Know Who You Are and
Connect To What You Want To Do

Overview

In this section, you will explore how personal interests connect to different careers and education paths. Deciding if college is right for you depends on who you are, what you value, and what you want for your future.

By the end of this section, you will identify careers aligned with your interests, as well as outline the typical education or training required for these careers. Whether you are planning to attend a four-year university, community college, trade school, or enter the workforce directly, this section will help you make a more informed and confident decision.

Learn

In this activity, you will discover the types of work that most interest you, helping you identify careers, college majors, and training paths that align with your unique interests and goals. The U.S. Department of Labor's O*Net Interest Profiler Assessment can help you find out what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work, and can help you decide what kinds of careers you might want to explore.

You will follow the steps below to complete the U.S. Department of Labor's O*Net Interest Profiler Assessment: 

1. Click O*Net Interest Profiler Assessment or go directly into the O*Net Interest Profiler Assessment (Figure A) embedded below.

2. Choose either “Start” or “Next” to begin answering the 60 quick questions about work activities. This survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

3. When you finish, you'll see a list of career interest areas (like Realistic, Social, Artistic, etc.) ranked by how well they match your preferences.

4. Review the career suggestions and click on a few that interest you to learn more about the job, required education, and typical work tasks.

Apply

(Optional) Use the information you learned to complete the activity outlined below.

After completing the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET Interest Profiler Assessment above, reflect on the following questions:

• Which interest areas (e.g., Realistic, Social, Investigative, Artistic, Enterprising, Conventional) were your highest, and do the results surprise you? Why or why not? 

-Be sure to consider whether these results match how you see yourself or how you’ve experienced school, hobbies, or work so far.

• Choose one career that appeared in your O*NET Interest Profiler Assessment results and explain why that potential career path interests you.

Click the link to access Module 1 Section 03 - Put it All Together: Finding A Fit For Your Future.