If you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, you’ll get an earful of soaring aspirations and enthusiasm - a rock star, an astronaut, president of the United States! If you ask college students the same question, it’s likely to cause a knot in their stomach. While some lucky undergrads discover their calling early on, many others struggle with this potentially life-altering decision.
Undecided students are not alone – research from the National Center of Education Statistics shows that one-third of incoming freshmen have not chosen a major, and 75% of students change their major at least once during their college years. Students who remain undecided, or who waste time and money studying a major that does not suit them, are at higher risk of dropping out.
At GateWay, students are encouraged – and in some cases required – to take a series of assessments to help them navigate the career exploration process. Kerry Sanderson, director of Career Services at GateWay, stresses the importance of students participating in the assessment process.
“Most people have had the horrible experience of working at a job they don’t like,” she says. “All the research shows that students who find careers that match their personalities are much more likely to graduate and become happier employees. That’s exactly what we want for our students – the chance to find what they’re passionate about and then find a way to do it. Career assessments can be the first step in that process of self-discovery.”
All Maricopa Community College District students have access to the Maricopa Career Planning System (MCPS) through college career centers. Students are guided through three short assessments within the MCPS – Career Interests, Skills Confidence, and Workplace Values. Upon completion, the system generates major and career options that are a unique match to the user. Students can then use the system to further research areas of interest including job outlook, income, and required skills and training.
The assessments have proven so helpful that they have been incorporated into the curriculum of CPD 150: Strategies for College Success, a required course for all incoming freshmen.
Each semester, Counseling Faculty Sharon Zygowicz brings her CPD 150 classes to the Career Center to take the MCPS. Frequently, students discover majors and careers that they didn’t know existed, or dispel myths about a particular field of study.
“The understanding some students have of a certain career can come from unreliable sources like the media or hearsay,” says Zygowicz. “Students need credible sources and reliable information so they can make the best decisions possible regarding how they want to invest their time, energy, and money.”
Last semester, one of Zygowicz’s students found herself questioning her major after taking the MCPS. Monique Artis came to GateWay to study computer science, but found that none of her personality characteristics or interests matched that career.
“I took the assessment and nothing came up about computer science,” recalls Artis. “At first, I was in denial. This thing doesn’t know me at all! But then one suggested career – broadcast journalism – showed up and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
Artis started to research journalism, and became more and more interested in the industry.
“I realized math isn’t fun or enjoyable for me – I’d rather be writing,” she says. “Now, I plan to get my Associate’s Degree from the community colleges and transfer to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU. I am really, really excited about it.”
Artis even hopes to start a student newspaper at GateWay.
Today’s college students are not just seeking jobs, says Sanderson. They are seeking ways to become engaged with their communities and use their passion to affect change.
“Career assessments aren’t necessarily going to provide immediate answers, but they can spark interest into new possibilities,” Sanderson says. “Even if you already know what you want to study, assessment results can provide deeper insight into your ‘why’ – the driving force behind what you want to do.”
MCPS is a great place for undergrads to start, but Zygowicz and Sanderson advise students to continue their research well after the assessments are over.
“The career assessments help students to clarify and define their interests, skills, and values,” says Zygowicz. “I also strongly encourage students to seek out actual experiences in their field of interest to get a more realistic feel for whether or not that field will be a good fit for them.”
MCPS is available to students and potential students at the GateWay Career Center, IE1234. Assessments can be taken at any time, but an appointment is recommended if you would like to discuss your results with a career advisor. Call 602.286.8500 or visit www.gatewaycc.edu/career-center for more information.
Story submitted by Jessica Brosilo, Coordinator of Career Services and Service Learning at GateWay. For more information, please reach her at brosilo@gatewaycc.edu.