Many students struggle with choosing their major and a career they want to pursue. Interests and Values Assessments are helpful tools for those still in doubt, as these short tests identify a person’s primary interests and values they seek in the workplace. Career Search Assessments suggest suitable jobs for candidates based on their interests and values, so students starting their education or doubting their choice should take the tests. Meanwhile, Career Development Center also presents valuable job searching tools for those who have already chosen their career. Websites such as Buzzfile can help students find employers in their region and contact them. Besides, Career Development Center has videos suggesting how to build a better resume, prepare for the interview, or be an excellent leader. Career Search Assessments and Job Search tools are essential for students as they assist in choosing the right career and finding a good employer.
The Interests Assessment identified my primary interests as Enterprising and Artistic, and people with Enterprising interests are good at leadership and decision-making and often choose business-related professions. I have previous experience in the relevant fields as I was a part of student government in high school and worked as an accountant. My career choice is closely related to the Enterprising dimension as I am pursuing a Business Management degree, and I have always dreamed of working in a big company or running my own Business. My second primary interest is the Artistic field, and most of my hobbies align with this dimension since I did theater in high school and have been using Photoshop to learn digital drawing.
As for the Values Assessment, Recognition, the ability to constantly improve in the workplace and lead others, and Achievement, effectively using abilities and feeling accomplished, were my primary values. To feel satisfied with their jobs, people with these values must effectively apply their skills, learn new things useful for their position, and be role models to guide other employees. I have knowledge about Business from the university and experience from working in Accounting, so I hope to use these skills in the workplace as I value Achievement. I also want to get an executive position where I can have the opportunity to work with people, guide them and try to improve the company’s performance, as it would satisfy my need for Recognition.
The Value Assessment test proposed Business Executive as one of my career matches, and it is the position I always dreamed about as it corresponds to my Enterprising interest and my Recognition value. Business Executives are responsible for running a company, successfully setting values and goals, adopting development strategies, assessing the organization’s performance, and ensuring their employees are working in good conditions and customers are satisfied with services. Business Executive is a difficult job that requires a lot of responsibility, determination, decision-making skills, and patience, but I am ready to face the difficulties of this job because I have always dreamed of it. It is hard to succeed as a Business Executive as many companies fail at the start and people tend to give up, but I could see myself risking to work in this position.
Though I know my major will be Business Management, I have not chosen the focus yet. I was considering Human Resources Management, so the career of Human Resources Coordinator from the Interests assessment seems appealing. As a Human Resources Coordinator, I would coordinate and manage employees, address problems they may face, help recruit and hire new people, and ensure effective communication between workers and managers. I consider this job because the duties sound exciting, and I believe I could use the skills and knowledge I have in this position and have room for further improvement.
I have ideas about my future career, but I would consult with Career Development to find what skills and experience I need for some positions and explore career opportunities available today. I would want Career Development to help me determine which business-related job is the most suitable for me, which skills I lack, and what I need to know to be an excellent professional. I would also like to explore some career opportunities, find which companies are the best to work for, and possibly discover some internship options at those companies. I am unsure about which job I want and how I can get ready for that job, so I would schedule an appointment with Career Development to discuss these issues.
The most important idea I learned from How to Make a Resume is that the resume should be as simple and boring as possible for the recruiters to easily read and understand it (EGCC Career Services, 2021b). To make the resume readable and fill it with helpful information, candidates should avoid odd fonts and visual aids and describe their previous education, related work experience, and volunteer work, if any (EGCC Career Services, 2021b). It is essential to follow this structure because it provides a large amount of information and ensures simplicity, allowing recruiters to spend minimal time reviewing the resume and demonstrating candidates’ ability to follow general rules. When working on my resume, I will remember that an excellent resume should be simple, structured, and include the most recent, relatable to the desired position information.
From the Ways to Find a Job Anywhere video, I learned that many online tools could provide information about positions suitable for different majors and help students searching for jobs and internships. Such websites as Buzzfile and Columbus Chamber of Commerce organize positions and employers by industries, mention their locations, company types and sizes, revenues, and other information that significantly simplifies the process of finding a job (EGCC Career Services, 2021a). These and other similar websites are convenient for students and recent graduates because they lack experience and do not know much about companies operating in their fields and which companies would suit them. I will remember these tools as they present a good summary of organizations across the United States and provide their contact information, so the students can easily reach out to potential employers.
The video What Major Should I Choose provides broader information about the Interests Assessments test, its application, and tools that students can use for searching for jobs based on the test results. I learned how essential it is to know one’s primary interest area as work preferences and desired positions differ with each of the six modalities and their combinations (EGCC Career Services, 2022). The website Onet presented in the video allows students to find possible occupations by entering up to three interests, as it combines jobs suitable for different interest areas and chooses the most appropriate options. The video was helpful because it presents opportunities to explore careers, and I will use this information and the website to determine what position is the best choice according to my two primary interests.
Job Histories and Leadership Lessons was the next video I watched, and I discovered what it means to be a leader, and that leadership is often about inspiring other people and helping them improve. In the video, people who succeeded in different fields and knew about leadership mentioned that “being a leader does not mean that you are the loudest person in the room” (EGCC Career Services, 2021c). Instead, true leaders work hard, motivate others to do their best, guide them and suggest how they can improve. I am planning to pursue a career in Business, so this idea could be helpful if I apply to an executive position or a job requiring leading and supervising other employees.
I would schedule an appointment with Career Development to discuss how to become a good candidate and increase my chances of being employed by a successful company. After watching videos about job search and exploring job opportunities, I want Career Development’s assistance with building a strong resume, writing a cover letter and preparing for an interview. I would ask professionals to read my resume and cover letter to suggest what could be improved and possibly conduct a practice interview to assess my answers and give some tips. I am excited about scheduling a meeting with Career Development because I want to start searching for internships as early as possible and be a strong candidate for the career I will pursue.
References
EGCC Career Services. (2021a). EGCC Career Development: 3 Ways to Find a Job Anywhere! [Video]. YouTube. Web.
EGCC Career Services. (2021b). How to Make a Resume in 5 Minutes – EGCC Career Development [Video]. YouTube. Web.
EGCC Career Services. (2021c). Job Histories and Leadership Lessons from Proven Leaders [Video]. YouTube. Web.
EGCC Career Services. (2022). What Major Should I Choose? My Next Move and the Holland Code Demonstration [Video]. YouTube. Web.