Research Careers

Career Information

Think of it as “career shopping.” Before any large purchase or investment (the cost of your undergraduate degree at Humboldt is estimated at around $40,000-$50,000!) it is always wise to research and make the best choice, based on good information. Careers vary remarkably and you can benefit from knowing more about careers before committing yourself to a significant investment of time, effort and money. There are sad tales of those that started their professional lives after graduation, only to realize that they really did not enjoy the work. Better to research now than to regret later!

Here are some questions that you may want to ask:

  • Which degree and major are best suited to my career interests?
  • How much does it pay to begin? What will I earn after I gain more experience?
  • What is the current and projected demand for this career?
  • What unique skills, abilities, traits and characteristics are needed to be successful in this work?
  • What is the “work-style” that is associated with the career? Is the work done with others, or will I work alone? Will I work mostly inside or outside? Will I be closely supervised or will I work more independently?

There are organizations with great websites that have researched careers and can answer these questions for you. Try these:

 

Occupational Guides

 

Career Exploration/Gaining Experience

Volunteering: A “win-win” situation exists between students that volunteer their time and organizations that host them. Students gain insights, experience, skills and references from their efforts while organizations benefit from the energy and effort of volunteers.

Informational Interviews: Through a network of Humboldt alumni and employers in the community you can arrange opportunities to meet and discuss careers with professionals in virtually any career field. Schedule an appointment with a career advisor to facilitate an information interviewing opportunity. Informational Interview Guide (.pdf)

Part-time and Summer Jobs: The Academic and Career Advising Center has an abundance of jobs available through their on-line job listings. For more information, to register for services and access jobs, go to Handshake (https://humboldt.joinhandshake.com), the Academic and Career Advising Center database for part-time and summer listings.