Career and Graduate School Exploration

Career and Graduate School Exploration is simply the pursuit of matching your skill set and interests with employment opportunities and or graduate programs. 

Please get to know YOURSELF FIRST with an interest survey.  Career Services  has online inventories you can complete to learn more about your personality style and preferences.  You'll want to set aside about an hour to complete the online Strong Interest Inventory.  Visit the website https://online.cpp.com/.  IC students should use the login ICCareerCenter and the password blueboy.  The login and password are case sensitive.  Click the login button and then choose the button for the Newly Revised Strong Interest Inventory.  The survey has 317 questions and does have a click and return later feature should you need to quit and return at a later time to complete the survey.  If you do decide to quit to return later please be sure to write down the ID number that is given for you.  You will need this so you can start where you left off next time. 

Please email Susie Drake at sdrake@ic.eduafter you complete the inventory.  You will need to set up an appointment to meet with her to go over your Career Report.  If you need further information you could also complete the Myers Briggs Type Indicator on this same program.  Please see Susie before completing the MBTI. 

Don't know what to major in or what you can do with a particular major?  Check out this What Can I Do With This Major? page. 

CAREERS THAT FIT Connecting to American Jobs will bring you to a listing of every position in America according to the census. This site allows you to review qualifications, related positions and gives you an idea of the pay scale. Please explore the "professional" positions listed to the right of the opening screen.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS  Talk with your professors, advisors, friends, parents, and others who know you well to get suggestions of programs that may be a good fit for you.  What types of subjects within you major(s) interest you the most?  Have you done any research in specific areas that leave you wanting to know more?  This type of information can lead you to the correct graduate program for you.  Using the internet to learn which schools have what programs can bring the world to your fingertips.  The website GradSchools.Com is a free search engine that allows you to search graduate programs all over the country.  Use it to learn more about any programs you may be interested in.  Check the Calendar of Events page on our website to check to see when recruiters from various graduate programs will be on campus.

The Career Services Office has a LIBRARY of field specific positions such as the ARTS and SPORTS as well as catalogs of Hot Careers and Minority Positions students can take with them. Stop by and spend some time  reviewing the selection. We also keep graduate school catalogs and grad school testing information in the library for you to explore.  Any information we receive from universities about their scholarships, internships, assistantships or fellowships is kept in the library as well.

Review the ILLINOIS COLLEGE CATALOG for courses of interest outside your general studies requirements and register. Spend a day JOB SHADOWING a professional in a career of interest. Arrange for an hour INTERVIEW, where you interview a professional about what they do, their qualifications and the real life experience being in that position.

Always feel free to stop by the Career Services office in Baxter to talk with Susie or Sheila about your interests.  We will be happy to work with you to find additional resources to assist you with career and graduate school research.

 

 

 

 

   

 

Illinois College
1101 West College Avenue
Jacksonville, IL 62650
217.245.3030

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