Career Counseling
Exploring career options or a major can be overwhelming and exciting. There are several places at UF where you can get assistance. The Counseling Center offers a variety of services, to UF students only, that can help you in your career exploration and decision-making journey. Trained counselors are available to provide individual counseling, vocational assessments, and introduce you to the DISCOVER program. The DISCOVER program is a web-based program that allows you to explore your interest and skills and major/career options to match those skills. We can help you identify your academic and career goals and develop a plan that suits your lifestyle. If you find yourself wondering who can help, the Counseling Center is ready and able to assist you with making your career decision.
What is Career Counseling?
Career development is a life-long process involving self-exploration, creating career options, and establishing short and long-term goals based on your immediate and future needs. Career counseling is a method through which career development is facilitated.
Career counseling at the Counseling Center takes into account personal, family, cultural, professional, and geographic factors in the career development process. All registered students are eligible for individual career counseling. In working with a counselor, a decision may be made to use written or web-based vocational inventories to assist students in clarifying their career-related interests, goals, and values. If you are interested in career counseling, stop by or call to schedule a career intake appointment.
Career Counseling Is Right For You If . . .
- You are undecided about a major or career
- You are thinking about changing your major
- You have a major, but are unsure of what career path to follow
- You are preparing for the job search process
- You are considering graduate or professional school
- You are struggling with the impact of your major or career on relationships
Getting Started
Often times looking into your past, may be able to provide insight into your future. In choosing a major or a career take a moment to identify what subjects you enjoy most or where you have met success. Identify what hobbies you have and see if you can turn them into a career options.
Counselors at the Counseling Center or use of the DISCOVER program can assist you in the career development process, by following these steps:
- Identifying your career, major, personal, professional, and job search goals
- Exploring your interests, values, and skills by categorizing your strengths and weaknesses, need for home/work balance, favorite subjects, hobbies, work history, and careers you have been exposed to
- From the information gathered in step 2, you will begin to narrow your major/career choices
- Research the majors or career options that you have identified
- Based on your research and personal evaluation, you are in a position to make a decision and take action
- Once you have taken action, it is time to evaluate your decision to see if your major/career choice is fulfilling most of your major/career needs. If not, you can reengage in the career decision making process to further explore your options
Career Services Presentation for Faculty and Organizations
The Counseling Center staff is available to come to your classroom or a UF organization to present a present a short, 10-15 minute informational presentation on the Career Counseling services the Counseling Center offers, including the DISCOVER program.
If you would like to schedule a presentation for your classroom or organization, please contact the Counseling Center at (352) 392-1575. We ask for a minimum of two weeks notice to accommodate your request.