What are Career Development Groups? Counseling Services regularly offers four week groups that focus on career decision making. (Current Schedule) These groups use a psychologically-based approach that helps increase your understanding of yourself and your preferences in ways that will help you choose a college major and/or career direction. Standardized tests of occupational interest and personal style are used in conjunction with small group discussions and individual exercises to help you explore the issues and make the most informed decisions. By the end of the group you will design a personal career plan that outlines the steps you can take in the future to achieve your desired career path. In addition, you will learn about other resources on campus, such as Career Services, that can facilitate your next step in developing your career path.
Who goes to Career Development Groups? These groups are designed to help people address a wide range of career questions. The groups have successfully helped students in many phases of career decision-making, including:
- students who do not know what to choose for a major
- students who know they do not like their current major but feel uncertain what to choose next
- students who feel confident about their major but do not know how to make the transition from this major to a job or career after college
- students who think they might like to go on to graduate study but do not know what field to pursue
- students who are in graduate school but who are uncertain about whether it is a good fit
- students who are returning to school after an extended absence who want more information about how to plan a career path in today's market
- students who have a sense of what they want but would like greater clarity or confirmation before proceeding
- students who for some reason are unable to continue in their originally chosen field of study
Next scheduled group program: Beginning on Tuesday, October 10, 2006, from 3:00 to 4:30, and continuing weekly through October 31. Tests must be taken by September 31, and can be scheduled through an intake interview, by calling 996-3490.
How do I join a Group?
To join a group, please schedule an intake appointment at Counseling Services and request this service. At the intake you will meet with a counselor who will talk with you further about your needs. At this time, you will also be referred to take career tests that need to be completed before the group begins. There is a small fee for testing, currently $15.00, which covers the cost of test scoring that is done by an outside agency. In the group you will receive a personalized report of the findings of these tests as well as other written material. Groups consist of four one-and-a-half hour weekly sessions and members are asked to make a commitment to attend all four. Typical membership is four to six group members to allow ample time for discussion and individual attention. In the rare instance that a person's career questions cannot be addressed by a group, limited individual career counseling can be available.