Explore Career Paths

If you are unsure about which jobs relate to your major, the resources below can help you obtain information about the career possibilities.

• What Can I Do with This Major? - This website is a great starting point for viewing related fields, job titles, workplaces, and professional organizations related to an academic major. Academic majors are listed with general major names and not all are listed. Find the major that best matches your interest.
• Career Video Interviews - These video interviews from working professionals explain how their job relates to their major. Search by a major to see what's possible. Academic majors are listed with general major names and not all are listed. Find the major that best matches your interest. You can also search by an industry that interests you. An industry describes the activity of the company and includes people with different occupations who work for the same type of business. 
• Job Openings by Major: Cal State LA Handshake - When you sign up for this college student job site, you can search for current job openings by major. You can also search for job openings by industry, which is the type of business activity a company or organization performs.
• Job Search Database - This website lists hundreds of specialized job boards. Search by your career interests to see what's possible.
• Education Level and Projected Job Openings - The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) can show you which jobs require a degree and are expected to have the most openings for new entrants.

You can also explore jobs by the type of work or setting that interests you.

• Options by Job Family - A job family is a group of jobs based on work performed, skills, education, training, and credentials. Select the type of work that interests you to find related job titles.
• Options by Industry - An industry is a broad group of businesses or organizations with similar activities, products or services. Select the type of activity, product, or service that interests you to find related job titles.
• Federal Occupations by Major - Search this list of academic majors and the matching federal job titles.
• California State Occupations by Industry - Search this list of jobs in the State of California by industry/job family of interest. An industry/job family is a group of jobs based on the work performed, skills, and education required.
• Guides to Job Options - These job guides include information about top-ranking careers and industries.

You can explore employers by a wide variety of interests. Use these resources to help your research.

Companies

• Employers by Major - Search this list of employers in California who have hired college graduates with the major. Academic majors are listed with general major names, and not all are listed. Find the major that best matches your interest.
• Business Finder by Industry - Search this list of industries by location to find employers near you who perform a business activity of interest.
• Corporate Scorecard - Search this index to find companies that match your career values. For more support, read these Ten Ways to Research Company Culture.
• Guides to Job Options - Research these guides to learn about key careers and industries by job activities of interest.

Freelance or Independent Contract Work

• Freelance Career Fields - This article describes the top career fields for freelance jobs. Freelancers do specific work for companies without being an employee of the company. Learn more about figuring out your freelance focus and the seven fast-growing industries for freelancers.

Entrepreneurship

• Entrepreneurship - Review this website to learn the basics of setting up a business. Entrepreneurs are business owners rather than employees. Entrepreneurs can provide a product or service in practically any career field imaginable. Learn more with this introductory short course on entrepreneurship.
• Depending upon the type of business you operate, there may be federal, state, or local requirements for professional licenses. To help you determine the type of education and licenses needed for your business goals, visit the State of California professional licensure guide.

If you would like to know the starting salary for a job or major, use these resources.

• CSU Explore Graduate Earnings Data - The California State University system provides data on the salary earnings of students who graduated. Select Los Angeles to view the salary outcomes by major of graduates from Cal State LA.
• Key Indicators Post-Grad Outcomes - The WASC Senior College and University Commission provides data on post-grad outcomes. Type California State University-Los Angeles, click it, and then GO. Then, click Post-Grad Outcomes, to view the earning outcomes.
• Job Future Caster - Choose an occupation category/job family that interests. Then, select a specific occupation/job title of interest. You can also look by state and regional metro area.
• The College Payoff - Explore lifetime earnings based on workers with varying degree levels (e.g., bachelors, masters). Filter the data by your area of interest including undergraduate major, occupational field, industry, state, etc.

If you are still unsure about which major you should study, you can assess your work interests, values, skills, and personality to identify job options and determine which majors lead to that job.

Challenge Cards - One of the best ways to prepare for your future is to choose challenges that you want to work on. Through the Challenge Cards, you will select three challenges that you want to explore and discover. Together, they represent your unique challenge profile. You'll learn how to use your challenge profile to create a unique path to an inspiring career. Use Access Code: EAGLESLA)

Focus2Career - Use this self-guided career assessment software to assess your work interests, values, skills, personality, and leisure interests. Then, combine the results to find job options that match all or some of your qualities. Choose which job options interest you to see which majors lead to that job. You can also search for job options by job family. A job family is a group of jobs based on the work performed, skills, and education required. (Use Access Code: EAGLESLA)

These videos can help you interpret each section of Focus2Career.

• Career Planning Foundations Section (video)
• Self-Assessment Section (video)
• Explore the Possibilities Section (video)
• Action Plan Portfolio Section (video)

To learn more about a job and major, it’s helpful to speak with someone who is working in the profession. Professionals are eager to give back and help students explore careers in a career conversation.

What is a career conversation?

It is a meeting between you and a professional where you ask questions to learn more about a job of interest. To better understand what a career conversation is, you can watch videos with professionals who talk about how they got into their career and what they do in their job. Watch Career Conversation Videos by Major.

What should I ask?

Review Career Conversation Questions (handout) to brainstorm questions to ask the professionals.

Where can I find professionals in my field of interest?

• Cal State LA Handshake - When you sign up for this free college student job-seeking software, you can view employer profiles and message them to connect. You can also attend employer events to build relationships with working professionals in a job title or company of interest.
• Cal State LA Alumni Mentoring Program - The Alumni Association provides a career mentoring program where you can connect with alumni who would like to give back by helping you with career exploration, development and goal setting.
• LinkedIn - LinkedIn is an online social networking site for working professionals and college students. You can view the profiles of working professionals and message them to connect. Use the resources below to get started.

• LinkedIn Profile Checklist of College Students (handout)
• Career Center Photo Booth - Stop by the Career Center to get your professional photo taken; no appointment is needed.
• Networking on LinkedIn (presentation)
• Cal State LA Career Center LinkedIn Group — Join our group on LinkedIn so you can meet peers, alumni, and employers who are eager to give back.

A professional brand is how employers see you in your major and career. It reflects who you are as a professional. You demonstrate your professional identity in your classroom assignments and campus activities. These experiences are included in your college résumé, job applications, and job interviews. Use these resources to start exploring and building your professional brand.

Who am I as a professional?

Get started with how to Cultivate Your Professional Identity in College (presentation) to determine how your lived experiences and community cultural wealth align with your career readiness skills. 

What is my professional brand?

Use our Professional Brand Template (handout) to start creating your professional brand in your major. Then, use our Review Rubric (handout) to see how you can continue to advance your brand.

How can I build my professional brand?

• Review our Professional Development Plan Timelines (presentation) to learn what you can do each academic year to gain experience in your major and build a brand that will help you obtain a good job upon graduation.
• Use our Exploring My Major at Cal State LA (handout) or our Choose Your Own Career Adventure in College (handout) to brainstorm how you can explore your career interests and network while in college.
• Use our Professional Development Plan Template (handout) to plan what you will do each semester to explore your major and career.

Once you have explored career pathways and the level of education needed to achieve your career goals, you are ready to make a decision to continue your education. The resources below provide general guidance for pursuing graduate and professional school pathways.

• Resources for Applying to Graduate School - Cal State LA provides guides and resources in the above website link. Students applying to graduate school should schedule appointments with faculty mentors or faculty advisors with any discipline-specific questions. Faculty advisors and mentors can help with revising statements for graduate school. Peer tutors in the Center for Academic Success are also available for academic and general writing assistance. You and your writing tutor can brainstorm, organize, and review a personal statement or statement of purpose. The Graduate Resource Center occasionally provides workshops such as choosing the right graduate program and writing a statement of purpose or personal statement.
• Humanities and Social Sciences Exploration: ImaginePhD - ImaginePhD Is a free career exploration and planning tool for the humanities and social sciences.
• Natural and Applied Sciences Exploration: MyIDP - MyIDP (or Individual Development Plan) is a free tool for science PhDs and graduate students to explore career possibilities and find the career path that fits you best.