Career Exploration Tools

cdc

There can be a lot of pressure from your family, friends, and yourself when it comes to choosing a career. It can feel like one of the biggest decisions you’ve ever made, and it’s important to fully assess the different opportunities ahead of you.

Set up a time to conduct a Career Assessment at the CCD, and use the resources on this page to begin exploring what’s right for you. Review the Career Action Plan to get some ideas for making progress toward your career goals during each year of undergraduate study.

Career Assessment

The CCD can help you explore your personality, interests, skills, and values, and give you insight on how they intersect with specific career paths. Taking an inventory of who you are before making a career decision will help you find a satisfying career path.

Career Assessment

If you are not interested in biology, but plan to pursue medicine, you might find yourself struggling to achieve your goals. It’s important to play to your natural strengths and interests when setting your career goals. Ultimately, you decide what career path you would like to pursue, and an open-minded and curious approach can help you achieve your goals.

Next steps:

  • Meet with a career coach to discuss your interests, skills, and values, and how they relate to your major or career choice.
  • Take a career-related assessment and start to identify career options.
  • Get involved in on-campus clubs and organizations.
  • Participate in community service activities.

 

Here are some books that you might find useful as you are exploring career paths and making career decisions. Most of them can be found at the NYU Shanghai Library.
  • What Color is Your Parachute? By Richard Bolles
  • Do What You Are by Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron-Tieger
  • Getting from College to Career by Lindsay Pollack
  • Strengths Finder by Tom Rath
  • You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a "Useless" Liberal Arts Education by George Anders.

 

Useful Websites
www.myplan.complanning resources, assessments and guides
www.mynextmove.orgExplore careers and interests
www.bls.gov/oohDatabase for US government job listings
What can I do with a major?Explore career opportunities for your major
www.lynda.comLearn a new skill and get more professional training
Self Assessment Tools
True Colors10 minute test to explore careers and interests
Big Five Personality Test3-8 minute self-test that measures personality traits using the IPIP Big-Five Factor Markers
Career Cluster Interest Survey10-15 minute test with suggestions of career clusters or categories that might fit you well.
123 Test10-15 minute aptitude tests to help you gain insight into careers that could fit your personality
Where did they go? Find out where NYU Shanghai alumni went on to do after graduation, and get inspired about your own journey. The NYU alumni network is an essential post-graduation career resource, and the NYU Shanghai alumni network is growing as well. Connecting with an alum can give you insight into careers, and give you on-the-ground information about navigating the job market as an undergraduate. They've been in your shoes, and have some great advice for you.
 

How to connect with an alumni

  • Participate in the Executive Alumni Mentor Program or attend a Dinner with Six
  • Attend a CCD event, such as the I am Limitless Conference
  • Attend a career fair, where you might run into NYU Shanghai alum returning to recruit for their current employers
  • Send a message on LinkedIn to an alum, or ask a classmate to introduce you
  • Ask faculty members to connect you with recent graduates
Check out the Summer Internship Roundup to see some of the cool places where our students and alum have interned or volunteered.