to talk with you about what it is like to be in the major.
  • Major Videos: These are videos made by Gusties for Gusties about majors. Please be patient, more videos are being made. We hope to have videos for all majors soon! 
  • Majors Video Playlists: These are videos from Candid Career (not Gustavus alumni) of informational interviews of people with the major about the careers they are in.
  • Gustie Alumni Careers: This is a list of what Gustavus graduates in the major did after graduation including graduate programs and schools, job titles and employers.

Decision Made? Great! Take the step to officially tell the College your decision! 

What Are You Going to Do With That? Podcast exploring decisions to major in humanities and navigate to fulfilling careers. 

Get Career Related Experience

Career Expo! Each semester Gusties make poster presentations of their career related experiences to the campus. Presenters are in a drawing for cash prizes from $50 - $300. View Spring 2021 Career Expo! event: 3-4-21 Event Find directions to create a Career Expo! poster here. 

What if you cannot find a career related experience?  How to keep moving on getting career experience when you can't find the right job. 

CAREER REFLECTION JOURNALS
Many people find journal writing to be an effective way to gain career clarity. Follow the prompts for the these career reflection - do one, do all! Each set has a list of questions to write about followed by questions to reflect on what insights you may have gained.
Achievement - Create new goals.
Humanitarian - Make a difference in the world.
Self-Discovery - Explore your interests and passions.
Self-Improvement - Explore strategies to move forward.
Destination - Find your life's true purpose and calling.

What Gusties have gained from Career Reflection Journaling:

  • “I see myself in a much better light now and am very optimistic about the future.”
  • “I have discovered ways to make mental health a priority and I have discovered more about myself which makes me feel more confident.”
  • “So I think this journey was definitely beneficial, and I think it made me a better person.”
  • What Gusties gained from journaling:
  • “I see myself in a much better light now and am very optimistic about the future.”
  • “I have discovered ways to make mental health a priority and I have discovered more about myself which makes me feel more confident.”
  • “So I think this journey was definitely beneficial, and I think it made me a better person.”

Focus 2 logo

Focus2: A self-paced career tool designed to help you select the right major, clarify your career goals, and provide you with valuable occupation information. It includes self-assessment quizzes, online research links, career planning, and options to compare multiple careers.

  • Go to - http://bit.ly/Focus2Gustavus
  • Select the Blue Register button
  • Enter your information along with the access code: gusties
  • Returning users simply log in with user name and password

Strategies to Increase Self-Awareness

Strategies to Increase Career Knowledge

Strategies to Increase Confidence in Career Decision Making 

More Than 20 Ways to Find a Job There are things you can do while in college to set yourself up for career success - starting now!

Track Your Progress

Career Planning Tracking Sheet Store results of your assessments, keep lists of positions, employers, and contacts and more! This is a tool for your use!

Career Readiness Competencies Tracking Sheet The world expects all college graduates to provide specific stories and examples of the level of their career readiness competencies, this is tool to do that! The competencies expected are: critical thinking, communication, teamwork, leadership, technology, professionalism, career a & self development, equity & inclusion. 

Grad/Professional Search Spreadsheet This may be off in the future, but this tool helps you to keep track of your post Gustavus educational plans.

Explore Careers and Majors

Other Ways to Explore:

Contact
 

Cynthia Favre

Director Vocation and Career Readiness Programs and Still Deciding Cluster

To meet with a Cynthia or other Career Development Specialists log into Handshake or call 507-933-7575 or email career@gustavus.edu 

If you are interested in information about the Still Deciding cluster, choose this cluster in Handshake to receive notifications related to opportunities, events, and more.

Not sure how to select a Career Interest Cluster in Handshake? Click herehere for a short tutorial.

Updated 4/6/21 CF