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An important part of any career development plan includes career exploration. Career exploration involves gathering information about potential careers (research), conducting informational interviews and job shadowing if feasible. Use the information and resources on this page to get the most out of your career exploration experience. When you have finished exploring, map out your career plan before making a move.
Research
Occupation Information on the Internet
A plethora of career information is available on the internet. In addition to the following websites, you can visit the websites of professional associations that represent your career of interest.
General Occupational Information
Understanding the labor market in the career field in which you are interested can help you make informed decisions. These sites can give you the inside scoop.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook – find career information on duties, education and training, pay and outlook for hundreds of occupations.
- O*Net – provides detailed descriptions of the world of work.
- What Can I Do with a Major in ...? – provides a list of careers, workplaces and strategies based on your major.
- MyPlan – comprehensive tools and resources to assist you in making career decisions.
- Jobstr – ask people anything about their jobs online.
- CareerBliss – provides over 4 million salaries and 700,000 company reviews.
- Career Videos – Career videos organized into 16 clusters on related types of work.
- Hot Jobs for the Future – Displays jobs that will grow rapidly in the next few years or will have large numbers of openings.
- America's Career InfoNet – provides detailed information about various careers, training skills needed, jobs, wages and industry information.
- California Labor Market Information - providing information to help people understand California's economy and make informed labor market choices.
- U.S. Dept of Labor – provides labor market information nationwide.
Industry Specific Information
Business
General Information
- Careers in Business – find out employment projections in business careers as well, job summary, salaries, and entry-level requirements.
Accounting
- Accounting Career Guide – learn everything you need to know about accounting employment in less than 5 minutes.
- CPA Exam and License Requirements – find how you can become a licensed CPA in California.
Actuaries
- Be an Actuary – learn about the job outlook, salary, how to become an actuary and more.
Finance
- Banking Jobs – explore the major job types and employers in banking.
Psychology
- Psychology Career Zone – explore various fields within the field of psychology, education and licensing requirements, and professional associations.
- Careers in Psychology – learn about various careers within psychology.
- Psychology & Counseling Careers – a free educational resource helping students determine their best career path options.
Sciences
General Information
- Science Careers – provides exercises to help Ph.D.-bound students examine their skills, interests and values; 20 career paths that best fit their skills and interests; strategic goal-setting tools; and articles/resources to guide them through the process.
Environmental Sciences/Studies
- Environment Science – website providing environmental career and job information.
Social Work
- The New Social Worker – quarterly newsletter with articles for students on social work ethics, field placement, practice issues, practice specialties, technology in social work, book reviews and more.
Teaching
- California Teaching Fellows – provides next-generation teachers with after-school programs, summer learning opportunities and scholarship programs.
- Teach California – provides information on different teaching requirements along with personal career plan and checklist.
Informational Interviews
Gathering information about a specific occupation or industry by talking with people working in the field is called informational interviewing. It can be a very valuable tool in making informed decisions about your career path.
The Informational Interviewing Network is a group of FPU alumni and friends who have agreed to be available to FPU students to talk with them about their careers. To access this network or find out more information, please call or visit the CDELC. LinkedIn also has a new career advice tool you can use as well.
The LiveCareer Ultimate Guide to an Informational Interview provides information on how to conduct an informational interview and questions to ask.
Job Shadowing
What is Job Shadowing?
Students "shadow" a workplace professional as they walk through a typical day on the job. The student observes the employee's work duties, interactions with customers and/or coworkers and other aspects of the job to gather career-related information and see firsthand how their skills and classwork relate to the workplace.
What Are the Benefits of Job Shadowing?
- Presents facts about an occupation that can assist in making a career decision.
- Provides students with a more realistic view of what is required for the actual job from someone who works in the field.
- Exposes students to the actual occupational environment and workplace climate.
- Establishes valuable network contacts that could lead to future job opportunities.
- Assists students in developing communication skills as they talk with professionals.
Job Shadowing Resources
- Job Shadowing Tips – get the most out of your job shadowing experience.
- Sample Job Shadowing Questions – examples of the types of questions you can and should ask when job shadowing.
- Job Shadow – website that allows you to shadow real people’s jobs online.
- Sample Job Shadowing Evaluation Form – reflect on your experience and help you determine your career choice.
- Sample Job Shadowing Thank You Letter – thank you letter example that should be sent after your job shadowing experience.
Career Planning
- Sample Career Plan – try mapping out your career plan with this example of a career plan.