Leanne Brown (left) and Lisa Seal (right) prepare to present at a major discussion event on September 30th.
The University of North Alabama Career Center held a major discussion event on Sept. 30 to help students access resources to help them make career choices.
The event began with speakers discussing the Focus2 tool, which includes career assessments, to help students narrow down their options. To access Focus2, students go to una.edu/career and click on “Students and Alumni.” From there, clicking on “Explore Majors and Careers” and then “What are my options?” will take students to the Focus2 page.
Focus2 works like a personality test, matching students with careers that match their passions and skill sets. There are five self-assessments, and once students complete these quizzes, they can combine their results to see which career field they are best suited for.
Lisa Seal, one of the speakers at the event, encouraged students to take the assessment and consider career fields suggested by the program. Nevertheless, she also urged students not to be discouraged if their ideal career is not on the recommendation list, as it is not an exhaustive list of all the options available to students. did.
“Career planning tools can help individuals make informed decisions when choosing a major or career,” Seal said. “(They) can also help you decide if a major or career is right for you before you graduate and start working.”
Students who attended said the results were generally in line with their expectations and showed them career-related options they could enjoy, which was reassuring for students who had not taken the course yet and were unsure. career path.
Seal and Ryan Brown, another speaker at the event, explained how to utilize the Focus2 tool. The Focus2 tool includes important information about each career field, including the required level of higher education and other requirements. Students were also informed about the PDF available on the UNA Career Center website under “What can I do with my major?” The PDF contains information about the careers applicable to each major offered at UNA, as well as strategies on how to get into that major. career.
At the end of the program, speakers encouraged students to take advantage of the resources available to them through the university.
“The Career Center is here to assist (students) through every step of their career development,” Seal said. “We recognize that education is an investment. Knowledge and use of career planning tools can help students decide what they want to do early in their education, allowing them to get the most out of their investment. I hope.”
