Career exploration is a process of discovery and connection. It’s about cultivating a mindset of curiosity and reflection to identify and clarify your interests, skills, values, and purpose to guide career decision-making. Engage in both internal self-assessment and external research and experiences to shape your story. The WashU Career Exploration Community is a place to start and also a place to pivot… to learn through transition and set action steps to move forward.
Career Engagement Process
The following steps loosely reflect what all people go through when pursuing something new related to career development (internship, job, research, graduate education, advanced career decisions). These external steps are accompanied by internal processes of reflection, learning, and experimentation. The process is iterative and repeats throughout life. Click below to see what each step entails.
- Identify your interests, values, needs, skills, strengths, identity, and culture
- Evaluate the fit of past courses, jobs, volunteer work, and experiences
- Follow your curiosity
- Join Center for Career Engagement Career Communities
- Explore majors
- Explore industries and sectors
- Research occupations and job titles
- Conduct informational interviews
- Design and plan actions
- Evaluate and prioritize options
- Make decisions
- Develop relevant skills
- Set goals
- Prepare application materials
- Practice interviewing
- Follow industry and employer specific news, social media, and resources
- Identify listed opportunities and/or programs
- Network and connect with alumni and professionals
- Target organizations directly
- Apply
- Interview
- Evaluate and negotiate offers
- Gain experience through:
- internships
- campus jobs
- student groups
- study abroad
- project work
- research positions
- first post-graduation job
- advanced career positions
- Develop personally and professionally
- Evaluate and synthesize
Career Exploration Community Resources
