Choosing a Career or Major | Career Development Center | SIU

You are making important decisions about your life and career and we can help. We offer career advisement, a valuable resource to help you clarify your career and life goals and develop the right educational plans to help you reach those goals. Ultimately, the decisions are yours to make. But, the Career Development Center provides vital support and information to make those decisions easier.

If you have selected your major, we recommend you contact the academic department that includes your major for advisement assistance.

If you are undecided about your major or program of study, contact a Career Development Center staff member. Discussion topics in our career advisement sessions typically include:

• Exploring interests and personality through career assessments
• Available careers opportunities
• Researching career options for your major
• Matching your academic background with your career plans
• Job opportunities related to a major or career field

• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• O*Net Online
• Illinois Career Information System
• Petersons
• Vault.com
• 16personalities.com

The Career Development Center has several tools and assessments to help you find the educational and career focus that is right for you.  They include:

• The Strong Interest Inventory (SII), an assessment that examines your interests and how they relate to various careers ($20 assessment fee)
• The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), an assessment that determines which careers best match your personality type ($20 assessment fee)

The career advising process typically requires 2-4 in-person appointments.  That includes:

• Preliminary appointment to make sure an assessment tool is appropriate for you
• Administration of the assessment in our computer lab
• Interpretation and career advising session with a staff member
• Follow-up visits, if needed