Career Exploration

The career exploration process involves learning more about yourself, investigating options, seeking new experiences, and crafting a strategic plan to reach your ultimate goals. This exploration can help you to find a career path that interests you and that you will enjoy long term. 

Steps to explore your career possibilities

Try the following steps to explore your career possibilities.

Remember that career exploration is a personal journey, and it may take time to find the right fit. Be patient, open-minded and willing to adapt as you learn more about yourself and the professional world around you.

  • Start by reflecting on your interests, strengths, values, and personal goals. Consider your hobbies, subjects you enjoy, skills you possess, and what you find meaningful. Self-assessment tools like personality tests, skills assessments, and values inventories can provide insights into your strengths and preferences.

  • Once you have a better understanding of yourself, begin researching various careers that match your interests and skills. Use resources such as career websites, books, industry reports, and online platforms to gather information about different professions, job responsibilities, required qualifications, work environments, and growth opportunities.

  • Connect with professionals in fields of interest to learn more about their experiences and gain valuable insights. Attend career fairs, and industry events, or join professional networking platforms to interact with people working in your desired fields. Conduct informational interviews to ask questions about their career paths, daily activities, challenges, and recommendations.

  • Consider job shadowing opportunities or internships in fields that interest you. This allows you to observe professionals in action, understand the work dynamics, and gain hands-on experience. It provides a realistic perspective of the career and helps you determine if it aligns with your expectations.

  • Identify the skills and qualifications required for your chosen career paths. Assess your existing skills and identify areas for improvement. Look for opportunities to enhance your skills through courses, workshops, volunteering, or part-time jobs. Developing relevant skills can increase your employability and open up new career possibilities.

  • As you gather information and experience, evaluate the different career options you have explored. Consider factors such as job prospects, salary potential, work-life balance, personal fulfillment, and long-term growth. Assess how well each career aligns with your values, interests, and goals. Make a shortlist of the most appealing options.

  • If you are uncertain about a specific career path, consider trying it out through temporary or part-time work, freelancing or volunteering. Hands-on experience can help you validate your interest and gain clarity. Be open to adjusting your plans based on new insights and experiences.

  • Once you embark on a chosen career path, remember that career exploration is an ongoing process. Stay curious and continue to learn about new developments in your field. Seek professional development opportunities attend workshops or conferences and consider advanced education or certifications to expand your skills and grow within your chosen career.

Overview of potential career paths

It might help you to know more about the variety of career paths and fields you can investigate. Below are the 16 career clusters recognized by the U.S. Department of Education's Career Clusters Framework. Each cluster represents a group of related occupations and industries.

Remember that these examples are just a starting point and each career cluster offers numerous other opportunities with varying education requirements and potential for advancement. It's essential to research specific careers within your areas of interest to find the best fit for your skills and aspirations.

Here's a brief overview of each career cluster:

  • Careers related to agriculture, environmental conservation, natural resource management, and food production. Sample Careers: a) Agricultural Engineer b) Food Scientist c) Park Ranger

  • Involves careers in designing, planning, and constructing buildings and other structures. Sample Careers: a) Architect b) Construction Manager c) Civil Engineering Technician

  • Encompasses careers in creative and performing arts, multimedia production, and communication technologies. Sample Careers: a) Graphic Designer b) Multimedia Artist c) Public Relations Specialist

  • Focuses on careers in business planning, operations, finance, marketing, and administrative services. Sample Careers: a) Human Resources Manager b) Financial Analyst c) Marketing Manager

  • Involves careers in teaching, training, and educational support services. Sample Careers: a) Teacher b) School Counselor c) Training and Development Specialist

  • Encompasses careers in banking, investment, insurance, accounting, and financial planning. Sample Careers: a) Financial Advisor b) Accountant c) Investment Analyst

  • Focuses on careers in public service, governance, law enforcement, and policy analysis. Sample Careers: a) Public Policy Analyst b) City Manager c) Immigration Officer

  • Involves careers in healthcare, medicine, nursing, diagnostics, and therapeutic services. Sample Careers: a) Registered Nurse b) Medical Laboratory Technologist c) Physical Therapist

  • Encompasses careers in the hospitality industry, travel, and tourism services. Sample Careers: a) Hotel Manager b) Event Planner c) Travel Agent

  • Focuses on careers that provide social, community, and personal services, such as counseling, social work, and childcare. Sample Careers: a) Social Worker b) Marriage and Family Therapist c) Substance Abuse Counselor

  • Involves careers related to computer systems, software development, networking, and cybersecurity. Sample Careers: a) Software Developer b) Network Administrator c) Data Analyst

  • Encompasses careers in legal services, law enforcement, emergency management, and security. Sample Careers: a) Police Officer b) Paralegal c) Firefighter

  • Focuses on careers in product development, production, and quality control in various industries. Sample Careers: a) Manufacturing Engineer b) Production Supervisor c) Quality Control Inspector

  • Involves careers in marketing, advertising, sales, customer service, and retail. Sample Careers: a) Sales Manager b) Digital Marketing Specialist c) Customer Service Representative

  • Encompasses careers in various scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematical fields. Sample Careers: a) Biomedical Engineer b) Data Scientist c) Environmental Scientist

  • Focuses on careers in transportation systems, warehousing, and logistics management. Sample Careers: a) Logistics Manager b) Aircraft Mechanic c) Truck Driver

Career Trees

Our career trees offer an overview of various career fields, enhancing your understanding of job opportunities within each sector. These roles are categorized based on experience and education, aiding you in setting goals and guiding you on how to break into your chosen field.

Explore the Career Trees

Career Exploration Platforms, Assessments & Tools

  • My Future AZ is an Arizona career development and job skills exploration platform. This will provide you with comprehensive resources and support to plan for your future career. Your planning begins with becoming aware of and exploring the local possibilities and pathways to get there. This is your opportunity to identify your skills, interests, and strengths as well as understand how these can apply to meaningful career paths right here in Arizona.

    In My Future AZ you can take a Career Assessment to see which careers might be a good fit for you based on your specific answers.

    You can quickly and easily explore industries and careers. Learn about a career and find out how to get the education and training you need to get started.

    You can use My Future AZ to start making a plan for your career which helps guide your high school course selection and post-graduation options.

    Start here with our instruction video.

    Helpful links: Create an account, Career Interest Quiz.

  • O*NET OnLine has detailed descriptions of the world of work. Investigate over 900 occupations filtered by your goals and needs. Review the requirements, characteristics, and available opportunities for your selected occupation.

    The O*NET Interest Profiler can help you find out what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work. You can find out what you like to do by starting here: Interest Profiler

  • My Next Move is an interactive career exploration tool designed to help students discover careers that match their interests and skills. It offers detailed information about job tasks, required education, salary ranges, and industry outlooks. 

    Visit My Next Move to get started on career exploration  

  • Career OneStop is a platform that can help you with assessments, in-demand positions, information on wages and training opportunities nationwide.

    Create a Career OneStop account and get started on your own career exploration.

  • Career Connectors has a wealth of industry experts that share weekly advice to shorten your job search, improve your personal brand and help you land the job of your dreams. They also host events and offer multiple resources focused on your career search.

  • Once you are ready to apply for positions, you can visit our How do I Get a Job Now? page to find step-by-step instructions on how to create your resume, cover letter and prepare everything you will need for the job search process.

Back to College & Career Next Steps