Explore Your Interests / Self Assessment

The first step in choosing a career is to learn about yourself. The more you understand yourself and your motivation, the more informed and productive your career search process will be. Start by reflecting on your interests, values, skills, personality, and motivations. As you learn more about yourself, pursue various experiences to reaffirm or challenge your self-perception and become more career-ready.

Personality refers to a combination of qualities that form an individual’s unique character, which influence how you see, experience, and interact with the world. Personality inventories can provide insight into how your personality compares to others and your work preferences. Our office offers Focus2 and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for BSU students and alumni to understand your personality and how it relates to career choices.

What are your key abilities, talents, and strengths? Common examples include interpersonal, communication, leadership, and organizational skills that you may have developed through employment, campus activities, or academic projects. Being able to identify and describe your skills allows you to answer key questions at job interviews such as What can you do for my organization? and What problems can you solve? Use Focus2 to help you articulate your skills.

What are your key abilities, talents, and strengths? Common examples include interpersonal, communication, leadership, and organizational skills that you may have developed through employment, campus activities, or academic projects. Being able to identify and describe your interests allows you to answer key questions at job interviews such as What can you do for my organization? and What problems can you solve? Use Focus2 or the Strong Interests Inventory (SII) to help you identify your career interests.

Values are your beliefs about what is important or desirable. When your values match up with the company’s values, you tend to feel more satisfied and appreciated. Some work values include salary, geographic location, flexible work hours, and work environment. Use Focus2 to help you define your values. 

What are your motivations? Discovering your motivations provide the language for you to describe your unique purpose, express your values, and identify work environment that you can flourish in. Connect with a career advisor to examine your true motivations using assessment product.

Focus 2 – Explore your career interest, values, personality, and skills through this self-paced, online career guidance tool. Create an account or login as a returning user by clicking here. Enter the Access Code as Bridgew. Schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor if you would like to discuss your Focus 2 results. 

TruMotivate: Reflect on your personal stories of achievement and success to uncover what motivates you and what you find to be fulfilling. When you access this URL, a new and personalized link is created for your unique assessment. Do not share your personal URL. 

O*Net Interest Profiler – Find out what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work.

16 Personalities – Get to know your personality and gain career and relationship advice with this free personality assessment.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

O*Net Online – Select your skills and then find matching occupations.

Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) – Review information on what workers do in certain occupations along with the typical work environment, the required education, training, and other qualifications; the average pay; the job outlook; information on state and area data; and similar occupations.

CareerOne Stop Career and Career Cluster Videos – Browse CareerOneStop’s video collection to learn about careers, career clusters, skills and abilities, and more.

BSU Majors and Minors – Access a list of all the majors, concentrations and minors that are available to you as a BSU student.

What Can I Do With This Major? – Learn about typical career paths and types of employers that hire people with each major, as well as strategies to make you a more marketable candidate.

Focus 2 – Log on to your Focus 2 account, scroll down to the Explore the Possibilities section and select What Can I Do With a Major In to see sample position titles that relate to each major.

LinkedIn Alumni Tool  – Talk to BSU alumni to learn about career paths of interest. Check out the LinkedIn & Informational Interviewing Guide for sample LinkedIn messages as well as sample questions that you may want to ask if you schedule an informational interview with a BSU alum.

Traditional Student Program of Study Change Form – This form is meant to be used by current students (who are not a first semester freshman or College of Continuing Studies student) who are interested in changing their major. Questions? Watch the “how to” video.

First Semester Freshmen Program of Study Change Form – This form is meant to be used by First-Semester Freshmen who are interested in changing their major. Questions? Watch the “how to” video.

College of Continuing Studies Program of Study Change Form – This form is meant to be used by current College of Continuing Studies students trying to change to another College of Continuing Studies program or those who wish to change to a College of Continuing Studies program. Questions? Watch the “how to” video.

Minor Add/Drop Form – This form is specifically for those students who are trying to add or drop a minor.

Questions? Contact the Registrar’s Office at 508.531.1231

• LinkedIn – Connect with industry professionals and BSU alumni, identify hidden connections
• Indeed.com – Search for internships, part-time, and full-time job opportunities
• O*Net – Review different types of occupations and possible career options
• Occupational Outlook Handbook – Learn more about career options in various sectors
• Talent Fairy – Explore jobs and resources for students interested in writing and publishing
• Idealist.org – Identify jobs, volunteering, and internships in the nonprofit sector
• USAJobs.gov – Find opportunities in the US Federal Government
• Artjobs.artsearch.us – Locate arts-related internships and full-time positions
• Jobs.sciencecareers.org – Discover opportunities related to STEM
• Biospace.com – Explore biology-related opportunities
• Backstage.com – Check out acting-related gigs and positions
• Topschooljobs.org – Find opportunities related to education
• Mediabistro.com – Identify internships and jobs in media
• Mandy.com – Find jobs related to films and productions
• Journalismjobs.com – Prepare for journalism-related careers
• Efinancialcareers – Gain insight into careers in finance
• Globaljobs.org – Search for international opportunities and careers
• Lawjobs.com – Find career opportunities related to law
• NSF.gov/crssprgm/reu/ – Explore undergraduate and graduate research opportunities
• Workforgood.org – Discover careers related to nonprofits
• APA.org/education-career/undergrad/research-opportunities – Locate psychology research opportunities
• Teamworkonline.com – Identify sports-related internships and full-time positions
• Workinsports.com – Explore sports-related opportunities

• Handshake – Identify job and internship postings, connect with employers and locate career resources
• Focus2 – Identify your career interests and how they tie to different occupations and career options
• GoinGlobal – Learn more about international career options and resources
• TheForage – Opportunities for SFC students to pursue virtual work experiences provided by employers
• Parker Dewey – Pursue micro-internships and short-term projects offered by employers
• LinkedIn Learning – Participate in short-term courses to strengthen your industry knowledge and skills