There are three different areas of exploration we like to focus on with Exploratory students. Those areas are Self Exploration, Major Exploration, and Career Exploration. As you progress through the exploration process, you will begin to see that these areas overlap with YOU being the constant at the center. You are the expert about who you are, what interests you, your strengths, and where your passion lies, which is why being actively engaged in the exploration process is so important. Just as the areas of exploration overlap, you’ll see that several of the resources we’ve curated below also overlap, in that many of them allow you to explore multiple areas at once. We have organized the resources below by the area they focus on the most, and have noted resources where you will find some overlap. The key below indicates which areas of exploration each resource aligns with.
Self Exploration
Major Exploration
Career Exploration
Self Exploration
SELF EXPLORATION is the process of identifying your strengths, interests, and abilities. It’s about discovering what’s important to you in your life, and perhaps what isn’t! Once you take a closer look at all these factors, you’ll likely find clues that will help you find an academic area, specific major, or a career path that is the right fit for you. Below are some resources that to help you in your process of self-exploration.
The 16 Personalities assessment offers insight regarding your strongest personality traits and how they influence your career path, personal growth, relationships, and academic and learning styles.
The values card sort is a virtual exercise that will help you identify what values are most important to you, which may influence your decision making and determine what to consider when looking for a career.
The NC Careers Interest Finder will help you explore your personal interests and link them to potential major and/or career paths. Additionally, the Interest Finder will give you a closer look at salary ranges and projected career growth.
Getting involved in the campus community by participating in campus organizations will help you not only feel connected to the campus community, but it will also help you build your social network and explore your personal and or potential career interest. Use the campus organization search feature to explore what is offered.
Engaging in community service not only benefits the community but it also introduces the opportunity to learn about yourself, others, and explore potential majors and careers of interest through direct work. If you are looking for consistent volunteer opportunities or just a one-time commitment, check out the Give Pulse Database or participate in the Catalyst program.
If you are feeling lonely, lost or confused throughout your exploration process and are having trouble connecting with things you are passionate about, or are feeling discouraged about future goals, consider making an appointment with Counseling & Psychological Services.
For those looking for a community that work to improve their overall well-being, Spartan Well-Being offers Well-Being Coaching, community building opportunities, drop-in spaces, skill building workshops, and larger scales events all geared towards understanding and improving wellness.
Major Exploration
MAJOR EXPLORATION is the process of connecting all your interests, abilities, and skills to different areas of study that you can find at UNCG. Below are some resources that could help you discover options for your major course of study.
The UNCG majors list contains all the majors available at UNC Greensboro. It can be helpful for students to look at all their options to see if there are any majors they are interested in exploring. Students can also print out the list to cross off any majors they know they are not interested in to make the list less intimidating.
The UNCG minors list contains all the minors available at UNC Greensboro. Students may choose to select a minor to complement and enhance their major course of study. This can be helpful for students looking to gain additional knowledge and skills or simply to further develop an area of interest.
Meta Majors focus areas are collections of academic majors and concentrations that are complementary areas, have similar foundational course requirements, and related career pathways. This list is intended to help students see connections in multiple degree paths that align with their interests, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
*PRO TIP: Consider using your results from the NC Careers Interest Finder to search within a Meta Major that might match up with your Holland Code!
The University Catalog is a great tool that contains major and minor options, course offerings for each department, and degree requirements. Using the catalog to view requirements for various majors can give you a sense of the kinds of things you would be expected to learn in each major. Click each course number to view the course description and any pre-requisites and co-requisites. This can be helpful for finding courses you may want to take to explore majors of interest.
NC Career’s Occupational List is a list of occupations in North Carolina that you can filter through. One filter function includes the ability to search through “Pathway.” You can use the pathways to select potential majors of interest to see what jobs might be available if you pursued that major.
The Field of Degree page in the Occupational Outlook Handbook highlights data and information for various fields of degrees. It helps to provide students with a glimpse of what workers with the different degrees are doing for occupations, including types of jobs, what majors belong in those fields of degrees, and questions you may have within the field of degree.
Career Exploration
CAREER EXPLORATION is the process of discovering various occupations and career pathways that align with your strengths, skills, and major interests. Below are some resources that can help you in your process of exploring careers.
What can I do with this major? is a website that allows students to explore different industries and career paths within a particular major or academic field. This is a great resource for students who are uncertain about what career opportunities a major of interest may lead to or those who are looking to explore different options. Note: To access this resource, you’ll need to be logged into a browser using your UNCG credentials.
O* Net used to explore detailed information about various occupations. O*NET provides information on job descriptions, education requirements, etc. You can use this website to search for specific jobs or browse by category to help you find information that helps with career planning.
This resource within O*Net helps students explore potential career options by using assessments to match you with careers based on your personal interest and skills. My Next Move provides you with in-depth details about specific careers that you are interested in or have been matched with. You will be given information regarding the education and training needed for those careers.
Career Explorer is designed to help students explore various career options and make informed decisions about their professional future. The website provides students with things like personalized assessments, job training resources, and career descriptions. By using these resources students can find a career path that aligns with their strengths, skills, and major interests.
Handshake is a career management resource to help students navigate the job market. This tool is used to connect students with job and internship opportunities, network with employers, and provide resources for career development. Once you create a profile with your UNCG credentials, you can search for jobs and find and RSVP for career events to attend.
NC Careers is a resource to support individuals with their career exploration and job search in North Carolina. NC Careers provides access to job listings, career assessments, and training resources that are specific to your job interest.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook provides information like job responsibilities, required education or training, salary information, and job outlook projections for various jobs or careers. This information can help you make informed decisions about your career options by providing insights into the job market and the skills needed for different positions.
