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Career Services - Career Exploration

Career Exploration

Career Exploration is learning about various occupations and their "fit" with your unique career preferences, e.g. the skills, interests, and values you want satisfied by your career. Career exploration involves researching different professions to gain a better understanding of what they entail.

Why is Career Exploration Important?

  • Get a sense of what tasks and responsibilities certain jobs include.
  • Gain knowledge of training or education involved to enter particular fields in the workforce.
  • Assess whether they are suitable candidates for the job(s) they are considering.
  • Make informed career decisions, that are realistic based on their personal skills, traits, and workplace preferences.

Did you know, that over 80% of students will change their major more than once while in College. Why does this occur?

  • Finding a new major that support their interests, values, passion, or personality.
  • Choosing a career that is practical – something that will pay the bills.
  • Not asked the right questions when starting school & registering for classes.
  • Listening to outside influences on what career they should go into.

3 Steps to Career Exploration:

  1. Determine Your Interests
    Knowing about yourself is the basis of career decision-making.  What are your interests, skills, and values? What is important to you about your work? What are your personal traits and characteristics?
     
  2. Discover Your Career
    Learning about the careers, types of jobs, educational requirements, and job functions are important in understanding the careers that fit your interests and goals.
     
  3. Plan Your Goal
    Take what you have learned about yourself and piece it together with the reality of the world of work. Begin to evaluate career options that are practical for you. Use decision-making and action planning skills to identify successful career and life plans.

World Of Work Inventory

World of Work Inventory or WOWI, is a career assessment that combines career interests and work styles to match to careers that meet your needs. This assessment is meant to open potential career options to students and provides details on each career, allowing students to make an informed decision on which career path would suit you best. WOWI Career Assessment is required for all degree seeking freshman, transfer, and re-admit students.

WOWI: Venn Diagram You and A Career or Major
 
Nervous? No reason to be! There are no wrong answers, if answered honestly, your results will be uniquely yours. Reflecting work environment, type of work, and even the type of managing that work best for your own needs.
Students will be able to complete the assessment in approximately 20 minutes from your smart phone, computer, tablet, or any device that can connect to the internet.
Follow the steps below:

  1. Once admitted to BridgeValley Community and Technical College, students will receive their individual log-in credentials via email.
  2. Go to the WOWI website to log in: https://www.wowi.com/

    WOWI Home Page


     
  3. Click the log-in button on the top of the home page.
  4. Enter the log in name and password provided.
  5. Once logged in, you will be able to start and stop the assessment as needed, including closing the window and resuming where you left off on a later date.
  6. Results will be discussed with students during their initial advising appointment at BridgeValley CTC.

Educational Resources

Additional learning resources:

  • Khan Academy provide Math, Science, History, Science, Reading, & other learning resources for all ages without needing a log-in to use. (Log-in to save progress.) https://www.khanacademy.org/
  • Goodwill Community Foundation provide computer, Microsoft, Google, Internet, Career, & additional skills without needing a log-in to use. (Log-in to save progress.) https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/
  • Read Works focuses on reading comprehension. (Log-in required.) https://www.readworks.org/
  • Hour of Code focuses on computer sciences through tutorials & activities. (Log-in to save progress.) https://hourofcode.com/us
  • Braingle provide puzzles, trivia, and games to improve critical thinking and give their brain a workout! (Log-in to save progress.) https://www.braingle.com/