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Goals & Dreams
This section will help you think about your personal goals and the commitment needed to make a
decision about which major is right for you.
1. What is your dream job or
career goal? What would you do
if you did not have to consider
what it would take to make it
happen?
2. What is your goal for the next
week?
3. What is your goal for the next
month?
4. What is your goal for the
semester?
5. What is your goal for the next
year?
6. How are your short-term
goals related?
7. How do your short-term
goals relate to your dream job?
8. How will achieving your
short-term goals help you to
reach your dream job or career
goal?
My Interests
This section will help you describe yourself and your interests. Be thinking about your likes and
dislikes and how this information can be used in narrowing down some major choices.
1. In what areas do you have
expert knowledge?
2. What do you enjoy doing
outside of academics?
3. What are your favorite
academic subjects?
4. When you dream about the
future, what do you think you
would enjoy doing or being?
5. What kind of activities are you
not interested in? Why?
6. Was poor performance in a
particular area in the past based
primarily on lack of aptitude or
lack of effort?
7. How have others judged your
performance in the past?
8. What are your talents?
My Skills
This section will help you look at your skills in 1) academics, 2) functional areas that you can transfer to any career field or
major, and 3) relational skills, abilities and character traits that will help you understand how you relate to others.
Academic Skills
1. On a scale of 1-5 (5=best) rate yourself:
writing skills
study habits
speaking skills
math skills
initiative
2. What are your academic strengths?
3. What are your academic weaknesses?
4. How do you study best? What are your
study techniques?
5. What methods do you use to manage
your time?
Functional Skills
Check all that apply.
HELPING
advising
COMMUNICATING
editing
CREATING
composing
designing
translating
coaching
illustrating
researching
leading
acting
critical thinking
mentoring
imagining
summarizing
supporting
fine arts
writing
persuading
developing
articulating
teaching
constructing
speaking
motivating
Relational Skills
1. What skills do you exhibit when relating to other people? Check all that apply.
management
loyalty
reliability
sincerity
flexibility
cooperation
2. What attributes do you use to handle stressful situations? Check all that apply.
courage
versatility
self-control
assertiveness
self-confidence
resourcefulness
3.Do you have special ability or experiences that might be helpful to a major or career? Mark any that apply.
adventurousness
humor
4. Please list additional
experiences and the qualities you
exhibited in those situations that
would make you a good fit for
your chosen major or career.
energy
cheerfulness
independence
open-mindedness
My Values
This section will help you clarify what your personal values are for work expectations. This exercise will help you reflect on the core
values you hold. They may have been developed by your experiences with family or other life events, but you should consider the
important role they play in finding satisfaction with your major and future career. After completing this section, you will begin to see
that your personal values cross over and affect how you think about your work life.
Work Values:
Rate each category based upon the level of importance it holds in both your work and personal life.
1 = components you can't live without 2 = components which are not necessary 3 = components which do not matter to you
Rating
Value
Value Description
Help Society
Do something that contributes to improving the world we live in
Help Others
Be directly included in helping other people, individually or in small groups
Public Contact
Have a lot of day to day contact with the public
Work Alone
Do projects by myself, with limited contact with others
Competition
Engage in activities which pit my abilities against others
Make Decisions
Have the power to decide courses of action and policies
Work Under Pressure Work in situations where time pressure is common
Influence People
Be in a situation to influence the attitudes or opinions of other people
Knowledge
Engage in pursuit of knowledge and understanding
Work Mastery
Become an expert in whatever work I do
Artistic Creativity
Engage in creative expression
General Creativity
Have the opportunity to create new programs, materials or organizational structures
Aesthetics
Participate in studying or appreciating the beauty of things, ideas, etc.
Supervision
Have a job in which I am directly responsible for the work of others
Change and Variety
Have work activities which change frequently
Precision Work
Work in situations where attention to detail and accuracy are very important
Stability
Have a routine and job duties that are predictable
Security
Be assured of keeping my job and receiving satisfactory compensation
Recognition
Be publicly recognized for the high quality of my work
Adventure
Have work duties which require frequent risk-taking
Excitement
Experience a high degree of, or frequent excitement in the course of my work
Financial Gain
Have a high likelihood of achieving very great monetary rewards for my work
Physical Challenge
Do activities that use my physical capabilities
Independence
Be able to determine the nature of my work without significant direction from others
Moral Fulfillment
Feel that my work contributes to a set of moral standards that are very important to me
Community
Live where I can participate in community affairs
Time Freedom
Be able to work according to my own schedule
Add your own:
List your top 5 work values from the previous section. How do you see your job or work environment fulfilling these
values? Which if any, would you be willing to give up in your job?
Additional questions to consider:
1. Is family and/or marriage in the future?
2. How long do you hope to
work before you decide to get
married or have a family?
3. What are your priorities in
regard to a social life?
4. How do your top 5 values
relate to the type of family life
and/or personal life that you
envision?
5. Do your top 5 values indicate
a desire for continued learning
outside of the academic setting?
Yes
No
Unsure
Analysis of the FOCUS Assessment
This worksheet is to be used in conjunction with the online FOCUS assessment. It is geared
toward helping you to critically analyze the FOCUS results in combination with modules which
identify your Interests, Skills, and Values.
1. What types of careers did the
FOCUS assessment highlight?
2. What did the FOCUS identify as
your Holland Code?
3. How do your personal traits
and the FOCUS assessment
careers seem to match up?
4. Are there other areas of
interest that you would like to
bring into your professional or
personal life that did not appear
on the FOCUS?
5. What careers from the FOCUS
do you have questions about?
5. What are your top 3 career
choices from the FOCUS
assessment? Describe 3 majors
that could help you reach those
careers.
What I Learned
What are the most important
facts you have learned about
yourself?
What specific personal traits
help you to define who you are
and the person you want to be?
Are your interests, skills, goals,
abilities, and values compatible
with the information you
gathered about careers?
In what specific areas do your
interest, skills, goals, abilities,
and values connect with the
careers you are considering?
Based on this information, what
are your three top-choice
majors?
Explain why you have chosen
each of the three possible
majors.
Academic Major Checklist
Is this major right for me?
Fill out this sections in relation to your top-choice major. Details on TTU major offerings can be found at
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/catalog/_AcademicsFieldsofStudy.php
1. What major are you
considering?
Why are you considering this
major?
2. Run a "what-if" degree audit & look up the 4-year plan in the catalog. Review course descriptions for the required courses.
Do the courses look interesting?
Some of them
Yes, all of them
Only a few of them
None of them
What classes are you most
excited about?
What classes are you least
excited about?
5. Look at ALL of the courses required for this major. Do you have the skills to complete all of these courses?
Yes
No
Which skills do you need to
develop?
What will be the most challenging
aspects of this major?
6. How does this major relate to
your career interests?
7. How is this major compatible
with your personal values?
8. Consider additional opportunities that will provide fulfillment to your college experience. Can you incorporate study abroad,
internships, research or other experiences to this major that will add dimension and personal satisfaction?
List possibilities here.
How confident are you that this major is a good fit for you? (5 = most confident)
What additional research have
you done/will you do to
determine if this major is a good
fit for you?
Student Interview Form
Use this as a guide as you interview students about majors or career paths they are pursuing.
Add your own questions! Remember: Be professional and on time!
Name
Address
Phone
E-Mail
Appointment Date
Time
Location
Suggested Questions. Please add your own. Check the ones you plan to use.
How did you decide this major was right for you?
Tell me about the classes you are taking? What skills do you need to do well in them?
What is most enjoyable about this about this major?
Have you had any difficulties or doubts about it?
Are you active in clubs for this major? If so, what is interesting about them and what are the benefits of
participating?
Have you focused on a particular career path or are you looking at general opportunities?
Are you doing any other academic enhancement program, such as an internship, research, etc?
What are you learning and of what benefit is it?
Additional questions you wish to ask:
After the interview,
write your
impressions of this
major and possible
career path here.
Faculty Interview Form
Use this as a guide as you interview faculty about a major. Add your own questions! Remember:
Be professional and on time!
Name
Address
Phone
E-Mail
Appointment Date
Time
Location
Suggested Questions. Please add your own. Check the ones you plan to use.
Why do you enjoy this field? How did you decide this was a good fit for you?
Tell me about the classes in this major? What skills do you need to do well in them?
What do you see as the most challenging and rewarding parts of this major?
Are there opportunities outside of the classroom (research, internships, etc.) that are beneficial?
Are they required?
Is graduate school recommended or required after I complete this major?
What trends do you see in this field?
What are the alumni in this major doing after they graduated?
What recommendations do you have for students to be successful in this major?
Additional questions you wish to ask:
After the interview,
write your
impressions of this
major and possible
career path here.
Professional Interview Form
Use this as a guide when you interview professionals about a particular career. Add your own
questions! Remember: Be professional and on time!
Name
Address
Phone
E-Mail
Appointment Date
Time
Location
Suggested Questions. Please add your own. Check the ones you plan to use.
What was your major in college?
What was the most meaningful part of that major as it relates to your profession now?
Describe your career path. Does your major directly relate to what you are doing now?
What part of your college experience was most important in preparing you for a career?
Did you go to graduate school?
Did you have a mentor or faculty advisor who was particularly helpful in guiding you? If so, in what way?
What do you enjoy most about your work?
What do you enjoy least about your work?
As an experienced professional, do you have any advice for someone coming into this field?
Additional questions you wish to ask:
After the interview,
write your
impressions of this
major and possible
career path here.
Job Shadow Experience
Use this as a guide as you job shadow a professional.
Remember: Be professional and on time!
Profession observed:
Contact person at site:
Key elements of experience:
Daily impressions:
Overall impression of experience:
What did you like?
What did you not like?
Is this a career path that you will
continue to investigate? Why or
why not?
How can the information you
have gained help you toward
your main career goal?
Salary Expectations
Investigate and record entry level salaries. Use www.bls.gov for a more in-depth look into careers.
Professional Position:
Entry salary range:
Potential for advancement:
Career relationship to major:
Professional Position:
Entry salary range:
Potential for advancement:
Career relationship to major:
Professional Position:
Entry salary range:
Potential for advancement:
Career relationship to major:
Adapted from University of Minnesota, Morris