Researching Career Options
Career Services provides resources for exploring the many career options in the world of work.
Resource Center
A small library in our office houses more than 650 print publications, with a list of publications available online.
Post-Graduate Survey
Get ideas for possible career options from the pursuits of previous Southwestern graduates. Look at information about job titles/employers and graduate programs for each year's graduates, gathered through the annual Post-Graduate Survey.
Major Possibilities
You probably know that there is not a direct connection between your particular course of study and a specific occupation, unless you major in accounting or education - the only two professional-preparation majors at Southwestern. For those fields, you actually take tests at the end of your studies to achieve certification that makes you eligible for a specific job.
For all other majors, you have the freedom to craft your own career path, and out-of-class activities like volunteerism, leadership, internships and research/creative works help you develop and "prove" the skills necessary to be marketable for employment upon graduation.
While there is not a one-to-one correlation between liberal arts major and job, having an interest in a certain group of courses may mean you would also have an interest in certain types of work. To that end, we have created a group of handouts called "Major Possibilities" to help you explore the many options. Be sure to look at multiple majors that look interesting, since there is a lot of overlap among the occupations described on each handout. Majors are organized by academic division. Hard copies may be picked up in person at Career Services.
Fine Arts
Art and Art History
Music
Theatre
Humanities
Classics, Greek and Latin
Communication Studies
English
History
Modern Languages (Chinese, German, French, Spanish)
Philosophy
Religion
Natural Sciences
Biology
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Computer Science
Kinesiology
Mathematics
Physics
Social Sciences
Accounting
Business
Economics
Education
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology and Anthropology
Interdisciplinary
Animal Behavior
Environmental Studies
Feminist Studies
International Studies
Latin American Studies
Internet Links
There are thousands of websites that offer information about particular occupations. Some specific sites that may help you explore are:
America's Career InfoNet - A parternship between federal and state agencies, this organization offers information on the process of career exploration as well as occupational outlooks and trends and numerous other tools.
What's Involved in Career Choice? - Article from Florida State University explaining the career decision-making process.
How to Research Companies - National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) article offers detailed advice for researching prospective employers, whether you're seeking a job or internship or just exploring options.
KODA.us - KODA is Social Recruiting - a place for people and companies to come together as friends and explore opportunity. Login to KODA so we can suggest opportunities that are right for you.
LexisNexis - This academic research database includes a component for conducting company research, as well as a news search.
LinkedIn.com - This fast-growing site features thousands of company profiles. Also, looking at individuals' profiles can help you identify common career paths in particular industries.
O*NET - The Occupational Information Network makes occupational information interactive and accessible for all. Research occupations using keywords or search for occupations that match your skills.
Occupational Outlook Handbook - The US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes this document annually. Browse by alphabetical order or occupational cluster for abundant information on different occupations, including projected growth/decline, salaries, qualifications and descriptions.
The Riley Guide's Research and Target Employers and Locations - A comprehensive collection of links to help you research employers and occupations to explore career options and prepare for a job search
